Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I put this in enclosure section of the forum but did not see much activity so I figured you guys could help. I just got my vision rack and am putting them together with a helix thermostat. I am using the heat cable that came with the v35's. On the end of the heat cable is the end of the cable that is fatter than the rest. Does that get hooked in to the bottom of the rack like the rest of the cable? Also with the helix, does the probe stay in the tub all the time? I am guessin it does in order to regulate the tub temps., but how do you get your tubs to fully close and have the helix probe in it at the same time? There must be a way to have it on the outside of your tubs so that one tub does not remain a bit open? Any ideas would help. Thank you

Put the probe under one of the tubs next to the heat cable. Use a thermometer inside one of the tubs to let you know how high to set the helix to give you the proper in cage temp. You do not want to have the probe in the tub. Too many bad things can happen. I don't have a vision rack, but I set all of my Herpstat's at 95 on my racks. This gives me a 92-93 degree in cage temp.
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John Vandegrift

We have multiple vision racks and we have done the heat cable relativly the same on them all. I started with the "fatter" end at the top of the rack. Right where the fatter piece ends and the cable thins out is where I ran the cable threw the peg board. It has never popped up or came out of place on any of the racks.
As for the probe on the Helix, we have some of the probes inside the tubs and some underneth the tubs. To put them inside we pulled the tub out, taped the probe to the floor of the tub and to the rear corner, and placed the tub back in. The tape was to insure that the snake would not move the probe away from the heat source. I haven't any issues with the tubs not closing. Just make sure the probe is located ontop of the hot spot. The other way we have set the probe is underneth the tub in the peg board slot, almost the same as the heat cable. The only differance in placing the probe under the tub instead of in the tub is that you should not let the probe touch the heat cable and you need to find a good distance from the heat cable to place the probe. If you place the probe to far away, the helix will work harder to get the temp. higher because it is away from the heat source. If you put the probe to close, it may heat up to fast and not get the entire rack to the temps you desire.
Sorry for the long reply. I dont believe one way is better than the other, it's what you feel more comfortable with.

Green Mountain Pythons

I drilled a hole, just large enough to slide the Helix probe through, in the back of one of the tubs-this way if I forget to remove the probe when sliding that tub out, it will not break, just pop out the back of the tub!

you can treat the fat end of the heat cable just like the rest-just make sure it is tucked down in a slot so as not to interfere with the free movement of the bottom tub.

Brad Chambers

where your heat cable runs. It says in the instructions not to let the probe tough the heat source. Put the probe about 4" away from your heat source, because heat gets trapped under the tub and the thermostat registers the temperature there and not inside the tub. Set your helix about 94, and check it every hour. You will have to set the temp on the thermostat higher than you want the temp in the cage. Eventually, you will get the thermostat set to where the temps in the cage are what you want. I have my helix at 96. I am also using aspen so there is a thick layer of bedding that the heat has to travel through. If you are using newspaper, I would think it would be less because you have less substrate. Play with it and you will get it right in a couple of hours, then no maintenance.

There are many different ways that will work, but the simplest solution (or the one that I like the best) is to put the end of the probe under the tub about a half an inch away from the heat cable, floating in the air between the tub and the black plastic panel.

I would put the probe about halfway in the middle of the rack (vertically speaking).

In conditions where your rack will tend to be cooler on the lower levels and warmer on the top levels, you can run a little more heat cable down low and a few less inches of cable up high and with the probe in the middle, you can achieve equal temps from top to bottom.

Give us a call if you have any more detailed questions.

A temp gun is a must to accurately determine the correct temp inside your tubs at the hot spot.

Can you email me Vision, I have a few more questions and a small problem with my shipment. Thank you