DYI Stackable PCV enclosures?

[AUSyTyIN]

Has anyone on here done this before? I think it'd be an awesome project if it turns out how I'm picturing. I'm wanting to have a reptile apartment complex/wall of cages with different sizes for different critters requirements. Taller ones for my carpets, less wide but tall ones for green tree python (that I'm looking at getting), smaller cages for baby snakes, short but wide one for a ball, etc. It would have to be modular, based around the length requirement of the longest snake I currently plan on getting, and then have divide that width into halves, thirds, maybe even fourths for smaller enclosures on the levels above/below it. I'd want at least some space between levels for wiring, lights, heating pads, etc, so it wouldn't be just one PVC sheet separating the ceiling of one enclosure from the floor of another.

I'm wondering if it's better to use the PCV itself as the structure, or if I should have a frame out of a metal...maybe even 80/20 (extruded aluminum).


Has anyone designed and built their own cage like this?

Something sort of like this, but different heights/lengths:

 

[Schnappy]

Can't say I've made something like this, sorry mate. But it does look deadly.

Two points for consideration:
*I would want my enclosures to start up off the floor more. Better for one's back, ease of cleaning, and viewing.
*And ensure that your walls/supports are lined up so you don't have any of your smaller top enclosures sinking/falling into the longer ones beneath.

How many animals are you needing/wanting to house?

 

[dragonlover1]

I'd give up on the idea of PVC altogether, a mate had 2 , 4' enclosures 1 on top of the other and they sagged in the middle and it was hard to open the doors .
Better off to start planning a metal frame, it's quite possible to make a frame like tetris to your idea

 

[AUSyTyIN]

Can't say I've made something like this, sorry mate. But it does look deadly.

Two points for consideration:
*I would want my enclosures to start up off the floor more. Better for one's back, ease of cleaning, and viewing.
*And ensure that your walls/supports are lined up so you don't have any of your smaller top enclosures sinking/falling into the longer ones beneath.

How many animals are you needing/wanting to house?

Yeah, I'm thinking of keeping the bottom for storage. Spare bulbs, hooks, gloves, excess hides/branches, etc. As for the animal count...that's not set. I'm going through snakes that I'd want to own and eliminating ones for various reasons (venomous, aggressive, too large, etc). I need to be more discerning though, as I'm not done looking for breeds and I'm already at 16 that I'd want to own . Realistically, my current concept has 12 enclosures, all 600mm deep. 1 Extra large (2400x600mm), 2 large (1200x600), 2 cubes (600x600), and 3 shorter but longer (600x300), 4 small cubes (300x300)

Forgive the crudeness of the incomplete drawing, and the rough conversion from imperial to metric. Obviously this doesn't include any space between levels for bulbs, pads, etc. It's just a quick sketch of what I currently have in mind. I'm wanting the actual placement of the enclosures to be flexible so I can move them around to try and keep warmer enclosures away from cooler ones.

I'd give up on the idea of PVC altogether, a mate had 2 , 4' enclosures 1 on top of the other and they sagged in the middle and it was hard to open the doors .
Better off to start planning a metal frame, it's quite possible to make a frame like tetris to your idea

I've seen people have issues with sagging. Unless I'm very specific on how I arrange them (basically like the image above, but upside down), I'll need some sort of metal support structure.