Got a few people that have VE racks and herpstats that hopefully can chime in but I would be concerned about placement of the probe in relation to contact of the heat tape and the heat tape in contact in relation to the bottom of the tub where the tempt probe is in order to resolve the problem that you have to run it at 101 to get a tub temp of 86. That is a drastic amount of thermal loss and I know for a fact that PP (what RBI tubs are made of) are not that good insulating materials.

For example... I have an RBI cage and a herpstat 2 along with THG heat tape. The inside of the PVC (same material as the VE rack) is only 2 degrees cooler than the probe temp reached by being in direct contact with the heat tape. If you add in the layer for the tub, it should not be more than a 5-6 degree variation depending on contact of tub to tape. This brings in line with having the heat tape at 95. Should get he tub at 90. Should not have to raise it to 101.

Just as a question... surface of substrate temps are not that important, snakes can push and burrow to get to heat so inside bottom of tub is all really that matters. Just making sure the 86 temp is just read from the tub bottom and that 86 is not just substrate temp.


Hopefully someone can help to get placement perfect to get temps right.