Rack Questions

[mebigbadbrat]

I have decided to go to a rack system instead of doing all these tanks. I have five BPs ranging from 100-2200 grams in different tanks at the moment. I am looking into getting a rack system with the 41 qt tubs but I am not sure what I am doing. New to the rack system. I have found a few used ones in excellent shape on CL around my home area.

One is a 41 qt ten tubs high with flex watt wired into it. It is home made and doesn't come with a thermostat but the guy is getting out of the business and will do a deal if I take his last normal girl who is 3000 grams empty (and from how I understood that was her size before she was bred this season). He wants 250 as the deal or 150 for just the rack. He will include ten 41 qt tubs plus lids even though the rack does not require lids on the tubs while placed.

The second one is from a member on here and I love the set up but the tubs are 32 qt so I am not sure if I should consider them right now but have four tubs with a thermostat and wired in flex watt. For 250.

On apcages.com I like 1860/1960 under sterilite or even the CB70 with 6 or 4 tubs at 41 qt.

But then I liked this one: http://boamaster.com/products/41_QT_...PVC-139-7.html

I am worried about price along with the ones from AP cages and Boa Master to be too open on the sides. The home made one is open on the sides too though. Then again I like the idea of being able to see them all in their set up.

I do not want to spend hundreds of dollars on a set up but want something nice. What do you all think?

I am mainly after a rack for space, to help with humidity issues and as later on I plan on getting another snake or two when money is no longer an issue.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks
nichole

[youbeyouibei]

I would steer clear of Boamaster, personally. There have been numerous reviews of their lack of customer service and overall quality (or lack thereof) of their products. Here's a link if you want to read further:

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...archid=2559192

As to a homemade unit: I'd be pretty leery of that, personally. Depending on what it's made of and how well constructed it is, it might be more hassle than it's worth if it's wired incorrectly or built out of plumb/square, etc. There's nothing wrong with a used rack that was professionally built (and some homemade ones are just fine too, but those are sometimes few and far between); just be sure to sterilize everything if you buy used. That isn't to say the person you're buying it from didn't take care of it, just better safe than sorry is all. IF you pick that one, I'd recommend a bleach/water solution and treatment with Provent A Mite (PAM) in case of mites and scrub it down as much as you can. Mites are a pain and if you can head them off at the pass BEFORE you get an outbreak, all the better. The second option, from the BP.net members, sound like a decent deal. Some of your costs if you buy a rack without tubs will be in finding the tubs to fit it and that can add up fairly quickly if you have a multiple-tub setup, so if those are included, that isn't a bad deal at all. Again, just make sure to sterilize everything before you use it or put your animals in anything.

I have two AP racks currently; a 1755 (I think; 32 quart Sterilite size) 9-slot rack and an 8-slot hatchling rack. I also have a 12-slot CB-70 rack on order that should be shipping in the next few weeks. AP racks are top-notch in my opinion and are built like tanks. They aren't cheap but if you think you'll stay in the hobby for the long-term, they might be worth looking into from an investment point of view. Any rack you use, open sides or not, will have to be in a climate controlled room unless your room/house stays within the proper range of temps for ball pythons. The Flexwatt is incapable of safely heating the tubs to the correct ambient temperatures without some type of supplemental heat, i.e.: baseboard heat, an oil filled heater, etc. unless you live in a relatively warm area that stays the proper temps year round. The Flexwatt primarily serves to create the hot spot, with the ambient air temperature in the rest of the room being set high enough to keep the ambient temp within the tubs at the correct level...if that makes sense at all, lol! The Economy Line of racks from AP are more affordable and every bit as good as their other ones. Just my two cents...hope it helps and good luck!

[mebigbadbrat]

Thanks! I am thinking of passing on the 41 qt ten tall. I was thinking about getting the 32 qt from a member on here but I have a big girl at 2200 grams who would be too big in the 32 qt. That is my main worry. I was even thinking about getting the 32 qt from her then getting a 41 qt online from AP in a few weeks. My big girl will just have to stay in her tank for awhile longer but then I feel like I am wasting money getting the 32 qt as 3 of the 5 snakes would be too big for the 32 qt before Christmas. =/

I even found one that is four 41 qt with tubs for 100 but doesn't have any flex watt or thermostat. How hard is it to add flex watt to a rack? What is the best thermostat to get for a rack? Would I need a probe for each tub? Would I need a thermometer for each tub too?

Sorry. The more I look the more questions I end up getting.

[mebigbadbrat]

Here are my snake sizes:
-2200 gram F Normal
-1300 gram F pastel
-1000 gram M Spider
-300 gram F Pastel hypo
-100 gram M albino

I am concerned about the 32 qt tubs not being big enough in the long run. I have had my oldest BP for 7 years. I was told if I do not use hides, they will be fine in the 32 qt.

I am leaning towards the 32 qt set up from her and then maybe around X-Mas getting a 41 qt. Oh the herp loving is pricey!

Now if I do this, can you hook up two racks to one thermostat?
Thanks again.

[youbeyouibei]

Thanks! I am thinking of passing on the 41 qt ten tall. I was thinking about getting the 32 qt from a member on here but I have a big girl at 2200 grams who would be too big in the 32 qt. That is my main worry. I was even thinking about getting the 32 qt from her then getting a 41 qt online from AP in a few weeks. My big girl will just have to stay in her tank for awhile longer but then I feel like I am wasting money getting the 32 qt as 3 of the 5 snakes would be too big for the 32 qt before Christmas. =/

I even found one that is four 41 qt with tubs for 100 but doesn't have any flex watt or thermostat. How hard is it to add flex watt to a rack? What is the best thermostat to get for a rack? Would I need a probe for each tub? Would I need a thermometer for each tub too?

Sorry. The more I look the more questions I end up getting.

Whew! I'll do my best to answer these as best I know and if I don't know, I'll say as much, lol! Here goes:

How large is your female that you think will be too big in the 32 quart tub? Balls like it close and tight; they live in termite mounds and rodent dens in their natural habitat so if it's close, that won't necessarily be a bad thing if the tub is a bit snug, so long as they have room to thermoregulate. If it were me, buy what you expect them to grow into and need, not what they will fit in right now. If the 41 quart tubs are too large, you can always clutter them up with loosely wadded newspaper and other items to make them "smaller" so they feel more secure. Don't settle on what works at the moment or you'll end up spending twice your money when you upgrade later. Flexwatt isn't hard to run/wire at all and if you know what length you want, you can e-mail or call Rich at Reptile Basics and tell him the length and he'll cut it to the length and wire it up for you for a very reasonable price. There are various sizes of Flexwatt (3", 4" and 11" are the three I'm familiar with) so make sure of what size you'll need before you make your order if you go that route. The four tub/41 quart rack for that price is excellent if it's a quality unit and not a crap-tastic design.

For a thermostat, I personally would go with a proportional unit: Helix, Ranco, Johnson, Herpstat, Vivarium are all known brands and good quality units. I have a Helix and it works fine...not my favorite thermostat but for the money (right at about $100), it does the job. For a little more money ($20-$30), you can get a Herpstat I. The Herpstats are awesome units and have several built-in safety features the Helix units don't. For the money, I'd go with the Herpstats. Those are what I have on my racks with the Helix being on my quarantine rack...and when it finally gives up the ghost and goes to the junkyard in the sky, I'll replace it with a Herpstat, lol! If you're on a budget, these are affordable and a decent entry level thermostat:

http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPR...ords=hydrofarm

You wouldn't need a probe for each tub; most people place the probe on the middle rack heat tape and tape it directly to the Flexwatt with aluminum heat tape (actual duct tape for heating/cooling ducts, NOT! the silver stuff that you might use to shut someone up by covering their mouth; not saying I've done that, just saying...). You would then want a hygrometer/thermometer combo unit for each of your tubs to keep an eye on the ambient temps and the humidity levels in each of your tubs. AccuRite combo thermometer/hygrometers are what most people use; they're $10 or $12 at Walmart and are usually in the lawn and garden or sometimes the tool/paint section of the store. They don't list them on the web-site so you'd have to go to the store if you wanted to pick those up.







Just saw your other post: yes, you could hook two racks up to the same thermostat with some things in mind:

You'd want two probes, one on each rack to monitor the temps of each rack and you'd have to make sure your thermostat was rated to cover the amount of power being drawn by the two racks (say you had 10 feet of 3" Flexwatt at 1 watt per foot; that equals 10 watts per rack, multiplied by two equals 20 watts total and if you have a 1000 watt thermostat...follow that at all?). The Herpstat 2 or 4 have multiple probe attachment points and would work for that scenario you mentioned.

- - - Updated - - -

Here's a sticky that might answer some of your questions and/or give you another perspective besides mine:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?139156-Vypyrz-Tub-Set-Up-The-Basics-*DUW*

[mebigbadbrat]

You have been tons of help.

My biggest that I was worried about is 2200 grams and a little longer than 4 ft but shorter than 4.5 ft. I think what I am going to do is go into a store and look at the containers. Put what sized water dish I would be using in there and see how I like it.

I do not think my 1000 and 1300 gram BPs will have to have a hide. Right now, they seem to be in the in between sizes of the large exo terra hides. After reading and doing research, I saw that a lot of people do not offer hides to the bigger snakes in a rack as the rack is dark enough to act as a hide.

I just want to make sure I have this correct:
-Each tub needs to have a hygrometer/thermometer combo so you can make sure each tub is good
-Need only one thermostat (helix, Johnson, etc) which will set the heat of the flex watt (basically control it so it doesn't go crazy)
-Disinfect and Prevent Mites Spray (to clean the used items)

Missing anything?