Enclosed Racks- do you keep the lids on the tubs?

I've seen a lot of racks that are very tight fitting and it appears that they dont have lids on the tubs... is this really how it works? or do most people that use racks still put the lid on the tubs?

Im guessing so, because of the air holes, but just wanted to make sure as Im designing my first rack.

Most people do not have lids on the tubs....the rack itself serves as the lid. However you can get manufactured racks that have tubs with lids or screens...you can get freedom breeder racks with screens...these are mainly used by hot keepers though.

If you are building your own rack out of wood, you do not want to make the tub extreamly snug fitting. I leave around a 1/8" air gap between the tub and the rack level. This allows for settlement of the rack. If you do not leave a gap and make it very snug....pulling the tubs out will get to be a PITA.

What size do people normally keep in a 12 quart and 27 quart sterilite?

1954 - 12 Quart Storage Box 16 3/8"L x 11 1/2"W x 5 7/8"H

1956 - 27 Quart Storage Box 23"L x 16 3/4"W x 5 7/8"H


I was thinking ~ 30 inch snake max in the first and ~ 40 inch snake max in the second?


For a ball python if the room was kept dark would a 27 quart be ok for a 4' , or would that be a bit cramped?

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Originally Posted by SnakeySnakeSnake

For a ball python if the room was kept dark would a 27 quart be ok for a 4' , or would that be a bit cramped?

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That's a bit cramped. A 41qt. is normal for a 4+ foot ball.

Lidless systems are much easier to clean, feed, etc.

Plus lids really add another layer of restriction to air flow in and out of the boxes ... fresh air exchange is VERY important.

-adam

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pulling the tubs out will get to be a PITA.

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Learned this the hard way!!!

Does anyone know if having 3" flexwatt run along the length of a container would provide enough heat gradient to have different temperatures in two sections? i was thinking of a 23x16 tub or a 34x16 tub

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../8/example.jpg

Thanks again

i cant help you on that but i do like that design with 3 different sizes

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Originally Posted by SnakeySnakeSnake

Does anyone know if having 3" flexwatt run along the length of a container would provide enough heat gradient to have different temperatures in two sections? i was thinking of a 23x16 tub or a 34x16 tub

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../8/example.jpg

Thanks again

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I may be totally off because I've never dealt with a rack of any sort. But I believe there is a serious design flaw here...unless I'm misunderstanding how you intend to set it up.

Are you intending to use ONE piece of flexwatt run across three different tubs of three different sizes? If you have the flexwatt hooked to a t-stat, or whatever instrument you use to control temps, you won't be able to maintain the same temps in each enclosure. The 12qt would heat up a LOT compared to the 41qt. I don't see how you could maintain a consistent, even temp-gradient in each tub with a single heatsource.

see this is what i dont understand! i dont see why it would matter becouse most people put the probe right on top of the flex watt! if this is the case then it would not matter if all the enclosers are diff size becouse the flex watt will all be the same temp! aslong as u put the same type of snake in there. it should not matter!

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Originally Posted by snakebitten69

see this is what i dont understand! i dont see why it would matter becouse most people put the probe right on top of the flex watt! if this is the case then it would not matter if all the enclosers are diff size becouse the flex watt will all be the same temp! aslong as u put the same type of snake in there. it should not matter!

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It does matter, You are trying to heat 3 different sized tubs at the same temp. The Hotspot in the 41qt could be 90, The smaller bins could be 100 or more. Not the same Floor space.

it dose not matter! your useing the same heat tape! now if u tell me that the longer the heat tape is the less heat will be there @ the end of the tape then i would say it dose matter. but thats not the case! now if your not putting the probe on top of the heat tape then i can see your point!


so what your tell me is the heat tape will get hotter in a smaller encloser? if that the case your wrong! now with the smaller encloser the cool side will stay a bit hotter then the larger eclosers! but as the far as the hot side floor heat goes it will stay the same temp! dose not matter what size encloser it is!

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Originally Posted by snakebitten69

it dose not matter! your useing the same heat tape! now if u tell me that the longer the heat tape is the less heat will be there @ the end of the tape then i would say it dose matter. but thats not the case! now if your not putting the probe on top of the heat tape then i can see your point!

so what your tell me is the heat tape will get hotter in a smaller encloser? if that the case your wrong! now with the smaller encloser the cool side will stay a bit hotter then the larger eclosers! but as the far as the hot side floor heat goes it will stay the same temp! dose not matter what size encloser it is!

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First of all, take a nice deep breath...

Even using the same heat tape, with using the different size tubs you are going to create a different thermal gradient. The heat tape will only get as hot as you allow it to get with a tstat, but the tub temperatures are going to vary greatly from a large 41qt tub to a 6qt tub, the floor space varies so much. In a larger tub with the tstat set to the same as a smaller tub the temps are going to change more drastically from one side of the tub to the other, therefore the overall temps will changes...in the smaller tub you will more than likely have higher temps because of the lack of space to create a nice gradient. Plain and simple.

Jason

i understand that the thermal gradient will be diff! but my point is if u put the probe right on top of the heat tape your going to get the same temp right there @ the probe! right? i dont see why if would matter!

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Originally Posted by snakebitten69

i understand that the thermal gradient will be diff! but my point is if u put the probe right on top of the heat tape your going to get the same temp right there @ the probe! right? i dont see why if would matter!

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Build it, Have Fun!!

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Originally Posted by JASBALLS

Build it, Have Fun!!

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LMAO!!!! :lmao: :lmao:

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Originally Posted by snakebitten69

but my point is if u put the probe right on top of the heat tape your going to get the same temp right there @ the probe! right? i dont see why if would matter!

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it would matter because when the thermo-stat shuts off the flexwatt when the warm side in the small tub is, say 92 degrees, the warm side in the big tub would be way to cool. vise versa with the probe in the big tub. if it was shut off at 92 in the big tubs the small tubs could be allowed to get 100+ in the warm side before the thermostat shuts it off. understand?

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Originally Posted by SnakeySnakeSnake

Does anyone know if having 3" flexwatt run along the length of a container would provide enough heat gradient to have different temperatures in two sections? i was thinking of a 23x16 tub or a 34x16 tub

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../8/example.jpg

Thanks again

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I think everyone needs to take a deep breath. LOL!! If you look at the design pictured above, he has them situated so the long sides of the boxes are across the heat tape. So each tub has a different amount of heat tape under each one. So the wattage to each tub will be different. Now I dont have the exact measurements of each tub listed, but if the depth from heat tape to the front of the tub is approximately the same distance it MAY work. The only way to dismiss it is to try it, dont rule it out. Just my 2 cents. :)

The only thing I have to add to this is that I run a 6 shelf sideways rack that uses both 15qt and 32qt tubs. They all run on the same t-stat and the same piece of flexwatt running through the entire rack. The temp differences from the small tubs to the large ones are very small.... within .5 degree. The ambient temps in the small tubs are within 1.5 degrees of the bigger ones...

Now.... I have NO experience with using THREE different sized tubs in the same rack....

Hope this helps...

well as far as the 27 quart and the 12 quart, I think they will both be almost exactly the same...


dimensions are ~ 16.5 x 23 and 16.5 x 11.5 so the way i have the 12 and 27 drawn, the 12 has 11.5 inches x 3 inches of heat tape, and the 27 has 23 inches x 3 inches of heat tape, which means the one that is twice as large has twice as much heat tape...

Heck, if you go to animal plastics they have their racks setup the same way


http://www.animalplastics.com/steril...High_small.jpg


I was just curious if it would make the snakes more uncomfortable because the different half of their tub is heated.

ditch the 41 qt tub, do a seperate rack for them. i second the 15 and 32 qt. sterilites! nice tubs and are very versatile. 3 inch flex will be fine. get a good stat helix or like.


vaughn

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Originally Posted by ddbjdealer

The only thing I have to add to this is that I run a 6 shelf sideways rack that uses both 15qt and 32qt tubs. They all run on the same t-stat and the same piece of flexwatt running through the entire rack. The temp differences from the small tubs to the large ones are very small.... within .5 degree. The ambient temps in the small tubs are within 1.5 degrees of the bigger ones...

Now.... I have NO experience with using THREE different sized tubs in the same rack....

Hope this helps...

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I dont plan on using 3, just wouldnt be efficient for my sizing, I just added the large 41 quart for discussion purposes

Your post is EXACTLY the feedback i needed thanks !!!!

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Originally Posted by kavmon

ditch the 41 qt tub, do a seperate rack for them. i second the 15 and 32 qt. sterilites! nice tubs and are very versatile. 3 inch flex will be fine. get a good stat helix or like.


vaughn

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yup thats the plan, sorry for the confusion :) I just threw the 41qt in for discussion because i was ALSO thinking of making a separate rack for 41 quarts.


I will be doing the 12 and 27 quarts on one rack.

i think it would work if he was to use a dimmer switch on it, set the dimmer with a volt meter to 60 volts out put and it will make the tape around 100 degrees and the tub 94 degrees. to use a thermostat i don't think it would work unless he puts the thermostat in the middle sized container and was able to accept the few degrees difference he will get from container to container. just my .02

lol ok so where are yall putting this probe for the thermostat? will the thermostat be measuring air temp or floor temp?

now i understand that the air temp on the cool side will be diff. but the hot side would be the same if the probe goes right on top of the heat tape!


ex. if u got 6ft foot heat tape and put 3 diff tubs on that.. if u put the probe in the middle tub on top of the heat tape the temp is going to be the same in all three tubs! now if i place the probe on the side of the tub on the hot side in the same middle tub thay will be all diff temps! my point is the heat tape only getts so hot and if your looking for your heat tape to get 94drg with the tstat the hole 6ft of heat tape will be 94deg! right or wrong!

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Originally Posted by Stings

to use a thermostat i don't think it would work unless he puts the thermostat in the middle sized container and was able to accept the few degrees difference he will get from container to container. just my .02

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You don't put the probe in a tub, you put it directly over the heat tape. You control the temperature of the heat tape and adjust it until the temps in the tubs are at an acceptable range.

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Originally Posted by snakebitten69

ex. if u got 6ft foot heat tape and put 3 diff tubs on that.. if u put the probe in the middle tub on top of the heat tape the temp is going to be the same in all three tubs! now if i place the probe on the side of the tub on the hot side in the same middle tub thay will be all diff temps! my point is the heat tape only getts so hot and if your looking for your heat tape to get 94drg with the tstat the hole 6ft of heat tape will be 94deg! right or wrong!

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The longer your run of heat tape the more variance you will see in temps, but they should be minimal in a 6 ft length. Like I said in above post, don't put your probe in tub, place it over the heat tape outside the tub and adjust accordingly. I don't think the argument is the hot spot temps, I think they are saying they don't think the ambient temps will be high enough in the rest of the tub. Once again this is relies on placement and arrangement of tubs and how much heat tape is in contact with each tub.

Example: If you used all 3 tubs and had the heat tape go across the back side of each tub (short side) then you heat gradient will be much different. But when you put the heat tape length wise (across the length), the longer the tub the more heat per tub.