Query on snake racks

[PilbaraPythons]

Heat cord works a treat if your bank is designed in a manner to take full avantage of materials that are more likely to transfer heat. Our racks are all made of steel and we actually have the heat cord adhered to the back inside roof which is a steel roofing battern and consequently makes up the floor of the upper level in the rack. Basically the intire rail gets warm and because they have a reasonable flat surface area is perfect for the back end of the tubs to sit on. I have never seen a better design yet.
Cheers Dave

[PilbaraPythons]

A quick look

[yommy]

that's a great looking setup pilbara, do you have a full shot of the whole setup with tubs in place for a better visual idea. I wouldn't mind trying something like this as the metals not a problem to get and work with.

[peterjohnson64]

Yep, I am certainly with Yommy. Wonderful set up. Way beyond my ability to make but we have some very handy people here who may be able to put them together for us.

[peterjohnson64]

Yep, I am certainly with Yommy. Wonderful set up. Way beyond my ability to make but we have some very handy people here who may be able to put them together for us.

[ihaveherps]

clever thinking PP, and i think i will use my heat cords that i had abandoned in a similar fashion. When i tried to use the cord in the tub draw system without lids, the cord itself didnt produce enough good contact to supply sufficient heat. A qiuck question, what glue did you use? Thanks for sharing your design solution, i think i will give it test run!

[westaussie]

here's some of mine, - similar to P.P's

[Azztech]

probably a silly question, but what substrate are you using in the tubs? i had breeders choice in mine when i first opted for the heat cord and the temp barely changed at all, i have to revert back to newspaper as the BC was acting as an insulation. works a treat now, the heat cord keeps the surface of 1/4 of the tubs @ 32 degrees. i have a slightly less attractive setup though, i just have tubs on the floor stacked 2 high, with the cord between the two levels, on a thermostat, so it heats the bottom of one tub and the top of the lower level, i swap the tubs top to bottom weekly to allow a variance.

on a general note, i have found keep small pythons in tubs very hygenic and easy to clean. although unprofessional looking, they are a great all round choice.

[dugadugabowbow]

I only use heat tape in my rack, IMO it's better than heat cord in southern places as you can slide half of the tub on top of the tape, if you use a stat then it will never get hot enough to melt the tub.

[westaussie]

I only use butchers paper as a substrate. I dont know why you say "unprofessional" ?? - as every professional collection I have seen, has used tubs for some sort of housing. It may not be the way for a pet keeper with a few pets. But if reptiles are your profession then tubs are definately the easiest and most hygienic way to maintain a large collection

[ihaveherps]

my heat mats were on a thermostat when they melted my tubs, it was because of a kink in the mat that raised the resistance in that spot thus raising the temps there! As previously stated it was my own fault for kinking the material (actually a sparky mate)

[Reptilia]

Hey fella's I got it working now. It works a treat. After seeing the price of just a 1 metre length of heat mat. (My rack needing at least 6 metres, the price was a little to hefty.), instead i bought a 9m heat cord. Pulling apart the rack and routing another horizontal cut 2 inches away from the previous cut allowed me to have another length of cord under the tubs. The 2 cords are perfectly situated on 1/3 of each side of half the tub. Back cord 6m 50 watt and front cord 9m 80 watt. Using both at the same time i can get 40 degrees (max as the thermostat goes.) (The thermometer reads 40.4) The rack is currently set at 30 degrees. (A good average temp to keep a variety of snakes.) (Notify me if you disagree as im not 100 percent sure). At night the 9m cord shuts off automatically from the timer. which leaves the 6m cord on only, reducing it by about 4-6 degrees. A good night temp. In the morning the 9m heat cord comes back up again usually taking 2 hrs from 7.30am to reach 30 degrees again. On hot days tubs have reached 32 (not enough to do any harm.).

Anyway... Thank you all for giving me some ideas and thanks for helping a fellow herper in need. Cheers. Lance.

p.s Will try and post some pics if i ever get a camera.

[yommy]

westaussie and/or PP how do you attach the heat cord to the underside of the metal beam the tubs sit on?

[Azztech]

I class 'professional' as one snake per enclosure, in an enclosure with a seperate thermostat and glass front to keep an eye out for poos/sheds/eggs/water bowl levels etc etc etc... they look far more professional to the un-trained eye. i have visitors giving me 20 questions all the time about whether or not tubs are a suitable enclosure for reptiles. you notice irwin doesn't have his display animals in tubs. and as i said above, unstacking & unclicking every single tub every day to check for the above events gets a bit tiring, it's much nicer to look at a glass fronted bank and see how everthing is progressing.
i do agree totally that it is a good way to house reptiles, as i said, i keep in tubs also, but it's not the flashest looking thing around.

[westaussie]

Yes I understand that irwin would not use tubs as displays. I do not use tubs for my public displays either, (although that has nothing to do with what irwin chooses to do)
I can easily see into the plastic tubs on my morning check without unclicking every one. I use glass fronted banks as well but the tubs are very practical for hatchlings / young snakes and adders.

Yommy I use the large heavy duty zip ties to attach the cords. Two holes in the metal at intervals along the length and zip them tight. they can also be taped up with some good tape