Review by Justin Smith
We’ve all likely heard of Specialty Enclosure Designs or of the owner, David Brahms, if you are in the loop in the arboreal snake corner of the hobby. David is constantly innovating and thinking of new designs he can bring to the hobby even improving on his previous designs. One of his most recent releases is the Fishbone Neonate Perch, a new design that expands on his original tub perch design.
Several months ago David sent me some of these new perches to try (specifically in prep for hatchling chondros which didn’t happen, unfortunately) but it wasn’t until a recent clutch of Boiga cyanea that I had a species that would benefit AND use them. I was a big fan of the original tub perches and still use them currently so I thought a review comparing the new Fishbone model to the original would be helpful for those of you who might be on the fence!
The main difference between the two models is that the Fishbone has a single bar that runs the length of the perch with 3 cross sections perpendicular to the bar and it stands on 2 sets of 2 legs that simply screw into the main perch. The original is a rectangle made to fit most shoebox sized tubs with cross sections that radiate to the middle, held up by 4 individual legs attached via super or hot glue. Both fit in the 6 quart Sterilite tubs that I use in my neonate rack.
The Fishbone perch offers the advantage of giving you more angles to offer food to neonates (chondros especially) during feeding trials. In comparison to the original model, the Fishbone perches definitely accommodate this!
3-D printing has really taken off in recent years and it’s great to see all the ways people have used it. Unfortunately, original ideas aren’t sacred anymore. Lately there have been a decent amount of folks in the hobby making a similar if not an exact copy of the type of designs David has put the work, research and development into. I’m all for a free market and people bringing something NEW to the table not undercutting an original design to make a quick buck. I prefer to get it from the guy who brought it to the industry in the first place.
Check these perches out at https://www.specialtyenclosuredesigns.com/shop/new-fishbone-neonate-perch-for-6qt-tubs?category=Tub%20Perches
