please help designing my rack

[mark97r1]

Hey guys,

Just looking into building a rack, but have a few Q's if i may.
the racks i have seen (on here mainly) never seem to have any lighting (or is it just hidden?). I dont mean to provide the leo's with a basking site, just thinking of a day/night cycle. Do you guys just rely on the room lights?

I havent decided on any dimensions for the rack yet as i am still researching available/suitable tubs here in the UK (would love to hear from any UK breeders here). Though i am trying to go for abount 10 tubs for the adult rack. probebly over 3, maybe 4 shelves.
How many thermostats would i require to run this? I want to use bottom heat, something similar to the heat tape you guys tend to use, though have to find something available over here.

Thanks for any help
Mark

 

[papaK]

Hey Mark..
I don't use a light cycle for mine and I don't have any lights near the rack. I have seen people use the rope lights like on theboaphile.com but it's not necessary.
What I did as far as figuring out dimensions for the rack was... buy the tubs first. Once i figured out the dimensions of the tubs I wanted to use it's pretty easy to figure out how many tubs you want on each shelf and what the dimensions of the rack will end up being.
As far as thermostats go... You will only need one especially if you are running heat tape in a series connection or if you're using heat cable. I got everything I need to heat the rack from reptilebasics.com and I reccomend them to anyone... great service!
I hope this helps a little....

 

[mark97r1]

Thanks for the reply.
Yeah thats my thinking, just trying to source things i can use in the Uk while relating it to post's i read (as they tend to be american for the most part).

like tubs i am keeping my eye out for a suitable size - do you guys favour food grades? I am also worried about what materials will cope with a heat source under them?

As for the rack sizes. I am going to work this around the tubs i decide upon, but want to base it on a target of around 10 leo's. though trying to get a materials list together, so would the whole rack retain pretty constant temps with a single thermostat?. Would i place the temp probe into the middle container?

I am not sure what is available in the UK in regard to heat tape, i would rather not use american equipment though because of the difference in mains voltage.

thanks for your help
Mark

 

[papaK]

My tubs are just plastic storage boxes.. (rubbermaids/sterlites)
The rack will maintain pretty consistant temperatures especially if youre using heat tape in parallel or series connection. or if you're using a source that is all one piece like the heat cable it will be consistant throughout.
I place the probe directly on the heat tape and use a seperate thermometer to make sure that the inside of the tub is being heated to the desired temperature. You just have to experiment with the temps of the heat tape a little to make sure it's the right temperature on the inside of the tub.
Hope this helps and good luck..

 

[GeckoJunkie]

I use both, lights and heat cable. BUT I dont use tubs, seems it would be hard to have lights in the tubs other than the rope lights as was suggested. I custom built my own cages and put lights in there. Small 20 watt lights and have them on a timer, not so much as for heat as it is for light cycle. I also use heat cable as well and it also is on a timer. When the lights go off the heat cable comes on. I have it that way cause the lights do put off heat even though only 20 watt. I have the lights also on dimmers so I can dictate just how much heat is being put off by the lights. Takes some playing with the dimmers to get everything where you want it. Also remember the temps will change with the weather if you dont have them in a room that has a steady temp.

 

[GeckoMandi]

I use both, lights and heat cable. BUT I dont use tubs, seems it would be hard to have lights in the tubs other than the rope lights as was suggested. I custom built my own cages and put lights in there. Small 20 watt lights and have them on a timer, not so much as for heat as it is for light cycle. I also use heat cable as well and it also is on a timer. When the lights go off the heat cable comes on. I have it that way cause the lights do put off heat even though only 20 watt. I have the lights also on dimmers so I can dictate just how much heat is being put off by the lights. Takes some playing with the dimmers to get everything where you want it. Also remember the temps will change with the weather if you dont have them in a room that has a steady temp.

That's an awesome setup, so neat and organized! :main_thumbsup:

Here is a pic of my rack, I use 28qts for adults and it's also my hatchling rack until I get around to getting one built. It can hold 16 adults.

 

[Haroldo]

Here are some pics of a rack I built last year...

Used 3" 10w flexwatt tape, 5-28qt sterilite tubs per rack or 10-6qt tubs with lid. Made out of Sintra board, premium pine stock, and has a plexiglass stop on the back.

 

[mark97r1]

Thanks for the help guys, loving the racks! Geckojunkie love the look of the stacked viv approach rather than 'rack'. A bit beyond my wood ability though i think lol....
28qts seems to be the size, but erm.. Whats a qt? never seen this term!
What do these 28qt tubs measure?
Am i right in thinking you have something between the tub and heat tape, Just to stop direct cotact?

Thanks alot for your help, i will get there in the end! lol.

Cheers
mark

 

[boutiquegecko]

geckomandi, what do you use for heating? I like that rack, it's small but can hold a bit and something like that would fit good in our office closet better than the shelves I'm using now I think. And look nicer. What are the dimensions?

 

[GeckoMandi]

Thanks for the help guys, loving the racks! Geckojunkie love the look of the stacked viv approach rather than 'rack'. A bit beyond my wood ability though i think lol....
28qts seems to be the size, but erm.. Whats a qt? never seen this term!
What do these 28qt tubs measure?
Am i right in thinking you have something between the tub and heat tape, Just to stop direct cotact?

Thanks alot for your help, i will get there in the end! lol.

Cheers
mark

Ohhh! I have no idea how that converts, do you have like sterlite or rubbermaid plastic tubs over there? I'm sure there is a website that can convert it for you.
I might have 27qt I'm not totally sure, lol but here is the website.
#1956 is pretty close to what I use.
http://www.sterilite.com/Category.html?Section=Storage&ProductCategory=39#
I don't have anything between the heat tape and tubs, I keep the temps at 93 degrees.

geckomandi, what do you use for heating? I like that rack, it's small but can hold a bit and something like that would fit good in our office closet better than the shelves I'm using now I think. And look nicer. What are the dimensions?

I use 3 inch heat tape, the rack is 68 inches long and 29 1/2 tall and 23 and 5/8 wide.

 

[boutiquegecko]

Thanks.

 

[monkeygirl]

inthe uk 'Really Useful Boxes' are great for geckos!! i use them for some of mine and iv got 2 of the 50L ones, there really big but they do smaller ones too and are clear plastic so you can see your little ones. i got mine form eurorep.com as you can get them to put ventilation holes in for you but its much more expensive from there so for my next lot ill buy them online and do that myself. as for heattape, we dont get that over here, you have to use heatstrips, the cheapest iv found are on ebay from this guy's ebay store http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ultratherm-Re...oryZ1285QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem that means over here, we need a thermostat PER heat strip as we can do the whole connect all the wires thing that they can do with flexwatt in the US. a cheap thermostat is found from Aztec Europe. do a google search and they will come up tops i think. you may find cheaper ones on ebay again, any thermostat can be used with a heatmat/strip so long as the wattages are right. hope that helps? let me know how you get on, i need to do this myself, my geckos tanks dont fit on my current rack anymore

 

[mark97r1]

Thanks again guys. Monkeygirl thanks for that, its good to see the ides put into a realistic perspective for the Uk.
geckojunkie Could you give a little info on how your doars are made? Close up pic would be great!! Also how have you used heat tape for what are actually different vivs?

I am starting to get a few ideas wizzing around, maybe a plan is forming...lol

Cheers
mark

 

[monkeygirl]

are you going to import some flexwat then? remember it may run an a different voltage so you might need an amplifier

 

[mark97r1]

i dont really want to mess around with the different voltages.

I am thinking of just running a long heat mat across the length. though just thinking how to incorporate the ideas into a rack of viv's rather than a rack to put the tubs in! £10 a tub seems as though it could get really expensive...

I see it as only being a case of putting a front on the bays that are created, i am thinking a hinged piece of acylic/plexi as it looks as though Geckojunkie is using. i am not sure how tight the fit will be on the front though thats why i asked for pics and details. i dont want free roaming crickets!

I am thinking essentially divide a 4x2x2 viv into an upper and a lower, then divide these into 3. Thus creating 6 'bays' each being 24"x16"x12" (LxWxH). Which is the kinda dimensions of these 27qrt tubs (which is about inbetween the 42l & 50l in the 'really usefull boxes').

Its still early days, but im thinking if i build the viv as i would normally then put a shelf half way up. then this is the bit i am contemplating... I am thinking of having the uprights securly attatched to the top and back, but not fixed to the bottom. They will also be a little short thus creating a small gap under each right along the 'shelf'.
I am thinking i can slide a communal heat mat in then, just trying to finalsie a design that would work without sealing the heat mat in.. Couldnt i have a mat in each viv on an exstension cord plugged in the stat? So all controlled by 1, or is that a really bad idea?
I have also found a white rope light in the loft from the xmas decorations, i am gowing to drill holes to route this through each enclosure. I would rather give them a light cycle, this isnt very bright and will give very little heat off, and again will run off a single timer.

Thanks for the help again guys.
Will try and post some plans when they have been properly thought through.

Cheers
Mark

Whats the preference on heat? Warm end in back or at front?