rackin aft's

watts501 · 01-29-05, 06:56 AM

i am thinking about making a small racking system for my fat tails,it is only going to be three large contico boxes wide and around 5/6 shelfs high!i am thinking about using two heat cables one for the bottom 4 shelves and a smaller one for the top couple.i would router the shelves so that the heat cable with slot into the wood and then put the metal tape (i think it is called that) across to spread the heat!the cables will be on Habistat Twin Channel Thermostat (think that will be the right one). my only problem is reaching and controlling the temp that i require and do i need to add some sort of lighting in the racking system???
thanks i hope it makes sense and hope some one can help!

goes any one else rack there fat tails?

TLH_Wär§cöötmän · 01-29-05, 08:30 PM

I don't have any tips for you, I use aquariums for all my geckos. But I am interested in hearing some ideas for future reference!!

silent_truth · 01-29-05, 09:08 PM

I was going to paste a link to a post reply that I had done on this same subject awhile ago, but then I realized I deleted the pics off my webhosting account. So I loaded them back on and here we go. This is what I use for my rack systems.

Rules of thumb with this design:

No arboreal geckos as there is a small gap around the top edge of each bin. This is convenient that it allows for airflow, but not good for anything that can climb.

If housing hatchlings, be sure to create a "lip" around the inside edge of each bin, otherwise some hatchlings are able to scale the sides, being as lightweight as they are, and escape if their is no lip to prevent this. I use paper taped to the top edge for this purpose.

The racks in the closet with 11" heat tape down the back and a space heater for the winter since I did not realize at the time that some heat would escape out the back...

The beginnings of a new series of rack systems in the main part of my room. I learned from the previous rack and applied foil insulation to the back and sides of this rack. It retains heat very well and the insulation forces the heat from the back through the front instead of allowing it to escape uselessly.

This style of rack really works well for nocturnal terrestrial geckos. I've been using it for over a year now and am very pleased with the ease of maitenance and efficient use of space.

Hope ya like,

-Adam

TLH_Wär§cöötmän · 01-29-05, 10:08 PM

Hey where do you buy heat tape from anyways?? Rona and home depot?? Just wonderin

silent_truth · 01-29-05, 10:57 PM

Can't buy it in Canada, as it's not CSA approved. In the past, I got my heat tape from the Beanfarm, but there are numerous sources for it. Ya just have to be willing to pay the shipping cost to ship it from the U.S.

-Adam

TLH_Wär§cöötmän · 01-30-05, 12:07 AM

really?? I looked up heat tape on RONA website and they have some. Is this the same you guys use???

http://www.rona.ca/webapp/wcs/stores...roductId=50239

Is it different???

silent_truth · 01-30-05, 12:52 AM

that's for defrosting pipes. Heat tape used for reptiles looks like this...

http://www.beanfarm.com/heating/2.html

A little bit of wiring is required, but it's not difficult at all.

-Adam

TLH_Wär§cöötmän · 01-30-05, 01:04 AM

OK, so if I wanted to heat a 6 level stackable unit, that is 1' each level totalling 6', if you ordered from that site you'd need 1 clip set, 1 cord set and 6 x 1'x11" of heat tape, then somehow rig a dimmer switch in and then mount along back wall and insulate back and side panels?? Sounds easy enough, but how the heck do you wire in a dimmer!! LOL I ain't no electrician and don't want to burn my house down!! Does it all come with instructions??

silent_truth · 01-30-05, 01:11 AM

the heat tape comes with instructions on basic wiring of the cord to the tape. Honestly, I didn't trust dimmers for this style of setup so I went with a thermostat....
http://www.beanfarm.com/temperature/1.html

Just plug the wired heat tape into the thermostat and turn the dial to the temp level you desire and voila!

-Adam

timminsreptiles · 01-30-05, 02:02 AM

im pretty sure port credit pets has heat rope.

silent_truth · 01-30-05, 02:20 AM

yep, heat rope is CSA approved. I tried it for this style of rack though and it didn't work out that well because of a lot of heat displacement. Heat rope works better with melamine racks that have routered slots for the heat rope to slide into and covered by tape that disperses the heat evenly under each rubbermaid. Since these are free-standing racks, it doesn't really work for the design.

-Adam

watts501 · 01-30-05, 04:15 PM

right i am going ot make it out of wood and i have been to my local hardware store and it is going ot cost me around 50 pounds for the wood!i have yet one more question i have two ideas and i would like to know what would be best!no1. should i make it up right like silent_truth which i would have 2 wide and 7 levels high?or no2 do i make three containers in width and four high??thanks matt,which one would be better for heating and keeping the tempeture the same

silent_truth · 01-30-05, 04:30 PM

heat rises, so if you're concerned with the temperature fluxuating too much between the lowest and highest shelves, then I would go with the more horizontal design.

-Adam

watts501 · 01-31-05, 03:17 AM

ok thanks i will let u know how i get on!silent truth have u breed ur fat tails and do u have any tits for me for breed my fat tails

silent_truth · 01-31-05, 07:36 AM

fat tail eggs are incubating along with leo eggs right now. Only tip is that mine definitely required the two month cooling period in order to provoke any kind of mating behaviour. After warming them up again, I just introduced each female to a male for two days at a time.

-Adam