Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I currently have three Emory rat snakes and one ball python (all sub-adults). Two of the rats are housed in a Visionarium with a divider, while the others are in separate terrariums. As they get bigger I want to move to a rack system to save space. However, balls tend to like it about five degrees warmer on average (and not as cool at night) than North American rat snakes.

So, can the rats stand the slightly warmer environment, or do I need to make space (and budget) for two separate racks/thermostats? When they're all of breeding age I plan to have separate racks anyway, but I'm looking for a cost cutting transition to get me through the next year (unless of course it would jeopardize their health).
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1.0 Albino Emory Rat Snake (Shirako)
0.2 Het Albino Emory Rat Snake (Tsugiko & Kazumi)
1.0 Het Albino Ball Python (Kouki)
2.1 Children (Aidan, Ethan & Isabel)

>>I currently have three Emory rat snakes and one ball python (all sub-adults). Two of the rats are housed in a Visionarium with a divider, while the others are in separate terrariums. As they get bigger I want to move to a rack system to save space. However, balls tend to like it about five degrees warmer on average (and not as cool at night) than North American rat snakes.
>>
>>So, can the rats stand the slightly warmer environment, or do I need to make space (and budget) for two separate racks/thermostats? When they're all of breeding age I plan to have separate racks anyway, but I'm looking for a cost cutting transition to get me through the next year (unless of course it would jeopardize their health).
>>-----
>>1.0 Albino Emory Rat Snake (Shirako)
>>0.2 Het Albino Emory Rat Snake (Tsugiko & Kazumi)
>>1.0 Het Albino Ball Python (Kouki)
>>2.1 Children (Aidan, Ethan & Isabel)

What kind of rack system?In any case put your pythons at the top and your rats in the bottom.
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If lead paint is so deadly why do they make it so delicious?

>> What kind of rack system?In any case put your pythons at the top and your rats in the bottom.
>>

I was leaning toward a rack from RBI Plastics (the Iris 32qt sweaterbox rack and starting out with dividers in the trays). I suppose that I could order it with back heat, too, which would make the bottom rack a little cooler for the rat snakes (per your suggestion). When I can get a second rack (strictly for the balls) I can order it with belly heat. Thanks for helping me think through it!

Does anyone make a proportional thermostat that can control multiple racks at once (i.e., versus having to buy separate ones down the road)? If so, I'd still want to back up each rack with an on/off thermostat, right?
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1.0 Albino Emory Rat Snake (Shirako)
0.2 Het Albino Emory Rat Snake (Tsugiko & Kazumi)
1.0 Het Albino Ball Python (Kouki)
2.1 Children (Aidan, Ethan & Isabel)

>>Does anyone make a proportional thermostat that can control multiple racks at once (i.e., versus having to buy separate ones down the road)? If so, I'd still want to back up each rack with an on/off thermostat, right?
>>

Just to clarify my question...as I understand it, a good thermostat can handle 500 watts (maybe more?). A single rack might draw 60 watts, so in theory one thermostat could run multiple racks up to the wattage limit. My question revolves around whether or not you can set multiple temperatures for each rack you're controlling?

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>>1.0 Albino Emory Rat Snake (Shirako)
>>0.2 Het Albino Emory Rat Snake (Tsugiko & Kazumi)
>>1.0 Het Albino Ball Python (Kouki)
>>2.1 Children (Aidan, Ethan & Isabel)
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1.0 Albino Emory Rat Snake (Shirako)
0.2 Het Albino Emory Rat Snake (Tsugiko & Kazumi)
1.0 Het Albino Ball Python (Kouki)
2.1 Children (Aidan, Ethan & Isabel)