# Rack not getting hot enough



## Jamie8488 (Aug 26, 2020)

I have just built a hatchling rack and am struggling to get it hot enough in the tubs I’m just reaching 25.8-26 on the warm end , I have used 100 w heat cord , two routed lines under each tub 50 mm apart , any suggestions


----------



## Sdaji (Aug 27, 2020)

How are you measuring the temperatures?


----------



## Herpetology (Aug 27, 2020)

Try putting a piece of thin board onto the back or sides of rack, but I can’t see why you’d be struggling

100w cable should easily be reach 40-50 without a thermostat

Also a little tip, use foil tape over the top of both rows, it’ll hold the heat and spread it throughout the tape


----------



## Jamie8488 (Aug 27, 2020)

Sdaji said:


> How are you measuring the temperatures?


Hey mate, measuring the temperature through a thermometer with the probe inside the tub
[doublepost=1598491446,1598491110][/doublepost]


Herptology said:


> Try putting a piece of thin board onto the back or sides of rack, but I can’t see why you’d be struggling
> 
> 100w cable should easily be reach 40-50 without a thermostat
> 
> Also a little tip, use foil tape over the top of both rows, it’ll hold the heat and spread it throughout the tape


Hey mate , yeah I will try the thin board at the back , but agree that it should be reaching the temps easily with the 100w cable


----------



## Wokka (Aug 27, 2020)

Looks to me like you are wasting a lot of heat without sides of back enclosed. the temperature achieved will depend upon the ambient temperature.


----------



## Jamie8488 (Aug 27, 2020)

Wokka said:


> Looks to me like you are wasting a lot of heat without sides of back enclosed. the temperature achieved will depend upon the ambient temperature.


I didn’t think it would be a issue as it rack is in a room where there are 7 other enclosures and the room itself sits in the 20’s


----------



## rupertbernoulli (Aug 27, 2020)

Are the tubs flat bottomed? or slightly raised?


----------



## Jamie8488 (Aug 27, 2020)

rupertbernoulli said:


> Are the tubs flat bottomed? or slightly raised?


Slightly raised 8mm or so


----------



## Sdaji (Aug 27, 2020)

Try putting the probe on the bottom of the tub, where a snake might sit, and put an object (a bag of peanuts or whatever) on top of it. This will give you a better idea of the temperature a snake in that spot will get to.

To be bluntly honest, the choice of tubs as well as your rack design are... less than ideal.


----------



## Herpetology (Aug 27, 2020)

Yes you want flat tubs that sit flat on the cord, sistema are a good choice or big W have some good tubs 7-40L


----------



## Jamie8488 (Aug 27, 2020)

Sdaji said:


> Try putting the probe on the bottom of the tub, where a snake might sit, and put an object (a bag of peanuts or whatever) on top of it. This will give you a better idea of the temperature a snake in that spot will get to.
> 
> To be bluntly honest, the choice of tubs as well as your rack design are... less than ideal.


Yeah will do, first rack so will take note for the next one , thanks for the insight


----------



## Kyle Hamilton (Aug 27, 2020)

100 watt heat chord is max ,i used to use 80 watts chords for young womas and bhps .The thermostats generally just measure air temp ,snakes go under layers of papers or similar in the bottom and when they curl on the part with the chords under they will get what heat they need.You dont really want the actual air temperature getting too warm anyway.Ive got some little diamonds at the moment with 9 watt heat chords consistent ,they dont eat which is normal ,next month when warmth is more consistent they will start to feed again.


----------



## Kaiwei (Aug 27, 2020)

Hi! 
Covering the back will not raise your temperatures remarkebly...
Tubs have to sit directly on the heatsource. 
Are you measuring the temps on the bottom plastic or is there some kind of substrate inside?


----------



## Herpetology (Aug 27, 2020)

https://www.bigw.com.au/product/brilliant-basics-clear-storage-container-15l/

These are the tubs im using for my 8mth coastals


----------



## Kyle Hamilton (Aug 28, 2020)

All i use for racks is the big wire racks they sell at bunnings ,the type that has five shelfs is good underbed storage containers ,the type where the bars go toward the wall and you can put the heat chords under and over ,works a dream and when done with them they have tools on em in the garage.


----------



## Bluetongue1 (Aug 29, 2020)

IMO your problem stems from the ‘feet’ on your plastic containers and the 8 mm gap that produces. The effect of this is the cord has to heat the air first and then the warmed air has to carry that heat up to the base of the container. Problem is, warm air rises. So what I would say is happening is that a convection current of warm air is establishing, taking heat out and upwards at the back of the containers and drawing cooler air in from the front and sides. You would likely be able to feel this with your hand once the heat cord has been on for a while. Alternatively, use the smoke from an incense stick to check it out. This is where I reckon you are losing most of your heat. To fix it, you need to eliminate this air movement. This is why it was recommended that the heat cord should to be in contact with the base of the containers (Kaiwei, Herptology, rupertbernoulli).

A cheap and easy way to solve this problem is to use several thicknesses cardboard (from boxes and glued together) or 8 mm thick Styrofoam sheeting, to hold the heat cord up against the base of the containers. Use strips of about 10 to 15 mm wide and just long enough to allow for the back feet on the containers to pass either side of them. The heat cord between each strip will also need to be taped down to let the back feet pass over them. Partially recess the cords into the cardboard or Styrofoam so they just sit a little proud, and hold them in place with aluminium tape as suggested by Herptology. Try this on just one container first and see how you go - I’d be interested to know. Then results might be surprising.

As best I can ascertain from the photo, the inside bottom surface has a channel around the edges. If this is not the case and the internal base is entirely flat, then there is another and even better potential solution. Simply cut off the feet of each container. A hacksaw or small cutting wheel would do the trick, with a bit of sand papering to give a neat finish.


----------

