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Building your own rack system

Hey,

inspired by this thread I planned a rack for my hatchlings which I will build as soon as I have some extra place.
Until then I can show you only my current "rack". The size is 125*65*180cm.
The cages for the hatchlings are 30*65*40cm, the big one is 125*65*100cm
and in the ground I have the technics and some space for supplies.
tn_terrarium11.jpg

tn_terrarium13.jpg



My other one is a little bit taller, it is 125*65*205cm, it is divided into two cages. Both vivs are built with OSB wood anb on rolls so I can move it easily throug my flat.
terrawand1.jpg



End of this year I will move into a bigger flat, there I will have enough space to get some new vivs and real racks :)


Greets Nikki
 
Those look great! Looks like you spent a lot of time on them Nikki. Just one question, what is OSB wood?
 
Ahh....ok, sorry I'm not a carpenter by any means! Looks like a great cat viv tho!! Is the wood easy to attach to each other? Any special screws that you use?

Give me some 12g romex and I can go to town...but give me a piece of wood and I'm screwed.
 
Hey,

I used normal wood screws and angle to attach the wood together,
you can screw the wood directly together or just paste it with glue, but I
prefer angles so I might dismontage it when necessary.

OSB is very robust and cheap besides waterproof.

Nikki
 
DdotSpot said:
Ahh....ok, sorry I'm not a carpenter by any means! Looks like a great cat viv tho!! Is the wood easy to attach to each other? Any special screws that you use?

Give me some 12g romex and I can go to town...but give me a piece of wood and I'm screwed.
Click to expand...

I might sound stupid but whats romex? Like lubericant?
 
reptile_addict said:
I might sound stupid but whats romex? Like lubericant?
Click to expand...

Eeyow! Trust me, you don't want to use romex as a lubricant! :eek1:

Its that heavy metal flexible tubing you can run electical wire through.
 
Right now I only have one baby corn so I currently have no need for a rack, but when/if I get more corns and do have the need, then how do I attatch the heating tape?

Oh, and for now with just my aquarium tank, whats the best way to heat it?

and one more question: I read through this entire thread and kind of got the impression that the snake only requires one temp. When I read a book and talked to the people at the pet store they said to keep one end of my tank warm and one cooler all the time. So, is this true, or does the corn only require one temp all the time (and if so about what should it be?).

Thank you!
 
shorty_canadian said:
Right now I only have one baby corn so I currently have no need for a rack, but when/if I get more corns and do have the need, then how do I attatch the heating tape?
Click to expand...

It is tacked to the inside of the back panel. You can also run it along the back horizontal edge of the shelf.

shorty_canadian said:
and one more question: I read through this entire thread and kind of got the impression that the snake only requires one temp. When I read a book and talked to the people at the pet store they said to keep one end of my tank warm and one cooler all the time. So, is this true, or does the corn only require one temp all the time (and if so about what should it be?).
Click to expand...

These racks provide a warm side (back of the shelf) and a cool side (front of the shelf) just like your tank. :)
 
Just a quick question... sorry if it's been asked before.

Heat tape won't get hot enough to burn anything flammible (ie, wood) if something unspeakable were to happen, right? Only danger is the wiring?

And I suppose if it got hot would it be an immeadiate danger to snakes? Or it doe sit just not get THAT hot?

Thanks for your help!
 
thelyonsking said:
Eeyow! Trust me, you don't want to use romex as a lubricant! :eek1:
Click to expand...

RIGHT!!!!!!!


thelyonsking said:
Its that heavy metal flexible tubing you can run electical wire through.
Click to expand...
I believe that is called conduit...even the flexible kind...

Correct me if I am wrong, but Romex is preinsulated electrical wiring for commercial and residential applications...comes in indoor and outdoor grade...and was "invented" to not need conduit...which is why it is so nice...no bending and mounting all that galvanized pipe, just drill your holes and run your wires. It comes in various gauges (hence the 12g that Ddotspot requested)...and various wire numbers (2 strand (ungrounded), 3 strand (grounded), etc.)...
 
Yes Alias...your right on. Actually Romex is just the brand name of the preinsulated wiring, its kind of like Kleenex, you call all tissues kleenex. Yep 12 gauge wiring is standard for residential wiring.

Conduit is the tubing(metal or not) that is used for running wires or other mediums through.
 
DdotSpot said:
Actually Romex is just the brand name of the preinsulated wiring, its kind of like Kleenex
Click to expand...

Actually...I knew that too...LOL...just didn't want to confuse the issue any more...LOL
 
Vicki M said:
That is so sad :cry: Im glad the point came up as now we all know to stay clear of the stuff!
Click to expand...

Heat Tape wired up properly and connected to a Thermostat will not get hot enough to cause a fire. However, if your thermostat goes out, the wiring gets shorted or you don't under stand how to set it up, it can and will cause problems.

As far as staying away from Heat Tape, Give me a better way to heat cages/racks. UTH's will cause the same thing, basking lights put off more heat than heat tape and are a lot easier to knock over or come in contact with a curtin, a space heater is more likely to cause a fire than any of the above. The only other way I can think of is to set your central heat to keep the temp in the house such that the temp in the vivs are correct. then you are spending way too much money a month to heat a house to a temp that most humans will find uncomfortable.

The best way to heat a rack, and the most practiced way is to use heat tape. If you are worried about possible over heating, or fires, then just ask someone that knows what they are doing around electricity to install it for you.
 
Any of the good thermostats on the market anymore SHUTOFF when they malfunction...or the probe shorts...which virtually eliminates the chances of an overheat resulting in either a fire OR an animal being injured...heat tape is by far the best way to go...
And is easily controlled...

Hell a proportional thermo or even just a rheostat will keep the tape from getting hot enough to burn ANYONE...
 
Doh! Now that you say that about Romex, I remember now...

Sheesh, with a best friend electrician and bro-in-law electrician you'd think I'd know better!
 
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