Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So I've decided to tear my rack down down. I don't like it. I started having my doubts when it was close to finished and now that it's done..I don't like it. An 8' run was stupid. Why didn't anybody tell me? In any case. When I finish it for the second time I'll have some wood leftover. I was thinking about making an incubator out of that, the heat tape and the reflectix. My question is if anybody has any expierence with reflectix in a high humidity setting such as an incubator. I was thinking about lining the inside of a box with it to trap every bit of heat inside as possible. I suppose afterwards I can line it with something else to seal it. Any ideas?

I already replied to your e-mail, but I'll answer the question here as well.

Reflectix is an approved moisture barrier so I'm guessing it will work. Make sure to seal all the edges with foil tape and allow plenty of time for the adhesive on that tape. I don't think you'll need to seal it with anything else.

>>An 8' run was stupid. Why didn't anybody tell me?

When you first posted on this forum I was under the impression that the basic shell of the rack was already built. Did not seem worth mentioning it was too big at that point.

At any rate, let us know what your plan is with the remaining material and we can give you advice. No sense to rebuild it more than once.

Don't sweat it, it's happened to me...

I was in the process of building a unique rack design for venomous many years ago. About halfway into the project I realized the idea was horrible and scrapped it.

Part of the wood became a bearded dragon cage. I litteraly did not have to make one cut, even the frame for my false ceiling.

The secure door for the rack became the door for a hatchling rack.

The rest of the wood was used to built just a "normal" rack for the hots and all I had to build was a secure door that locked to the front.

What I'm getting at is that these things have a way of working themselves out.
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Current snakes:

0.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.3 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

3.3 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black & Tan)

I left something important out...

Reflectix is an approved moisture barrier so I'm guessing it will work. Make sure to seal all the edges with foil tape and allow plenty of time for the adhesive on that tape to offgass.

The adhesive on that tape has a pretty strong solvent. Makes sense given some of the things that stuff is designed to stick to. It can really stink when first applied.
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Current snakes:

0.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.3 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

3.3 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black & Tan)

Chris,

Funny how some of those design ideas just don't pan out. One of past cage building ideas was scrapped almost as soon as it was created. It has been given new life as a spray booth for my fiance's model horse custom painting business. The only thing else it needs are some fluorescent fixtures and a ventilation fan. You're right though, most of this stuff has a way of working out. I routinely scrap older cage designs and save the various pieces of acrylic [always been a big fan of acrylic], screen, latch mechanisims, etc. It's gonna be a bear moving all that junk in a few months.
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Matt Campbell
Animal Keeper, Small Mammal/Reptile House
Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago, Illinois

Assistant Curator
Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, Illinois