making my own rack but....

[gecko breeder]

i dont know what to use as a heat sours, should i put a heating pad under each tube or should i put heat cable. if i use that can someone show me what it looks like and where to put it. and the rack im makeing is just going to be shelves.

 

[trizzypballr]

you want to use flexwatt heat tape, there are plenty of tutorials on here already for it, just use the search tool and search for flexwatt

 

[MichaelJ]

Flexwatt is definitley your best best. If you use UTHs your going to have a rats nest of plugs and won't be able to monitor temps quite as well. Plus mats are expensive. You can buy flex watt pretty cheap by the foot and trim it to any size you need. They'll even wire it for you for a small cost.

 

[trizzypballr]

I just picked up 3 inch tape at 2.10 a foot from beanfarm. You can wire all of the rows together easily al you need is some electrical wire, a sodering iron, a utility knife and electrical tape. You just flip the flexwatt over so your looking at the opposite side of the silver strips and scrape the black plastic away covering the end of each silver strip. You strip the end of the wire and soder it to the strip. you do the same thing on the other side, just remember that this is actully the bottom of the tape when you put the tape on the rack. heres a wiring diagram for how to wire the tape. keep in mind you dont need the little clips they are showing, they just cost more and you dont need them Its cheaper to do it the way I told you and then electrical tape over the bare metal. wiring diagram

One other note, depending on what type of wood you make the rack out of, that foil might be junk for ya. I used plywood and the foil woulnt stick so I used wood staples to hold the tape down instead. Just make sure to only staple threw the clear part because you could start a fire if you go threw the black or the metal strips. Run all of your wires and plug it in so the tape heats up before you fasten it down because the tape expands when its warm

 

[beakgeek]

Make sure you use a thermostat too. You don't want cooked geckos.

 

[trizzypballr]

good call, missed that part if your going the cheap route and making a rack, then at least dont be afraid to throw money and get a nice thermostat. I used plywood to build my rack, so I went out and got a very nice helix thermostat and ive been very happy with it

 

[gecko breeder]

thank you so much. and what type of tube should i use or it doesn't matter?

 

[trizzypballr]

im guessing you mean what size tub? I actully used 15/32 qts to make my rack with. I house all my females individually in 15 qts, but if I change my mind I can slide a 32qt in sideways. Sterilites website has dimentions of the tubs, pretty much You have to use the the 32 qt to figure out how wide to make the spots, and the 15 qts to know how deep to make it, and it works out perfect for both then

 

[gecko breeder]

ok, im sorry but where do i put the tape, in or under the tube. and do you hook up the heat tape throu an eletrical current. that part is confusing sines you can cut it. and what is beanfarm

 

[trizzypballr]

found the dimentions for ya
15 qt- 17"L x 11 1/8"W x 6 3/8"H
32 qt- 23 1/2"L x 16 1/4"W x 6 3/8"H

so my suggestion is make the spots big enough to fit a 23 1/2"L 17"W 6 3/8 H Easiest way to do this, start from the top and build down, first off cut all your rows, Id say cute them like 17 1/8 or 17 1/4 so the containers just barely slide under, make sure to leave enough width to be able to spread the 15 qts an inch and a half, that will leave enough room for the 32 qts if you deside to use them. I forget who it was, but they suggested placing i beleive it was 8 index cards on the top of the upside down containers to leave enough room for the heat tape and to be able to slide the containers

 

[gecko breeder]

why would i have upside down containers. wouldent the contaners be up to put the leos in.

 

[ledhead]

why would i have upside down containers. wouldent the contaners be up to put the leos in.

I think the "upside down container" is just used for spacing giving a more solid "top" for doing the rack height adjustment.

 

[gecko breeder]

Flexwatt - Metal Connectors
Extra metal connectors for Flexwatt. Price each. You need two for each Flexwatt hook up.


Flexwatt - Cord Set

Flexwatt - Cord Set for Flexwatt Heat Tape - 6 foot white cord with pre-stripped ends to be used for a cord set for the Flexwatt Heat
Flexwatt - Aluminum Foil Tape
Great for adhering Flexwatt & other heat elements to shelves or cages. UL listed to 120F. STD 723 General Use Tape. 7.4 mils thick. 50 yard Roll.

Flexwatt Heat Tape - 4 in
how much would this cover with 10 ft



and do i need all of this for it

 

[MichaelJ]

When you flip them upside down you get a nice flat surface to put another shelf on top of before you drill it in. What I did was but the tubs down then put 8 pieces of card stock paper on each one to give just enough room for the tape and connectors etc and some air flow - without being so large a gap so they could get out.. If you go to big you'll have to use lids, if you go to tight you're going to have problems pulling them in and out and will eventually rub on the flexwatt or tape holding it down and cause problems and even shorts.

Felicia made a good post on building a rack a while back you should check it out. She has pics and all. It helped me a lot.

Good luck.. It can be a tedious task.

 

[gecko breeder]

thank you it realy healped

 

[trizzypballr]

whoops, sorry I went MIA, didnt realize there were still questions being asked in the thread you can use the connectors, but I think its just a waiste of money.... I personally think that you get a better connection from soddering the wire to the metal also then just being connected by the like 15 little prongs that go threw into the metal

 

[gecko breeder]

should i use nature alluminum foil tape. and a dimmer, or is that like a thermastate. and for the cords how many do i need.