Questions for a new rack.

[JohnNJ]

Just to clarify, I never said the ambient temps in the tubs or tanks was 66-69. I said the room temp is 66-69 and it most certainly is in the winter. Sometimes lower.

I have found ways to increase the ambient temps in the enclosures using various heat sources and insulation. There's lots of good info on this site.

The point I was trying to make is that no one should be discouraged from keeping snakes because they can't heat an entire room to 80+ degrees. It would be easier but not everyone can do it.

[kitedemon]

I did not mean to be discouraging and in fact my room is tonight 67ºF and my racks temps are 90/80 and 83 ambient. It can be done it just isn't easy and that the simple answer is just to heat the room there is a reason why 90% of racks are in 80ºF rooms it is just simplicity. I would venture a guess you balanced a tank too so you didn't mist twice a day I know my tanks I rarely mist at all. I mist the rack more same thing it can be done it just isn't as easy as other options.

[mattb]

I did not mean to be discouraging and in fact my room is tonight 67ºF and my racks temps are 90/80 and 83 ambient. It can be done it just isn't easy and that the simple answer is just to heat the room there is a reason why 90% of racks are in 80ºF rooms it is just simplicity. I would venture a guess you balanced a tank too so you didn't mist twice a day I know my tanks I rarely mist at all. I mist the rack more same thing it can be done it just isn't as easy as other options.

I found the oppisite. When I had my male pastel in a tank before I got my female it was super hard to keep the temps up and I was misting 3 to 4 times a day. Now that I have them in the rack I am maybe misting once a day if that and my temps in the back are a solid 87 to 90 all the time. I just know that I am going to have to get them in bigger tubs within the next few months and I am working on getting more insulation in the room that they are in to get the heat in the room up a little.

[kitedemon]

glass vs a tub glass holds heat better if you heat both the glass with massive thermal mass will hold and spread heat out evenly and for longer. In room temps of 60 -70 that is a huge advantage.
Humidity is just a product of correct ventilation and water mass. It isn't easy but absolutely can be done. I just checked my records I used to mist my last upright tank (water is more accurate actually) every 3 weeks it held 30% over the room (my room average is 30% and it held 60%. All with out reducing air flow and ventilation. It just isn't as easy. The simple fact you have had problems proves the point. Cool rooms are a pain.

I still find tubs harder to deal with in my room temps, they loose heat unbelievably quickly. If the power goes out they will maintain in my rack for 20 min or less the last enclosure I have holds safe temps for 4 hours. The two tanks I use hold for 2-3 hours. I find the rack the most difficult to heat and maintain then the tanks then the purchased custom enclosures and my custom designed enclosures last. The rack blows in cool conditions it looses heat like crazy it is insulated but still needs proper ventilation and that causes the temps to tank. That it turn means secondary heating and by pass vents (air runs behind heat sources before entering the tubs) When the power fails it looses 8º in 15 min the other enclosures loose 8º in an hour and 15 min.