I’m thinking of switching from tanks and setting up a rack in a spare bedroom, and wondering how you all have found best success for managing tub temps in room temp environments. Thanks!
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Room temp really doesn’t have effect on the rack temps.
Now let me clarify. You can set the rack to the correct temperature no matter what the room temp is like. This just means the rack might not need to be set to run very much if the room if hot. If the room is cold, the rack will have to run more to keep the temps up.
If you are switching from a tank to a rack, you will find that the rack will be mich easier to keep temps set correctly and also the humidity will be easier to control.
If building a rack, you can use heat tape, either a strip per shelf or looped from shelf to shelf. Either way will work.
I hope this answers your question.
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Yeah, that’s definitely helpful, thank you.
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What @d_y_python said.
I would just add, for a cold room, the type of rack affects how easily correct temperatures are reached and how powerful the heating needs to be.
An metal rack open on all sides is harder to heat than a chip board (melamine) one that is covered on all but one side.
And welcome to the community 
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Also, to help the therapist not work too hard, if you use PVC or melamine, you can insulate the open areas by covering them with foam board.
And welcome to the community! We’re glad you’re here!
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Awesomene, thank you both! Some good points to think about, for sure. I was just wondering a bit ago about blocking the sides and back of a metal rack, so thank you for that tip! Do you all have any suggestions on a good rack that is versatile on tub size? I don’t plan on getting a ton of additional snakes, so it would be nice if, at least for now, I could find something to accommodate 5-10 of various weights without having to break the bank getting several different racks. Thank you again!
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Agree with @ascended & @gina5678
@billym to save money and if you are a little handy, you could make one.
Get a shelving unit (size and number of shelves you could choose)
You can get heat tape, thermostat and connectors from “the bean farm”
Then pick up some storage bins from target.
(You can use any size of bins you want and swap them out as needed.)
Line the back of each shelf with the heat tape.
Drill 1/4" holes in the bins
And you can enclose the sides if you need to.
In place of a shelving unit, you could use a book shelf so less work will need to be done.
Here is an old setup that i made. I put the heat on the ends, but it can also be put along the back. I had it setup for 2 sizes, but i would put the heat on back for smaller bins so i could place them side by side. (For like hatchling bins)
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I know reptile basics make some racks that can hold multiple sizes. I don’t know if they go big enough for a full grown ball though. Pretty sure it is more for juveniles and subadults
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Thanks, @d_y_python ! That’s super helpful and bean farm is an awesomene resource that I didn’t know about. I wouldn’t mind building one myself, and that’s an awesome set up to model. I’ll have to decide; it may be more effective for me personally to buy one. I built a stand for a 40 breeeder recently, figured it would cost $150 or so, but overthought and overbuilt it so badly that it finished at $300 or more. It turned out awesome, but I’d have been better off just buying one, for sure. Logar, I’ve looked at those, as well and I don’t think they would, either. Do any of you have any experience with Vision racks? I was kicking around the V70 set up for now, since it can take the V35 tubs sideways as well, and the heat cable set up seems pretty handy.
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Both C Serpents and Black Box have racks that fit multiple different tubs in the same slot
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I have 3 shelving units similar to the one in @d_y_python’s post only they have 5 shelves and I think his has 6?
Anyway my units came from Amazon for 66 bucks and change each. And they are on wheels….
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Awesomene, thank you both! I probably will end up building a set myself, but ended up ordering a combo rack from C Serp and will probably pick up a V70 from Black Box. Thanks for the suggestions @ballornothing!
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