Built My First Rack Setup

[SWDK]

I decided to try my hand at build a small rack & tub setup to test out. I never used one before so this is a trial run for me. I'm housing my Blizzard Corn, Amel Corn and Hypo Brooksi Kingsnake with the bottom tub empty.

It's a simple design that holds (4) 41qt tubs and 4" flex watt for heat with a VE 300X2 thermostat. I boxed out the bottom of the rack and enclosed it with R13 insulation since its closest to the ground and has an air gap under it. Not sure if that was overkill, but I know it can't hurt. I also added 4 casters to make moving it easy.

Maybe some rack users can chime in. My tubs have no lids, but have a 1/8" space at the top. Do I need to drill holes in the tubs for air or will the open top plan be good enough?

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r254/hiker4twenty/Snakes/1434E0E6-889B-4EA1-B8B7-A9FF8EEFBCA2.jpg (http://s146.photobucket.com/user/hiker4twenty/media/Snakes/1434E0E6-889B-4EA1-B8B7-A9FF8EEFBCA2.jpg.html)

[FWK]

Good looking setup man. Let it run for a little while and monitor the humidity levels. If the humidity stays within appropriate range then you're good to go. If the tubs are too humid, start drilling holes to dial in the humidity levels.

[riddick07]

Mine do fine without extra holes drilled in the tub. I only put extra holes in the hatchling tubs since they had higher humidity than even they needed without them.

Looks nice! Is it heavy? I still would be missing fingers if I tried to build anything...

[dave himself]

Looks good Dave personal I wouldn't drill any holes yet until you see how much humidity is being lost through the gap at the top of the tubs

[SWDK]

Good looking setup man. Let it run for a little while and monitor the humidity levels. If the humidity stays within appropriate range then you're good to go. If the tubs are too humid, start drilling holes to dial in the humidity levels.

Looks good Dave personal I wouldn't drill any holes yet until you see how much humidity is being lost through the gap at the top of the tubs

Thanks! I'll let it ride, monitor accordingly and see what needs to be dive if anything.

[SWDK]

Mine do fine without extra holes drilled in the tub. I only put extra holes in the hatchling tubs since they had higher humidity than even they needed without them.

Looks nice! Is it heavy? I still would be missing fingers if I tried to build anything...

Thanks Victoria. It's a bit on the heavy side for only 4 tubs. It took my brother and I to carry it up from the garage into the house. It's also very sturdy and stable. I'd sit right on it without any worries of it collapsing and I'm no skinny guy. The melamine is the bulk of the weight for sure.

[JellyBean]

Looks great! Nice job.
Do the tubs just slide out, or are they on tracks?

[SWDK]

Looks great! Nice job.
Do the tubs just slide out, or are they on tracks?

The just slide in and out. I honestly did think about installing pull out tracks like on a drawer. I ultimately decided to pass on tracks because this is my first rack setup and wasn't sure if I'm going to stick with it long term. If I do like them I'll build my next one with a higher capacity and possibly add tracks and some other modifications.

[Tsubaki]

Looks good! I prefer them without tracks, dirt can get in the tracks. Also they're easier to take out and clean without tracks :)

[Andy_G]

Good stuff! I agree that tracks are a pain. Shouldn't need more ventilation but of course keep an eye on humidity.

[pet_snake_78]

I like to put a wooden strip at least on the back of my racks so there's no way the tub could be pushed out too far on the backside

[Albert Clark]

Very nice job! The whole rack looks really neat and clean.

[SWDK]

Looks good! I prefer them without tracks, dirt can get in the tracks. Also they're easier to take out and clean without tracks :)

Good stuff! I agree that tracks are a pain. Shouldn't need more ventilation but of course keep an eye on humidity.

Thanks! The more I've been thinking about slide out tracks it does seem like a pain with potential for problems. So far they seem to be working out nicely. Humidity it's within range with exception of my Brooks who decided to do some water splashing. A little extra humidity for a day or two won't hurt though.

[SWDK]

I like to put a wooden strip at least on the back of my racks so there's no way the tub could be pushed out too far on the backside

I do have wood across the back so they get pushed all the way back without going past the edge. Thanks for the tip though.

Very nice job! The whole rack looks really neat and clean.

Thanks Albert. I tried to keep it simple and functional so it was a bit easier to make it look nice. It was my first ever rack build so I learned a few things through the process.

[SWDK]

I've decided that I need to add a few vent holes in each tub. It's been just about a month since I built and started using this rack. My tubs don't seem to have adequate ventilation because the sides are covered in condensation and wet. I've also found some small areas of mild on the aspen substrate where the condensation drips down. I'm going to drill only a few 1/4" holes to start and see how that helps. I can always add more if need be. I'll add the holes to the cool side first because that seems to be where the majority of the condensation is.

Have any of you using tubs experienced this problem with condensation?

[FWK]

Yep, they're way too humid. The only time I have condensation in my tubs is when one of the Ball Pythons makes a mess. Pretty handy in that case actually, I know when a cleanup is needed as soon as I walk in the room. Temperate species shouldn't ever fog up though, so more ventilation is definitely needed. Something else I've found that helps keep humidity under control is using a covered water bowl. I use covered water bowls in all my tubs, save the Ball Python tubs. Dial in the humidity with a covered water bowl by adjusting ventilation, then take the lid off the water bowl when the animal goes into shed for an instant humidity boost. Misting is a waste of time, properly controlling natural humidity is the way to go. If you really need to crank up the humidity you can move the water bowl over the heating element.

[SWDK]

It could be from their water bowls for sure. I have pretty large glass water bowls in each tub. I know some spills out when they're full and I open the tubs. The snakes also spill some of the water. I'll see how it goes with the holes added.