Hello hope everyone’s having a great weekend! I was going to build myself a rack system but work/school has been way too busy recently. I got a few recommendations for reptile basics rack systems and was wondering if anyone here has had any experiences with them. I’m most concerned about how well the heating tape works that it comes with. If you have any input id love to hear! Thanks.
https://www.reptilebasics.com/reptile-rack-systems/vivarium-electronics-ve-6-rack/
I Have a good amount of reptile basic racks in my collection. Mind you though my racks are probably about 12 years old at this point and still work great.
awesome, and their heating element are consistent and keep the tubs warm enough?
yeah i haven’t had any issues. They have changed the design some since i got mine though.
thanks for the input. I think I need to go for the model with the closed sides for heat. What thermostat do you recommend? it only needs to be for 6 layers if that changes things.
i use herpstats from spydr robotics pretty much on everything i have.
I have a few of the newer style Reptile Basics racks, just got them last year. I have to say that like them a lot better than the melamine racks I bought them to replace. They aren’t as bulky and heavy, keep consistent temperatures well, and come with some nice features. Overall I’m very happy with them and will probably order more in the future.
I have a VE-6 and VE-2 running on a Vivarium Electronics 200 thermostat, in a basement that stays in the 72 degree range. It provides a hot spot of 90 with the cool end down around 74/76 degree range. That is with the thermostat set to 94. In other words, they are great racks that do a good job.
We have 4 VE-6 racks and just ordered/received 2 of their newer super 70 racks, which required assembly, but accept tubs like the freedom breeder cupholder style, which we intend to use.
The casters they sell are worth buying for ease of moving the racks when necessary, and the work tables are convenient when stacking racks.
Reptile Basics has a nice backorder wait, but it’s worth it. Their customer service is amazing.
I run a digital thermostat of lower quality just as a learning curve, their own thermostats are far superior and I plan to shell out the money for the VE thermostats very soon. The accuracy of the VE thermostat on my incubator is pinpoint. My lower quality thermostats are set all the way to 105° just to achieve 89° readings in the tubs.
The heat tape is working very well.
Stackable with a design you can trust. I am a very satisfied customer of theirs.
im glad to hear you like them! I found a smaller company called lonestar reptile racks I may end up going with just because im in a time crunch at the moment
If the Lonestar racks come with the tubs they aren’t badly priced. Reptile basics are 2 months wait on racks. I have a ve 6 open sided(bought used), and a ve 2 closed. The real advantage is the 3 tub combo system. Also their tubs, freedom breeder or vision tubs. Are better than iris, steralite or hefty tubs.
I have a super 70 and 3 ve6 which are stacked. As long as you have a high quality thermostat the heat tape works great, unfortunately, I don’t consider the ve line of thermostats to be that good. I currently have one ve 200 hooked to one rack and a herpstat 4 to the other racks and my incubator. The herpstat is just more accurate and has more options, plus the probe wire is too thick and clunky especially when routing it through the channel they route in to keep it below the level of the tub.
My only real complaint about the racks is I wish they were 3/4" instead of 1/2" thick pvc. When you stack 2 or more there is some wracking to them. Don’t get me wrong I’m not worried about them coming apart, they are very solid I’ve had to move them several times and dis so with no problems. It’s just the only bad, albeit extremely picky, thing I can say about them.
As far as the wait time they are worth it, usually delivered ahead of schedule, and nowhere near as bad as say, animal plastics.