Building my rack tomorrow have some questions

I'm seeing peoples racks using hardboard at the back but I already have a sheet of melamine cut to size. If hardboard(particle board)is better I'll pick that up instead, I'm using back heat using flexwatt directly attached to the back wall and want to know is ventilation necessary? Does the flexwatt directly attach or do i need to use aluminum tape to apply it? sorry for all these probably simple questions but its my first rack i want to get it right. all flexwatt will be hooked up to a herpstat so i dont see overheating being a problem but still should ventilation be provided?

quick recap
1. Is melamine suitable for a back wall?
2. Is ventilation needed for the flexwatt?
3. Does flexwatt directly apply or do I use aluminum tape?

Flexwatt itself is not adhesive so you will need aluminum tape. Malamine is fine for the back but it's more expensive than the hardboard. I feel like that's why people use it on the back. No flexwatt doesn't need vents. One suggestion tho, go belly heat! I just build a rack with my girlfriend and made it with belly heat. The older one we had was back heat and the bins never got the temp I desired. It may be more soldering but the belly heat is way better for the snakes. In the end it's better for you to have to suffer for a few hours on a desk with a soldering iron than have to post a thread in a few months on how to fight an RI. Good Luck!


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I second belly heat, far superior. You can always snake a single strip through a rack when doing belly heat. that cuts down on the soldering

Like winding it down? I never thought of that! Where were u mister merchant like 3 days ago?!? Lol. Jokes.


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well i already ordered it in seperated lengths but heres what itll do, its a 6 shelf rack but only 3 will be used until the end of next breeding season at which point ill need the other 3 so ill use the 3 strips to do belly heat for the 3 levels being used and add on at a later point before using the bottom 3 levels

Sounds good. You won't regret belly heat. I sure didn't.


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Back or belly makes little difference to the snakes. Belly needs higher ambient temps than belly does but both need moderately high. Typically I'd not suggest using a rack system in room temps under 77º it is just too hard to keep the temps correct. (I do have a rack in a cool room so from first hand experience it is very hard and costly.)

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Originally Posted by kitedemon

Back or belly makes little difference to the snakes. Belly needs higher ambient temps than belly does but both need moderately high. Typically I'd not suggest using a rack system in room temps under 77º it is just too hard to keep the temps correct. (I do have a rack in a cool room so from first hand experience it is very hard and costly.)

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My room is typically 76.5, do you think the half degree will be a real issue?

76 degrees is fine. Belly heat will be much better though at that ambient though. The reason hardboard is used is two-fold. 1: cheaper. 2: lighter. All melamine racks weigh a ton.

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Originally Posted by dart

76 degrees is fine. Belly heat will be much better though at that ambient though. The reason hardboard is used is two-fold. 1: cheaper. 2: lighter. All melamine racks weigh a ton.

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Well I've already got it and its going on casters so weight shouldn't be an issue moving it