Review by Justin Smith
The first time I got to see the racks and cages from BlackBox Cages first hand was at the 2020 NRBE Daytona show. I was blown away by how smooth the action was with the tubs in the racks while still having virtually no gap between the shelves and tub. Fast forward several months and the good folks at BlackBox offered up one of their models for me to review here. The timing was perfect because I had a Tanimbar scrub python from one of our executive contributors, Phil Wolf, that was in need of an upgrade. After looking at the options I decided that an XT-4 would work for this male scrub perfectly.
I don’t know about you, but I always have a tendency to underestimate the size of a set up. When I picked up my XT-4 (from Casey Cannon who was kind enough to grab it from BlackBox for me) it was definitely bigger than I expected! Not in a bad way by any means since I knew my scrub would appreciate the space. This model is made from ½” thick PVC and measures 4’ by 2’ by 2’ with a ton of add-on options. I had mine come with a dimmable LED light and an 80 watt Vivarium Electronics heat panel. Other options include door locks, cut outs for you various bulbs, a thermostat, and hides made from the same thick PVC their other products are made from.
When it comes to these add-ons, BlackBox definitely doesn’t skimp! The LED light goes nearly the length of the cage and the heat panel is sized to make sure the entire set up gets the heat necessary instead of using a smaller panel that might struggle to keep steady heat. The only thing I would have added if given the option was a knob on the doors. They open fine without one but as a personal preference even a small one would be a nice addition and one I could easily add myself.
These really are impressive, solid cages. My time with this XT-4 has the gears already turning for what else needs upgrades in the coming months. After playing with the racks at Daytona I also foresee myself getting some of those as well! For more information or to see the BlackBox catalog go to blackboxcages.com!
Awesome cages!