New "Back-Heat" rack not hot enough...

[el8ch]

Morning!

Just picked up an new Sentec 29qt rack system the other day to move some of my larger BP's out of my PVC enclosures. Set it all up and cranked her up to 90 on the herpstat and went about my business. Looks like the hottest I can get the tubs up to is 86.5. Herpstat has the power at 100% and has the heat tape running at 115 (back wall of the tub is at 91 with the temp gun, floor is at 86.5). My problem is that my "temporary" reptile room in my unfinshed basement has an ambient air temp of around 73 which is causing my rack temperature to be so low...

Anyone had any similar setup issues and quick fixes. I am in the process of finishing my basement with a dedicated reptile room with an independant heat source, but until then I am open to any suggestions. Currently I went out and picked up a minature oil furnace and have it running in the section where my snakes are, only boosted the temps in the rack to 88.5.

Back-Heat! Arghhh... Looks like basement renos will be coming sooner than later...

[mattchibi]

Try throwing a towel over top the rack and try resting the rack on a piece of styrofoam. This would help with preventing loss of heat through physical transfer, Im assuming. Other than that, I have no idea. Not being able to regulate a room temperature, especially when its at 73, kind of sucks. My best guess would be to move them to another part of the house if possible, as a temporary solution. Also you probably have one considering the amount of snakes you have, but oil filled heaters paired with a thermostat can do wonders.

[el8ch]

Yeah the basement is a bugger for heat right now. need to get the new reptile room atleast drywalled with a door up to keep the temperature up. I have partially covered the front of the rack for now (almost like a door), but still left a fair size opening for proper air exchange and the temps are going up.

I didn't even realize that the bottom of the rack was open to the floor either until I read "styrofoam" in your comment. Cut some blue insulation board to size and slotted it in below the bottom tub and temps have gone up a bit and the herpstat isn't cranking 100% anymore. Not exactly how I want it, but at least it will provide proper husbandry when the snakes make the move from the PVC.

Love my PVC enclosures but they are starting to take over, take up so much space compared to racks. Will keep them on for quarantine.

[RobNJ]

You can use a space heater to boost your room temp.

[Alicia]

If it makes 88.5 degrees, that's really not too cold. What's the ambient air temperature inside the tubs?

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

Insulate the rack.. I have a back heated hatchling rack and I covered the entire back with that flexible silver colored insulation sheets. Just cut it to fit and taped it all around the sides to help hold the heat in. Also, make sure the rack is sitting up off the cold floor. If it isn't on casters, get some 4x4's and lay them on the floor and put the rack on these. A layer of insulation around the sides will help greatly also. Really the temp it is at right now is good but any lower might be risky so you want to prevent any major drops.


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[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

You don't want the ambient temp in the tubs to be 88-90. When you use back heat you don't go by the hot side temp recommendations used for belly heat or it will always be too warm and the snake can not get away from the heat. Think of those breeders who simply warm their snake room and don't use any additional heat. They don't keep it 90 degrees. That's too much. You just want to keep it slightly on the higher end of the ambient recommendation. It certainly isn't 90 degrees inside the termite mounds BPs live in in the wild.




----> Signature <----
*Factoid: "There are no such things as Hogg Island or Columbian boas"

[el8ch]

You can use a space heater to boost your room temp.

I purchased a minature oil furnace (not so miniature, lol)... it is helping!

If it makes 88.5 degrees, that's really not too cold. What's the ambient air temperature inside the tubs?

Yeah, 88.5 isn't too bad. Ambient air temp in the back of the tub right now is at 86.5 towards the front it cools down to 80 and just below.

Insulate the rack.. I have a back heated hatchling rack and I covered the entire back with that flexible silver colored insulation sheets. Just cut it to fit and taped it all around the sides to help hold the heat in. Also, make sure the rack is sitting up off the cold floor. If it isn't on casters, get some 4x4's and lay them on the floor and put the rack on these. A layer of insulation around the sides will help greatly also. Really the temp it is at right now is good but any lower might be risky so you want to prevent any major drops.

Thanks! I am going to pick up more insulation and insulate the sides of the rack, back is insulated like you mentioned already. Yeah the temps are okay for now, it is just that I have everything working on "overdrive" to keep them there.

Love the rack though, man tubs are convenient and space saving..,

[el8ch]

You don't want the ambient temp in the tubs to be 88-90. When you use back heat you don't go by the hot side temp recommendations used for belly heat or it will always be too warm and the snake can not get away from the heat. Think of those breeders who simply warm their snake room and don't use any additional heat. They don't keep it 90 degrees. That's too much. You just want to keep it slightly on the higher end of the ambient recommendation. It certainly isn't 90 degrees inside the termite mounds BPs live in in the wild.

Got it! This is my first experience with back-heat. Ambient temps in the tub are 86.5 in towards the back and just about 80 near the front of the tub right now...

[Alicia]

Foschi said it for me!

Yeah, 88.5 isn't too bad. Ambient air temp in the back of the tub right now is at 86.5 towards the front it cools down to 80 and just below.

Cool. Ambient temps within a few degrees of 80 seem to make my guys happiest. Mostly, I try to keep things between 77 and 82 for ambient temps, but I'm not using back heat. So I'm really pretty curious how it works out for you.