Reptile & Amphibian Forums

When you build a rack does the heat tape have to be under the box or can it be in back? I know they require belly heat but i think ron tremper uses it in the back and i found a web site on how to build one really cheap but the heat tape is in the back. And if you use it in the back how big(3",4",11" would you reccommend for sweater boxes. And how did all of you build your racks and approx. how much did it cost. The web site i found approxamated $45.00 and that seems kind of low. I already have 2 dimmers and can get more and have 6 digital thermometars. Tell me wich direction to go! I have already been to the bean farm and they seem to have the best prices.

Thanks so much for reading this and for all your help in the past.

Rachel

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If you don't like my geckos....you won't like me!

Rachel, Ron Tremper used 3 inch tape underneath - not on the back. I asked him personally about this.

I built racks with 11 inch heat tape in the back and it works fine. That being said, if I were to do it again - I would buy 3 inch tape, and run it underneath, cut slots on the ends and snake it through the levels. You will get more even heat from top to bottom.

If you want to put it in the back - use 11 inch and use foil wrapped foam insulation as a sandwich (glue the heat tape to the insulation - then put the pegboard on the back of that.

I did that with mine, and have much better heat managemnt from top to bottom.

Good luck Rach.
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Monte Meyer
Updated Powergeckos
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Mealworms . . . .you can't eat just one

I'm pretty sure heating from the back is fine. As long as you have some sort of way to trap the heat, by a rock or clay pot inside the sweater box, it will be under-belly heat. I'm personally setting my juvi rack up like this, using two (or more) dimmers to control 10 shelves on the rack. But the more dimmers the better for exact temp regulation. I'm going to use the 6 quart rubbermaids for my juvies, and heat with the 11 inch tape, which would cover 2 levels per strip. I would say do what ever is cheapest (3" 4" 11" or easiest to wire. My racks were free, cuz I used wood I got from carpentry class, so I'm unsure of how much it'll cost for supplies. Look down the list, someone just recently posted pics and instructions of building a rack, which looks very nice. Look for the name of who posted it and direct questions to him/her, since they did such a nice job.
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