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Building Shelving Units for 40g Tanks - Cost and Material Questions

Posted By:

anjeanettecorns28

Hello, just wanted to ask for some opinions from everyone who's done this before please help me decide what to use for my building project. I am going to be in the near future building 2 shelving units for my corn snakes. I would like each unit to be able to hold 2 40 gallon long tanks each. I don't know much about building things on my own so this will be a new experience for myself but I am deffiantly excited about it.

Need to know what kind of wood to use, how thick it should be and what kind of nails/screws or sockets to use to put shelves together that would be strong enough to hold 2 40 gallon tanks. I am also wanting a storage space underneath one of them to store my things in. Any advice would be very helpful and appreciated. I am not going to be doing this for awhile but would like to be able to get some general and or good ideas as to what I need so I can start pricing things here and there. And buy the little things as I go. Thanks for any help.


Points:	150
Topics:	Caging , Caging Plans
Tags:	Building, Caging, DIY, Materials, Price
Species:	Other Colubrids > Other Colubrids > Elaphe guttata guttata
Administrative:	Show/Hide

Accepted Answer

10/19/2009 12:02:27 AM

Floof

The easy way to go would be to just get a couple of those rod-iron style aquarium stands that hold one on top and one on bottom, then get a little dresser or cabinet to stick between them. Another thought is steel industrial shelving. I have a couple of those that I keep my 20Ls on. Not sure if they come big enough (wide and deep enough) to hold 40 gallons of any dimension, though. As for DIY, think about melamine. Pre-sealed/sanded/etc, and definitely much easier than dealing with straight wood. You could also try to make a unit with shelves that slide out... Here's some pictures of one made for 40 breeders: http://cornsnakes.com/forums/showpost.php?p=737851&postcount=2. VERY nifty, and I don't think it would be too hard to figure out for the determined party. =)

Also, why 40 long? Unless you already have them, 40 breeders (36x18x18 or something like that) are a bit more manageable... And easier to move... And available as sliding screen "terrariums"... Maybe it's just me, but those are major selling points... Especially after fussing with the screens on my 75 gals. Lol. Plus, a 40 Breeder is perfect for even a large adult corn snake. =)

Assisted Answer

10/19/2009 12:34:09 AM

amarilrose

Anjeanette, read through this thread in the Amazon-Alliance (Amazon Tree Boa forum): http://amazon-alliance.com/forums/index.php?topic=636.0

We discussed several ways of keeping multiple cages, including some shelving. I made my own set of shelves, and the lumber alone cost me upwards of $180 - for two sets of shelves, almost identical to what you're describing. I suspect buying two of the "baker's rack" shelves we talked about in that thread may be cheaper... and even if it isn't, there is something to be said for just having to assemble the shelves, as opposed to building them!

Assisted Answer

10/19/2009 1:23:51 PM

Herp_junky

It would definitely be easier to use a baker rack or garage storage rack system as opposed to building one,the price would probably be close to the same either way you go give or take a little. One tip though if your planning on building a frame out of 2x4's go with 2x3's,saves a little money and will hold just as much weight as 2x4's. Remember also that the "platform" should be fastened on top of a board that in turn is fastened to your outside "corner boards",this just allows a lot more weight to be held versus fastening straight in. If that makes sense:)

Assisted Answer

10/19/2009 1:41:32 PM

amarilrose

Anjeanette, I should've also sent you the link for an old blog I posted on here: http://iherp.com/Public/Blog/Detail.aspx?uid=17736

Those pictures were all taken back in June, but I think it clearly shows both of my constructed shelving units, and where we went cheap on materials. The big cage with my Duméril's Boa in it is a 40 breeder. It's been a long time since I've kept corns, but I would honestly think a 40-gallon-sized cage of any dimension might be too big for a corn; too much wide open space is stressful to any snake.

Of course, since June, I have actually moved, and the shelves were a pain to move with. Happily, a good friend of mine helped me out with her pickup truck... but they're big enough they really had to ride in an open truck bed, there was no other way to really move them.

Just some things to think about. :)

Member Comment

10/20/2009 9:08:32 PM

vonnick52

Unless you already have tools and such, it'd definitely be better to just buy a metal rack or something like everyone is suggesting. I had a storage rack in my old garage that I got for 70 bucks that'd probably be perfect for what you want, You'll spend as much in materials if you use anything decent....

Author Comment

10/21/2009 10:55:51 PM

anjeanettecorns28

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I just wanted to make something really nice for my snakes, also something that will look nice in my bedroom which is where I am keeping all of them. Right now I don't have anything to put their tanks up on except for rigged up things. I broke the bookshelf I had two of the ten gallons sitting on when I attempted to move the bookshelf from my old bedroom to my new bedroom on the other end of the trailer, it just completely fell apart and had to through it away. So now I have my 20 gallon long tank that has Diamond my 3 1/2 yr old corn in it on top of my dresser where it has always been. Then one of the ten gallons is sitting on top of a glass cofee table which it barely fits on top of. My second ten gallon is sitting on top of a little black wooden tv stand that is on rolling wheels, and my third 10 gallon is sitting on top of my plastic tub/storage unit on it's lid that sits very low to the floor. They are all not in very good places and for me too low to the floor. I was wanting to update them all to 40 breeder sized tanks and have them sitting on something higher and something that would look really sharp but not that is to expensive for me to build on my own. I was planning on spending at least 300.00 dollars on materials for the shelving units and then of course another 600.00 on updating on the size of tanks and new bigger sized hides , tree stems and plants and water dishes for each of them as well. Zoe and Bindi are just getting to big for the 10 gallons I have them in right now and Diamond has outgrown the 20 gallon tank she is in. The only one that would be more then likely a little stressed out in such a big space is little Kasper cause he's still pretty small in size. But I would give him plenty of place to hide under or in so he wouldn't be to stressed out. This mind you is all in the process of taking place several months from now since I have to save up my money for it. The first thing I am saving my money for is my new digital camera which I am hoping to have by Thanksgiving when my family from Texas is coming to visit....I want a very good camera to take photos of all of us together , since my neice whom I've only met once is coming as well. . Thanks again.

Member Comment

10/22/2009 8:27:41 AM

amarilrose

the baker's racks would look nice in any setting I think, they're pretty... and they shouldn't cost you as much as what you're talking about

Member Comment

10/31/2009 8:55:51 PM

bigsnakes

I think you have already received a number of good responses in regards to purchasing a rack... the only thing I would add would be the purchase of a wall hook. You can find them at big box hardware stores and they are usually market for bookcases and the like. Most are some sort of wire apparatus that mount to a wall stud. This will keep your rack from tipping over. It is amazing how easily unbalanced racks can become one you start shifting tanks for maintenance... and can be easily pulled down or tipped over by children and dogs. Safety first!

Member Comment

1/17/2011 11:34:57 PM

abi21491

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