Where to buy heat tape....?

Hello! I'm looking at buying a rack for my balls, I plan on using heat tape for belly heat. I'm trying to find where to buy it, I know there are websites but I'd rather not order it. Are there places that sell it, like Lowes or Home Depot? And if they do, what kind should I get? Will it be more $ to buy from the store or order online? Thanks again everyone. :)

Ordering it online is the easiest, I've never seen it in a store.

Check out this site, they will wire it for you for free

http://www.reptilebasics.com/flexwatt-heat-tape

As for what size we need to know what size tubs you are going to be using... most people use 3"

Unfortunately you cannot buy heat tape at Lowe's or Home Depot. Your best bet is to order it online from Reptile Basics or The Bean Farm. Reptile Basics is a great place to order it from.

I don't know of any store that sells it...I got mine from reptilebasics.com. Its priced by the foot so you can order just however much you need.

I was afraid of that... oh well lol...

As for sizes, it's not really a rack with tubs its more like 4 enclosures stacked on eachother. I don't have all the details yet but each one is 30" long 16" deep and 14" high. How much do you think I'd need for 4 of those?

http://desmoines.craigslist.org/pet/2847695244.html
^^That's the link to it. Good for bp's with some modifications?

I have PVC enclosures made by Animal Plastics. They are 48"x24"x12". they use 2 feet of 11" flexwatt each.

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Originally Posted by SnakeKittyFishy

http://desmoines.craigslist.org/pet/2847695244.html
^^That's the link to it. Good for bp's with some modifications?

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Is it made from peg board? if it is made of peg board I don't think it will hold heat or humidity well.

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

Is it made from peg board? It doesn't look like it will hold heat or humidity well.

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Could I do something to remedy that? Maybe put thin plywood over it?

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Originally Posted by SnakeKittyFishy

Could I do something to remedy that? Maybe put thin plywood over it?

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It could be remedied. My biggest concern is what it is made out of. Wood and wood byproducts are hard to heat through and do not hold up well to the humidity necessary for housing a ball python.

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

It could be remedied. My biggest concern is what it is made out of. Wood and wood byproducts are hard to heat through and do not hold up well to the humidity necessary for housing a ball python.

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What if I coated the inside with a waterproof paint or something like that?

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

It could be remedied. My biggest concern is what it is made out of. Wood and wood byproducts are hard to heat through and do not hold up well to the humidity necessary for housing a ball python.

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i would have to agree. we were gonna build our own but after pricing tha materials and comparing how non durable it would be we went with rack systems from reptile basics. they already come with heat tape and are wired. all you need is a thermostat which you can order from them as well. the durability and longevity are well worth it.

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Originally Posted by SnakeKittyFishy

What if I coated the inside with a waterproof paint or something like that?

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It can be done, but you need to be careful what type you use so it doesn't put out any harmful chemicals/gases.

I think that you can make these cages work if you are willing to put some time and money into them (at $60 I would consider it if I didn't already have Professional PVC cages)

I guess I have some contemplation to do then.. I'm looking for the cheaper way to go. I can't afford to buy a rack with everything already installed. So.. I'm gonna have to think, do I want to build one from scratch or buy one part way there and finish it.. toughy! Thanks for all the help guys/gals :)

It's made of partical board, plexy glass and the peg board stuff. I'll be going Wed or Thur to look at it. The guy says it's old like 30 years old and he's had all kinds of different animals in it including different pythons. I'm not sold yet, I'll let you all know what I decide.

If you are handy by any stretch (or not very handy at at all really) and have access to some power tools, there are lots of DIY rack builds on youtube. You can have Home Depot cut all the melamine for you if you want a rack system. Others make them with plastic racking from Walmart and cut the legs to adjust the shelf height.

I think the amount of time and effort it will take you to safely waterproof and heat that enclosure, you will regret not building a rack or buying something pre-built.

It seems as if you want them displayed somewhat, so it is a tough call. The Animal Plastics route is far from cheap ($170 for a T8 with a divider + heat + tax/shipping) but based on discussions I've had with Aaron, there is no better way to display your snakes while maintaining ease of humidity/temperature control.

I built this for about the same price you would pay for that rack.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a299/kklepac/rack.jpg

I decided against getting it. There's a guy who builds custom enclosures that lives in my state. I can get one with belly heat, ventilation, locking doors w/ windows for $250... seems like a lot though... and its only 3 high.. lol If I did my own rack I could have room for more ;) even if I'm not allowed to haha. Idk, for now I'm gonna deal with the tanks. Thanks for the help everyone.