Are there individual shelves available for those units Mike? The way that they design those storage shelving units you really need shelves top to bottom irregardless of the spacing for rigidity and, you need the spacing closer together to accomodate the tub height.
Yes, I've seen the vision cages. I have a friend who has all four walls of his two-car garage covered with visions stacked 3 high. Needless to say, he is a breeder/dealer.

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Fran
January 9, 1940 - June 1, 2006 (R.I.P)

You can build it so that the shelves are as close or as far apart as you need - in one inch increments.

Here is how somone else did their flexwatt:



I would run the flex on the right side of the shelf (Front to Back) instead of left to right along the back. That would save money on the flexwatt, and give more of a gradient for the snakes. I would have to use metalic tape then, but that is not a big deal.

Oh, and I would only need to cut the lip off the the front of the shelves. The side and rear lip would act to keep the tub from going too far back or side to side.

Isn't necessity a wonder. It will make constructors of some of us. (And destructors of some. )

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Fran
January 9, 1940 - June 1, 2006 (R.I.P)

We have two racks Knox - a smaller one with plastic tubs measuring approx 18" x12" for the baby Royals, younger Colubrids (Corns and King snake) and the baby boas. Our larger rack holds tubs around 2.5ft x 2ft which currently house our adult Corns, our adult King, our adult male Royals and our sub-adult Rainbow Boas. The only thing the tubs lack are masses of height - so we make sure we don't house arboreal snakes in there. For the species we house in these tubs they are perfect.

We heat the racks with heat cable, which winds throughout each section to heat each enclosure. For the snakes requiring higher temps - e.g. the Royals - we double the heat cable up and for the Colubrids and Rainbows we keep the cable singular and set a thermostat up to suit the temp requirements of the cooler species. The cable keeps the temps perfectly and they get light from the natural photoperiod coming in from the window opposite.

I like these tubs more than wooden and glass enclosures for some species because they are easily cleaned, more hygenic and hold the humidity well for the species that need it. The tubs provide plenty of moving space for the snakes, and of course they get exercise when they are handled (or bathed much to the dislike of the Blood Python!!)

For most species we use paper as substrate; again it is easily cleaned, cheap and hygenic. Because most of the snakes are housed separately this also makes feeding easier and we can just put the food in each tub and check again the next morning. For those with other substrate - aspen bedding/eco-earth.. - we either feed in a separate tub or we cover the floor with paper at feeding time so that ingestion and impaction cannot take place. All in all it works very well.

Ideally we would like a Pro-Racks system - but we need to save the pennies for a while before we can afford that!

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"If you know everything you may as well blow your brains out because the reason for existence is to learn more everyday." - Mark O'Shea, 2004

It is a totally different mindset going form display enclosure to rack system, isn't it? Racks are much less expensive and so space efficient! I never thought I would need a rack, but my tanks occupy 4 rooms in the house - much to my wife's dismay.

Fran, the construction (destruction) comment is right on. I, too, look at just about every "box" I see and wonder what it would take to make an enclosure out of it.

I will have one display tank for my Black Rat - who loves to climb. My others (corns and 1 dekay at this time) will be in the rack.

I am really excited about the rack system. It will be nice having them all in one place.

Bitis, thank you for your input. That is more info I can put into my "library" file on my computer.

Keeping in mind that I have NO experience with the heat tape I have a couple of questions on your plan. Will you not be losing a lot of your heat to radiation out the bottom of the rack? Also where the tape is crossing the single cross rods will this not create a wear point and quickly rub the insulation from the heat tape where the contact with the metal shelf would create a shock danger? It looks to me like you might be better off laying a thin peice of plywood or other flat material on top of the shelves.
Just a couple of thoughts.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

That's a great idea! Thanks for the suggestion. This is why I gave myself a month to plan - it keeps changing (for the better).

Even a piece of thin painted paneling with metalic tape on top of the paneling and UNDER the heat tape so as to reflect the heat up.

How does that sound?

That sounds much more functional to me.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Not a problem Knox, any more info you need just ask. I will try and post some pics of our racks later - Joe built them so he can offer more of the building and practical advice.

Oh just a thought... even with the two racks our reptiles are in 3 of our 5 rooms - having a rack just means you have more room for more herps!

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"If you know everything you may as well blow your brains out because the reason for existence is to learn more everyday." - Mark O'Shea, 2004

Don't tell my wife that just yet .