I have been looking at hatchling racks lately pricing plastic ones and weighing the option of building my own melamine ones. I have noticed that 'Back heat' is a popular feature. I know my snakes with belly heat like to burrow and lay on the plastic and i try to keep it around 85 for them. I have never measured ambient air temps as i use a temp gun. I understand how belly heat works. I understand how a basking light works. What i dont understand is how 'back heat' works. Does it raise the ambient air temp up on one side of the tub? How do you measure the temps? Im assuming you would have to run the heat tape hotter than you would for belly heat or am i wrong? I use rheostats to control the temps. Someone please explain this to me. Thanks!
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Backheat on a rack
johnthebaptist
Feb 28, 2011 10:09 PM
Replies (1)
markg
Mar 01, 2011 02:36 PM
Actually it ends up the same principle. Back heat radiates heat to the air in an enclosed space, which in turn heats the plastic tub material and substrate at the back of the box. The snake buts up against the back of the box and heats up.
That is, unless the air in the room is too cold, or the rack is too open and much of the heat escapes.
Back heat works best when the ambient air temp in the room is not too cold. My own opinion is that the ambient air temp should be no cooler than your desired cage temp at the back minus 15 deg F. This is a guideline, not a hard and fast rule. So if you are trying to get 90 deg at the back, better have 75 deg ambient temp at least. Obviously there are variables involved that can change things up. Heater wattage, how insulated the rack material is, etc.
The best approach with back heat is to have the tubs as close as possible to the heater, and the rack as enclosed as possible to avoid too much heat loss from the inside of the rack. So make it so the tubs slide in the long way front to back. Also, insulate the outside back of the rack if the room is cool.
These are guidelines. Ultimately, your particular conditions will dictate what the results will be. Bottom line: If your room is cold, belly heat is best.
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Mark
