Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm building a rack system to be located in my basement. Ambient room temperatures are about 68 degrees (F) this time of year.
Do those rack users with similar ambient room temperatures find it necessary to add additional tape to the front area of the rack to maintain ambient temps inside the sweater boxes between 80-85 degrees (F)?

Thanks

Yeah, 68F isn't going to be enough. Not even with 11 inch heat tape. I find that a room temp. of 80F allows me to use heat tape down the back of the racks.

I use a rack system with a space heater. I am in San Diego, so only use the space heater at night in the winter, but it works well.

Dave

Hi, in my snake room, i got racks and tanks and i run a space heater with a room temp of 80 degrees. This way, UTH and heat tape keep my cool side at about 84 degrees and hot at about 90 degrees. Thanks... JAZ

My basement is about as cool as yours. I have two racks that seem to work ok but the one I like better is a melamine one with 11" heat tape down the back. It's a fairly tight fit with two side by side tubs per shelf and there are two 11" heat tape strips, one behind each column of tubs. There's a pretty good gradient in the tubs due to the low background temp but the rack holds in a lot of heat due to having ¾” melamine all the way around and only the small front edge of the tubs exposed (I would not think this would work as good with the tubs turned sideways).

My other rack is more of a stick framework with only some fiberboard around part of the tubs and it doesn't hold in the heat as well resulting in probably more of a gradient that I would like (too hot over the heat tape and too cool in the front).

So I think one alternative to heating your whole basement is a tight well insulated rack system. I'm thinking of trying the hollow core door idea for my next rack (to replace the one I don’t like as well) since the melamine one is sooo heavy. Anyone have experience on the insulating characteristics of the hollow core doors? I’m wondering if I should blow them full of foam before plugging up the ends while repairing the cuts.

Sure you can heat your whole basement but if that isn't very cost effective for you a well-insulated rack may compensate.

Randy,

Thanks for the reply. In my case, heating the whole basement wouldn't be very cost effective. A well insulated rack would be a more effective idea. I've kinda slapped together a single sweater box rack using 1/2 in. plywood, to test heating solutions before I build the larger version. In the my test rack, the sweater box is turned sideways (to save space) exposing the longer edge to the room's ambient temperature. Maybe a strip of 11" flexwatt along the front edge will boost the ambient temperature in the front? I could also glue rigid foam insulation on the outside of my test rack to see if that helps the temps.
Regarding hollow-core doors, I've had to re-size them in the past, and found them pretty easy to pull apart and re-size or insulate. However, a better idea may be to just buy the Luan plywood and 1x1 lumber and size your own insulated system.

Bob

The single sweater box might not be a good test due to edge effects, especially with only 1/2 inch thick plywood. There really seems to be an effect of the shelves helping to heat each other and the bottom shelf is always tricky. On my next rack I plan to use 11" down the back and bring it several inches under the bottom shelf and also be sure to have legs to keep the bottom shelf up off the cement floor a bit.

I was worried about not providing enough gradient with the boxes sideways and if you put a 2nd strip under the front then you will pretty much have tape under the entire tub, right? How long of a tub are you talking about here? If there is anyway you can put it in so that only a short edge is on the outside that might be best. I know that makes for a deep rack in the case of the 3' tubs so I was also thinking of putting them sideways also.

Randy,

The type of box I'm using is a Rubbermaid model that is approx. 42" x 19" x 6.25 ". It originally had some small wheels on the bottom, but I removed those.
I agree, more shelves would probably help boost the temps and I'll keep that in mind. I think I'll try the 11" flexwatt across the front and measure the temp. gradient. I think if I can dial that down to 80-82 my ambient temps inside the tubs will be good and I will still maintain a gradient from front to back.

I'll let you know.

Bob

Cool, that would make a rather deep rack. Hard to pull out. I see why you want to go sideways.

Maybe you could have doors on either side that swing out and cover a foot or so at each end of the sideways box so that when closed you only have a space in the middle open to room air (and light).

That's a great idea! Funny you should mention that, I was thinking today of someway of decreasing the exposure of that long side to the ambient room temperature. As well a providing the BP with a little more security.