# DIY Rhac Rack



## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

FYI: 'rhac rack' is a play on words, since 'rhacodactylus cicliatus' is the latin nomenclature for crested geckos and 'rack' is a term commonly used in the reptile hobby to connotate a shelving system of some sort to house animals efficiently.

Anyway. I finished mine.









Pardon the mess. I still have tanks that need moving/relocating apparently, heh.

A few tanks still need to be set up. Others need to be redone. And I have a snake in the bottom right tank that is going to be moved out in the next day or two once I get his permanent tank set up.

The tanks on the bottom row are 24x18x24 and will house trios of females. The second shelf has 18x18x18 cubes which will house single male geckos, sometimes maybe a pair. The top shelf is for 12x12x18s and houses juvies and babies that are growing out. All tanks are Hagen brand Exoterras.

For those that are curious I currently have 14 in my permanent collection and 4 babies at this point in time.

Cheers.


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## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

that is a amazing setup. nice job.looks really good

Ive always wondered about cresteds? do they bite when u handle them? or do u even handle them?


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

They don't bite. Well, most don't. You get a few that are jerks. Or if you interrupt them while they're trying to get busy. That's a different story.

I try to handle them all about 3 times per week for short periods of time.

They're incredibly easy to take care of. If you're interested in more info on their care I can point you in the right direction and if you let me know where you're located I can probably find a breeder near you.


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## WorldBelow07 (Dec 16, 2004)

wow man that looks great! nice work!


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## ...Jay... (Nov 2, 2006)

That looks really good. I got wood to make a rack for my frog tanks, but I'm sure it wont look that good.


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## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

a person is selling a breeding pair locally. but one of them has no tail. does no tail habe effects on the baby? its the male with no tail.


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

It's not overly complicated to make. Just some screws and 2x4s really. You can seal it with varathane but I got lazy and didn't bother... I also made mine so it disassembles easily for transport.

ICEE... Tailess isn't a big deal. In the wild most of them don't have tails anymore. And I actually just purchased a tailess female at the last expo. It affects their jumping and coordination somewhat I'm sure. But with a bit of time they get used to it and compensate fine. It has zero affects on any babies produced.

As for buying a breeding pair... Ensure that you have a second enclosure for the male. You shouldn't leave them together year round. The female needs a break to replenish. So at that point the male should be moved out. This is normally during the colder months of the year. So any time between now and November.


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## Red Eyes (Nov 25, 2003)

Nice looking wall/set-up! Good job! Who's in tanks on the side?


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## dark FrOsT (Sep 23, 2006)

looks great mettle


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## sapir (Jun 20, 2008)

wow that awesome!! those tank setups arent cheap at all.
any updates on the lil babies?


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

Thanks again for the compliments everyone.

It's actually quite easy to build. Just some 2x4s, a couple of 2x2s, and a bunch of wood screws is all it took. Oh. And a few corner brackets (to hold the top half to the bottom). Very simple. Though I don't build stuff much so it took me a lot longer than expected, haha. It was my second ever DIY stand attempt. I think the tanks are what make it look good.

As for the price of tanks... They're not cheap if you buy 'em new. But I don't. On that shelf only ONE of my 24x18x24s was bought new and that was 40% off at a sale a store was having. I am a classifieds hawk on these things and get 'em cheap. This week I'm getting three 12x12x12s (none in this picture) for $45 or $15/ea. Some of these tanks I also got in trades for different things. I do things on the cheap but make sure they're done right and save the money for those times when I need something and can't wait making me pay full price.

AS FOR THE BABIES... I have two sets right now. No pics. But I've been meaning to take some. The older set is almost at the age where they're ready to find new homes. I have someone who might buy both actually. (A friend.) And the younger set still has some growing to do before I let them go. I would like to wait til their 90 days before letting them go. But we'll see.


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## SERRAPYGO (Feb 4, 2003)

Ya crazy gecko bastard...I'm impressed!


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

Hahaha. Yeah, I am kinda crazy, aren't I?







But it's cool. I'm having fun. Next year is going to be REDICULOUS with all the babies. Lucky me.







I just hope I'm able to sell them all! I have a good contact though that might be able to hook me up with a wholesale deal or two for some of the not-so-stunning ones that won't sell easily on the local market. And I might try and sell at shows next fall as well if I have too many.

I forgot to answer one thing... The "tanks on the side". WELL. The one you can see at the bottom right hand corner on the floor houses 1.1 cresties (my only proven pair that has been breeding this year). I have since put that tank up on the side. Up on the side there was a 20 gallon that temporarily housed my juvie cornsnake - he is now across the room in a 40 gallon breeder - and after that were two 12x12x12 exoterras with a single little crestie in each.


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