Building your own rack system

You may not need it but I used it on all of the racks I built.

while using it have you noticed it making them more efficient?

I've never used it and it really doesn't do much for the overall heat other than disperse it across a little bit wider area. If you are using a probe thermometer it is still going to heat the rack to the same temperature set point. The tape isn't going to make 83 degrees less than 83.

yea idk what i was thinkin sorry :bang:

What an AMAZING THREAD! I have gone through every message three times now... I do have a few questions though...

I see that most people use the flexwatt in rows that are straight up and down, set up in a series. How do you decide how wide of a flexwatt tape to use? I see most people use 3" but how far apart would you put the rows from eachother? I wonder because I don't see how the really large containers can be heating by just a three inch strip.

What is the talk about the aluminum tape? Are you just taping over the edges of the flexwatt to make it wider without buying the actual wider tape?

Can anyone tell me more clearly or show me how you "tack" the tape to the back of the rack? I know it was mentioned somewhere that "brads" were used. Are those those tiny little finishing nail things"?

I really liked the message where someone clearly illustrated setting up the flexwatt to a dimmer switch... Is it basically the same if you are using a thermostat? You just use the thermostat where this person was using a dimmer switch?

More questions to follow........ THANKS IN ADVANCE GUYS!!

Rebecca

Ok now a few more questions....

On the first rack that you showed Cav. I was wondering did you say you had a thermostat on EVERY row of shelves?

Can you just use one thermostat for an entire rack as long as the rack is short enough? <4'>

How does the thermostat work anyone? I'm assuming it has one long probe attached to it and you place that probe on the warm area in the back of one of the containers?

I see that many of you have messes of wires and digital thermometers on every box. But only one can be going to the thermostat surely? Can I just use some really good dial type high range thermometers in most if not all of the boxes to just keep a general eye that they are all in the same general range heat wise?

Thanks so much for the help!

Rebecca

There is one thermostat controlling the whole rack. I have an empty tub in my rack that only has the thermostat temp probe in it and I use that as a control. I also have 3 digital thermometers spread throughout my 10 tubs so that I can I have some idea of what is going on in various places within the rack.
I believe some people use the foil tape along the back edges of their racks because it conducts the heat much better than wood. I have found that it doesn't work very well for me. I believe that it only serves its purpose when it is actually going to be in contact with the tubs. Some people might use it when they run the heat tape/rope along the bottoms of the shelves under the tubs, but with the tape along the back I have found that it doesn't do anything for me.
I am attaching a pic showing how I attached my flexwatt to my rack. I use regular thumb-tacks, but make sure they are pushed throught the PLASTIC portion and not the metal strip of the heat tape.
There is also a pic showing my spacing. I just spaced it so that there is one strip of flexwatt at roughly the center of each of the tubs. Larger tubs are twice the size so they would each have two strips heating them.

Hopefully this helps out somewhat. If something I said doesn't make sense just say so!

My question isn't about the rack itself, but about the tubs. I've seen a lot of posts about making the rack so the tubs fit in without the lid. Are the lids generally not secure enough to keep the snakes inside?

I was planning on using ziploc tubs for my hatchlings (pics below) does anyone else use these? I wouldn't have them in there too long, maybe 2 months max. (if they were small enough.. not really sure how much room a hatchling needs yet =/)





That one is 12 X 6 X 4, and I know my adults can't open them =)

Gintha said:

My question isn't about the rack itself, but about the tubs. I've seen a lot of posts about making the rack so the tubs fit in without the lid. Are the lids generally not secure enough to keep the snakes inside?

I was planning on using ziploc tubs for my hatchlings (pics below) does anyone else use these? I wouldn't have them in there too long, maybe 2 months max. (if they were small enough.. not really sure how much room a hatchling needs yet =/)

That one is 12 X 6 X 4, and I know my adults can't open them =)

Click to expand...

I've got some hatchlings and yearlings in those ziploc containers. You can use small binder clips for extra security, but I haven't had a problem yet.

My rack actually uses lids---I feel more comfortable with the lids and binder clips.

What do you use for water bowls in them for hatchlings Joe? I was thinking of creating a bowl in the corner with some sort of plastic barrier and silicone tank adhesive to seal it as a bowl. Worried that hamster food type bowls would be too deep and large for babies.

I can't speak for Joe, but something I started using (more for humidity reasons than anything) are PVC end caps. The ones I use are 2 inch diameter and about 1 3/4" tall. They are cheap, less than a dollar a piece I believe. I only fill them about half full of water or else it splashes everywhere. All my hatchlings get these, unless there is a need for higher humidity in which case I just switch to a larger diameter bowl, and all seem to be doing very well.

I actually use the small 4oz gladware bowls. They're a little higher than I'd like, but hatchling can get inside without a problem as long as you're using newspaper or paper towels.

I might eventually switch to something else, but for now this works and they're cheap and readily available at Walmart. A 6 pack is like $2.

Ok =) I was somewhat worried the hatchlings may drown in larger bowls, not really sure WHY I worried about it, just did hehe. Thanks for the ideas =)

When I got my first snake - I was so worried about her drowning that I found the tiniest shallowest bowl I could find... It couldn't have been more than 3 centimeters deep.

Needless to say, I stopped using it when I had to wash and refill it daily due to evaporation. ROFL.

The lessons we learn.

pgr8dnlvr said:

On the first rack that you showed Cav. I was wondering did you say you had a thermostat on EVERY row of shelves?

Can you just use one thermostat for an entire rack as long as the rack is short enough?

Click to expand...

I just use one Helix unit per rack. The temps don't vary enough from shelf to shelf to justify the unnecessary expense on multiple units.

pgr8dnlvr said:

I see that most people use the flexwatt in rows that are straight up and down, set up in a series. How do you decide how wide of a flexwatt tape to use? I see most people use 3" but how far apart would you put the rows from eachother? I wonder because I don't see how the really large containers can be heating by just a three inch strip.

Click to expand...

Regardless of which size you use, a thermostat will run electricity through the tape until the set temperature is reached. The thinner the tape, more electricity. Three inch works great unless you live in a really cool winter climate.

pgr8dnlvr said:

What is the talk about the aluminum tape? Are you just taping over the edges of the flexwatt to make it wider without buying the actual wider tape?

Click to expand...

Aluminum tape isn't required, just more efficient

pgr8dnlvr said:

Can anyone tell me more clearly or show me how you "tack" the tape to the back of the rack? I know it was mentioned somewhere that "brads" were used. Are those those tiny little finishing nail things"?

Click to expand...

Yep, you hit the nail on the head. Brads are little nails.

pgr8dnlvr said:

I really liked the message where someone clearly illustrated setting up the flexwatt to a dimmer switch... Is it basically the same if you are using a thermostat? You just use the thermostat where this person was using a dimmer switch?

Click to expand...

Dimmer switches are nothing like thermostats. Thermostats automatically increase and decrease electrical flow to raise and lower the temperature until it matches your set point. A dimmer switch will stay at a constant point and changes must be manually made in order to change the temperature of the tape.

My Recent Rack

Picked up the melamine at Ikea's as is section for a couple of bucks.
By the way, the Ikea Pax hole spacing is just about perfect for the height of the Sterlite boxes. This one I routed

That looks pretty cool

So the "as is" rack is just a bunch of melamine slabs? Or was there the outer shelf and you just added the plywood slats in it?

Are you putting the heat tape to cover the whole back wall or just a few strips?

What size are your tubs? What are the dimensions of your rack?

At what height do you have to start worrying about getting two thermostats as the floor temperature and ceiling temperature are so different in a room?

How much did the supplies cost you?

What about the ventiliation in there? Are you going to be drilling holes in the back wall or did you use a pegboard on the back?

Sorry about all the questions!!! If you feel like it please answer as many as you want

Rebecca

Questions for everyone here who has a rack system....

What size tubs do you feel are good for keeping an adult corn in?

If you put heat tape over almost the entire back wall will there be enough ventilation for the snakes? <I am thinking of a model similar to Cav's in the beginning of this post>

Rebecca

rack questions

I don't know about putting pegboard on the back. I want the heat to stay in the back to give the temperature differential. I plan on running one or two 11" flexwatts down the back with a Johnson control thermostat with probe in the middle half of the rack. I don't know if this is a good idea, but all of the sterlites are ventilated. I can use the two sizes of Sterlites shown as the two smaller ones are the exact size as the one larger one. I'm not sure of the container sizes, but I use the larger ones for adults and the smaller ones for yearlings.

So far minus the Sterlites and Flexwatt I have about $10 in this.
As for the adult rack, I used the PAX wardrobe from Ikea. the shelf hole spacing is just the right height for the sweater boxes without lids.



Here is my hatchling rack.