Building a Rack system! [Videos and Pictures Included!]

[AMBiEN22]

Hello Ball Python Enthusiasts,

Some of you may remember me from waaaaaay back when, I've been very busy with school, but I'm back on the forums! One of the reasons I'm back, is that i am upgrading my enclosure! Below you will find my thoughts, my plans, and the conditions i am facing! I look forward to hearing what people have to say, and their suggestions!

My Thoughts:
Its been long overdue that Lilly (My pastel ball python) [See attached video], has needed an upgrade for her enclosure. I'm looking to scrap together some money and get my project underway!

My Plans:

• To build a rack system with at least three tubs that will house ADULT ball pythons.
• To use flex watt under the tubs to heat the snakes enclosures. [Possibly 11" flex watt?]
• I will use my old thermostat to regulate the flex watt [See attached picture]
• To use everything similar or identical to this you tube video [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05M1BFUA9a4]

My conditions:
The summer time:

• I have no doubts that this rack will perform amazingly in the summer weather.

The winter time:

• This is were i am a little concerned. The room in which the ball python rack will be in stays around 65-68 degrees.

My questions: (thoughts as well...)

1. I'll use 11" flex watt to provide optimal basking temperature for my snake, will this LARGE 92 degrees hot spot allow for partial heating of the cold side of the tank?
2. Does anyone else face the same issue that i have with a chilly room and was able to fix this problem [Note: only insulation would be available, portable heaters are not an option.]

A video of Lilly:


My Ranco Thermostat:
Note this ranco is wired to a serge protector so i have multiple outlets.

[TimNA]

I built one just like this, in the summer it's great but in the winter as you are worried it's hard to keep the ambient without a heated room. Since it is open it wont hold heat at all. I ended up having to get a oil filled heater to heat the room. Only way around not heating the room would be to make it with the front/back enclosed & only open on the small end, (if that makes any sense).

I also use 11" flexwatt & no it wont heat the cool side at all. I have it measured at 1ft long which covers about 1/3 the tub but, a few inches away from the flexwatt it's ambient temp.

[AMBiEN22]

I built one just like this, in the summer it's great but in the winter as you are worried it's hard to keep the ambient without a heated room. Since it is open it wont hold heat at all. I ended up having to get a oil filled heater to heat the room. Only way around not heating the room would be to make it with the front/back enclosed & only open on the small end, (if that makes any sense).

I also use 11" flexwatt & no it wont heat the cool side at all. I have it measured at 1ft long which covers about 1/3 the tub but, a few inches away from the flexwatt it's ambient temp.

I originally wanted to design an inner and outside layer of the rack. Use something like a very thin cardboard like base to surround the tubs with. Then layer that with insulation [foam], followed by the 3/4 inch shell around that.

Currently i use a heat lamp to keep the ambient temperatures up. When the winter first started and the temperatures dropped to about 68 (Normal winter temperatures) i went to fire up the heat lamp and it was broken. So Lilly went with out a heat lamp for about two weeks (which is about two feeds). I noted that the feeding response was normal and her hot side was still averaging 92-93 degrees.

Its noted that i do plan to seal all sides of this rack except the front.

One method i had in mind
Buying another ranco thermostat which would hook up to yet again another piece of 11" flex watt which i would use to try to bring the cold side temperatures up. [Assuming heat rises, i could essentially set the thermostats to 92-93 degrees for basking, and 80-85 for the cool side]

[AMBiEN22]

Small update! (for those who have subscribed to the thread)

Things i have ordered:

• 6 Feet of 11" flexwatt heat tape[Found here]
• Clamps for the flexwatt heat tape [Found here]

Things i have purchased:

• [4] 41-Quart Sterilite tubs [Found here] (I purchased four but got charged for one so i was happy about this)

Things i need to purchase:

• [2] 3/4" Melamine Boards [Found here]
• Some wire for the flexwatt heat tape

Things in which i have currently:

• Ranco Thermostat (ETC-111000-000) [Found here] (purchased a year ago at a cheaper price, works like a charm)

Thanks for taking your time to check out the thread!
Happy Herping!

[Mike41793]

uth's and flexwatt dont affect the ambient temps in the tubs. They only create a hot spot. A space heater in your room would raise the ambient temps.

[AMBiEN22]

uth's and flexwatt dont affect the ambient temps in the tubs. They only create a hot spot. A space heater in your room would raise the ambient temps.

I figured as much, so i bailed on that idea really fast .

For now i am going to focus on getting the rack all set up and wired together, allow a few days for a testing period then get my girl in there. When the weather becomes cold again i will see how well my ambient air temperature does and if it becomes a problem i may invest in a heater for the room. But as for now time will tell!

Thanks for your response Mike41793!

[AMBiEN22]

Got some of my packages in today, thinking about starting the build this weekend if time permits.

Check out the video below and let me know what you guys think about the introduction, and the video as a whole!

[AMBiEN22]

Hello everyone!

So this past weekend i finally got around to buying all the supplies to build my rack and finished it off! Unfortunately i was not able to gain access to a decent video camera so i did not make a time lapse of the build like i had hoped!

However i did snap a few photos with my droid when it was finished.

Check it out!

[AMBiEN22]

Here is a video link of the rack all built!

Lilly loves it!

[Andybill]

Great looking girl you got there! Shes beautiful! How much did the materials run you for that rack?