New Rack, Thermostat, etc. Help with deals.

Ok I have two pieds and a normal and am going to be getting more soon and will be breeding hopefully next year. I was going to get a animal plastics snake rack. (Which is better the Iris Racks or Sterilite Racks)

http://www.animalplastics.com/

Also I was going to get a thermostat as well for it, I know that I want a proportional thermostat but im not sure which kind. Seems like either helix or herpstat is the best from what research I did. After the thermostat what else do I need to make it functional?

http://www.reptilebasics.com/thermostats/

Please let me know before I make a purchase, thanks haha

bumpppp :snake:

Couple of pointers from my experience...
1) wal marts carry sterilite containers making replacing tubs easier.
2) been running a helix for a year, LOVE it. Heard nothing but good about the helix.
3) make sure your rack is up off the cold floor.
4) why not build one?

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Originally Posted by Jeremy78

Couple of pointers from my experience...
1) wal marts carry sterilite containers making replacing tubs easier.
2) been running a helix for a year, LOVE it. Heard nothing but good about the helix.
3) make sure your rack is up off the cold floor.
4) why not build one?

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Ok cool yeah just grabbing the tubs from walmart will be easy. The helix then eh? So basically I just put the probe from the thermostat onto the heat tape and plug it in and set my desired temps?

I thought about building one but I know animal plastics do good work and are not that expensive, id rather it get done right the first time.

Ah I see. And with the helix you thouroughly tape the probe on the heat tape and push the little button on the unit itself until it is at 93. Then check the temp on the bottom of the tub and your set. Makes life very very easy lol.

I think the herpstat is a more popular thermostat. Just putting that out there.

I personally like the iris tubs but I have a store right by me that always has them in stock if I need extra. That is really the key, that you have a constant supply of that exact tub size. Make sure to buy a few extra just in case.

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Originally Posted by Jeremy78

Ah I see. And with the helix you thouroughly tape the probe on the heat tape and push the little button on the unit itself until it is at 93. Then check the temp on the bottom of the tub and your set. Makes life very very easy lol.

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you may need to set your thermostat higher than your desired temp to reach that in your tubs or on your heat tape.

I think i've got my thermostats set to about 96 sometimes (in the winter) now that the temps have stabalized as its gotten warmer its set to 93 i believe, the temps in the tubs are 92-90 on the hot side.

I've heard of some breeders having to set their thermostats to over 100 to get the desired temps in the tub, i think it has to do with how much heat tape you have.

I have 3 racks, animal platics economy plastic, a RBI and a hand made one (all bought second hand) and they are all great. The AP are almost indestructible, the RBI is super well made and the tubs slide great.

I have had a Herpstat running 2 vision cages with GTP's and have never had a problem. I am running proheat panels in them also. 84 all yeah long

I have a reptile basics CB70 rack and one that we built. Love it!! Also we run herpstats. Love those as well and have never had any problems!! ;)

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Originally Posted by BPelizabeth

I have a reptile basics CB70 rack and one that we built. Love it!! Also we run herpstats. Love those as well and have never had any problems!! ;)

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Yup and Yup that is my set up as well and I have not had a problem since I started keeping snakes a year and a half ago.

I can promise that if you run a herp-stat with a RBI rack you won't be disappointed, and if you are it will be fixed promptly.

I like the idea of having replacement tubs close by but have never had the need.

Mike

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Originally Posted by hoax

Yup and Yup that is my set up as well and I have not had a problem since I started keeping snakes a year and a half ago.

I can promise that if you run a herp-stat with a RBI rack you won't be disappointed, and if you are it will be fixed promptly.

I like the idea of having replacement tubs close by but have never had the need.

Mike

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I use RBI Rack with herp-stat as well and 'm very happy with that setup.. I use 32qt rack and You can buy tubs in Bed Bath and Beyond :):gj::gj::gj:

Wowww!!!! thanks for all the amazing replies guys. First off let me say I am no expert with this type of stuff so the information really helps.

Ok so the thing that caught my eye on the animal plastic racks is it seems like you could either get a larger tub (for a midsize to adult BP) or two smaller ones and slide it in the same slot, is that the same for the RBI racks? Also do I drill holes into the tubes myself, how many on average?

Now with the thermostat why did I see some bundles with like a power strip, extension cord, etc. That's not required is it? Also do I just line the tape to the rack itself or the tubs? And would the thermostat probe be inside a tub or outside? If I was to get a couple more BP's would I have to redo my tape each time?

Sorry for the 20 questions but I really want to get this right as I want to make a purchase tonight.

Pre-wired thermostats are nice and easy.

The tubs sit on the tape that is taped to the shelf.
The probe goes on the heat tape outside of the tub.
I put 6 holes per side and 2-4 on each end, you may need more or less depending on the humidity in your area.
Start with less holes and add some as needed.

So just a regular thermostat wouldnt come wired?

http://www.reptilebasics.com/helix-c...hermostat.html

I've got my eye on a herpstat, fwiw. Cheaper than that thing, proportional (for super steady temps), and no mention of wires.

bump bump, I think I wanna buy them now so please any last input?

Do perpetual thermostats like the helix I linked come good to go?

Thanks!! :snake:

anybodyyy???

Yes a helix or a herpstat will come wired already. (right?)

If you can afford it, go with the herpstat.

So I may be chiming in to late..... I like to use ranco's on my racks.... one thermostat will handle 4 times as much as one herpistat or helix..... On the animal plastics rack I highly recomend....

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

Yes a helix or a herpstat will come wired already. (right?)

If you can afford it, go with the herpstat.

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Righttt...??? ;) haha

Ok the only reason I wanted to go with the helix was because RBI has it and then I could get some hides to :D

Here are all the herpstats, http://www.spyderrobotics.com/

Which makes the most sense for like housing 3 maybe more to come snacks in this kind of rack.

Oh and did that RBI rack have the ability to house like juveniles and sub adults? Sorry for all the questions

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Originally Posted by jjmitchell

So I may be chiming in to late..... I like to use ranco's on my racks.... one thermostat will handle 4 times as much as one herpistat or helix..... On the animal plastics rack I highly recomend....

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Rancos are not perpetual though are they? I may be wrong lol but I thought I remember reading that.

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Originally Posted by ru8fru

Rancos are not perpetual though are they? I may be wrong lol but I thought I remember reading that.

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They are just on/off thermostats as opposed to proportional thermostats like the helix and herpstat.

I use a johnson controls on my rack and it works just fine. Been running it for over a year now.

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

They are just on/off thermostats as opposed to proportional thermostats like the helix and herpstat.

I use a johnson controls on my rack and it works just fine. Been running it for over a year now.

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Proportional thats it ;)

isnt john very similar to rancos?

Any answers to the other questions :bow:

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Originally Posted by ru8fru

Proportional thats it ;)

isnt john very similar to rancos?

Any answers to the other questions :bow:

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Yes they are basically the same except the johnsons has a night drop extention and a light indicating when it is turned on and heating.

The Johnson Controls and Ranco are relay based thermostats. Every time the power gets applied or turned off you will hear the click of the relay. Not a big deal if you have a snake room but if your rack is open to living space its something to consider. Being relay based they are less expensive also doesn't hurt that they are manufactured by large companies for industrial purposes. Lots of vendors wire the cords to them for you (you do have to trust the vendors wiring job) as they don't come from the manufacturer with cords. They can work fine as a basic control and because a relay produces no heat (its just a mechanical switch) they can control more wattage which makes them great for oil filled heaters used for room incubators. A proportional thermostat is a nice step up. It gives smoother heat control with less temperature swing. That can be important once you come into breeding season or of course with incubation. The Herpstat ND model has a built in clock and night drop option. I know many people I talk to drop the temps at night during breeding season and the ND will allow you to automate that. Plus it will track your high/low temps and has a bunch of features tailored specifically to reptiles. Oh, and a proportional thermostat makes no noise when it applies power. I set up tests with a inexpensive reptitemp 500r and got just as good results as I did with a Ranco with a small enclosure. The Ranco gives you the temp readout advantage over the 500R. Of course the proportional thermostats did much better. :D


Dion Brewington
Owner, Spyder Robotics