total noob tub question

[phantommaggot]

Hi,
as i am totally new to housing ball pythons i have a question or 2..

i have 2 pastels coming my way within the next two weeks. and i need to know the best way to keep them warm, happy, and outta the way untill i can figure out a rack system.

so i went out and bought 2 31qt rubbermaid latchable tubs (H 6.5in x L 26.1in x W 15.6in) thinking i could just stick zoomed pads under there and call it a day.. but after doing alot more reading it seems that was a bad plan..

so what should i do? i need to either start on a rack, enough to house 2 100-300 gram snakes for the time being.. or is there a better cheap way to keep snkes.. lol..

sorry if im not making any sence.. im just really lost..

anyways.. im just looking for suggestions..
thanks a whole lot..
-josh

[xdeus]

The Rubbermaids with the UTHs should be fine as long as you use a thermostat or at least a rheostat. Just make sure you provide adequate ventilation.

A rack is probably the best long-term plan. There are many different styles, options from homebuilt plywood/melamine racks to pricey steel racks from Freedom Breeder. Many people like the plastic racks like from Animal Plastics, boaphileplastics or Herpenclosures.

[phantommaggot]

if i build a rack, i should def get a thermostat right??

if so, what is the best one to get for a rack system?
will it have multiple probes, or just one.. where does it go..

i guess since i have a little time im gonna go ahead and get some flexwatt and set up a small rack.
ill probably design my own..it shouldnt be too hard.. i have all the stuff here to do it anyways. and what i dont have i can get no time with a possible discount.

so what are must haves,
heat tape, thermostat?
should i use brown rubbermaid boxes, or would that not let enough light in..

that about covers it

[Nate]

My advice would be to go ahead and buy a rack to see how they've done it, and then if you can tackle the job, build your own. That's my plan. I've bought a great rack from http://www.herpenclosures.com and i saw how easily it is to put together and where everything was put, and now once i get my hands on the proper tools, i will build my own. There are plenty of companies that build racks. You just need to figure out what system will suit you best. Animal Plastics, Herp Enclosures, and i hope someone will post more links

If you think you're capable of handling it on your own the first time, here's a great DIY from Tim Bailey

http://www.baileyreptiles.com/diy.html

[xdeus]

You should get a thermostat no matter what you use... rack or cage. You can get by with a rheostat (dimmer), but a thermostat is much better.

Helix and Herpstat make the best thermostats for reptiles. They usually have one probe (Herpstat makes some units with multiple probes), but all that is needed is one probe/thermostat per rack. You can place the probe in a number of places, but people usually adhere them directly to the heat source.

You pretty much covered all that is needed for the rack, although I would add a digital thermometer ($13 Accurite from Walmart). Although you snakes don't require light, a clear tub such as the Sterilite 1756 would be better as you can monitor what is going on in the tub without pulling it out.

[phantommaggot]

i dunno, those plastic racks things seem way overpriced for something i could eaisly build..
hell i could build somethinglike that no effort at all..

do i put the thermostat probe directly on the heat tape then.. which tub do i pick to put it under..

and im gonna order heat tape asap..

for the tub cover... i could use peg board, or would that be too vented.. should i stick with something solid and drill the tub.. i dunno lol.. thats what im trying to figure out.. i have about 10 days at most to get it done lol..

anyways.. that being said..

im designing a nice little getto rack for two snakes right now..

edit:
i found this, if i modded it for my size requirements would it be a solid setup?
edit again:
i forgot the link..lol http://www.arbreptiles.com/cages/iri...ris_rack.shtml

thanks again

[xdeus]

do i put the thermostat probe directly on the heat tape then.. which tub do i pick to put it under..

It's up to you as to where you want to place the probe. Most people tape it directly to the Flexwatt using aluminum duct tape (not the regular duct tape, but the stuff that is actually made out of aluminum). It doesn't matter which shelf you place the probe in. A digital thermometer will help you configure the thermostat. The thermostat might be set at 98F, but the tub with substrate will be considerably lower. There's plenty of room to play with and no exact formula.

BTW, the ABreptiles rack will work fine. You may want to contact someone over there to see if they have any additional comments for that design.

[phantommaggot]

my substrate will be a layer of newspaper..

ill probably start work on my rack tomorrow depending on my time..

and if its not too expensive ill finish it thursday or saturday

ill take pics of the whole process and post it.. if my camera will work..

im def gonna make it so i can stack another one on it, cause ill be in the market for large females in a few weeks.. unless my car just costs way too much to fix (deer = $$ )

thanks again

does anyone have a recommended website to order flexwatt, and a thermostat from?

[kavmon]

www.thebeanfarm.com alot of supplies, thermostats and flexwatt,etc.



vaughn

[Kilo]

www.mgreptiles.com