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Making Rack

3K views 39 replies 8 participants last post by  Jordan B 
#1 ·
Hi everyone.
I'm planning on building a rack for my frogs (and ones I will get :twisted: )and I need some advice. What works, what doesn't, what should I use, etc. It would be a small rack with 8-10 of FCA's tanks. What lights should I use, and where do I get them? What misting system should I use (It will be in my room so it needs to run very quietly)? How can I economically do this :) ? I want all the tanks to have drainage. How much do you think I could do this for. All ideas and suggestions would be great! Thanks.

Jordan
 
#2 ·
I would light them with shoplights, I use T-12's but I think Scot has had good luck with T-8's. I have one over my pumilio tank and the fireballs have colored up nicely under regular ge 40 watt bulbs. For drainage I would have paul install bulkheads and run piping into a 5 gallon bucket to collect all the water. As for a misting system I think they are unneccesary, I use a pump up sprayer, one used for pesticides with a 1 gallon tank, I bought it brand new and has never been used for anything besides spraying water. I can mist all my tanks and froglet boxes in 20 minutes.
 
#4 ·
Buy the 3 foot wire racks (about $35 bucks). The way Paul is designing the cubes you'll be able to get 3 on each shelf (for a total of 9).

The T8 shoplights cost a little more, but are MUCH higher quality than T10 (normal shoplights) and put out up to 45/50% more light.

s
 
#6 ·
Thanks for all the replys. Scott, where can I get the t-8 shoplights, and geckguy where do you get the bulbs? Wouldn't there be an issue with overheating if i use the shoplights? Jared, I have been drooling over Marty's setup, but I don't think I want to spend that much money. I think it might make sense for me to have six tanks, not 8 or 10.

Jordan
 
#8 ·
I am not sure if they sell the t-8 bulbs in bulk packs but they should, they are usually a good deal cheaper. I have been using the t-12's since my dad bought a new shopping plaza and one of the storage rooms had lots of shelving, and tons of t-12 shoplights and he didnt have a use for them so I was able to get as many as I needed. But I may check out the t-8s if they produce more light. Scott, do the t-8 bulbs fit in any shoplight or does it have to be a t-8 shoplight?
 
#10 ·
Just a small plug for the Sams club shelves over lowes. I have 1 4ft from each and the Sams club ones are $71 rather than $77 and can hold 600lbs a shelf over 300. I will say they are much more sturdy. After helping Quality Captives out and seeing some of the ones they had, I had to get one to try it out.

The lowes ones work just fine, but will start bowing a little under a bit of weight.

Oh ya the sams one also comes with back stops so you can put containers and etc on them without pushing them off the back.

The lights tad is talking about are great and you can find them at Home Depot. Make sure to get the Daylight bulbs.
 
G
#11 ·
Do the ones at sam's club come in black? The ones at Lowes say they're good for 350 lbs a shelf, Thats more than three 10 gallon aquariums that are full of water. I've not noticed any bowing either. Still 600 sounds better than 350.

-Tad
 
#12 ·
Smaller sized diameter on the bulb so the Shoplights are different also.

I was reviewing the information for someone yesterday evening and notice the power consumption is 32 Watts (vs. 40 for a normal shoplight) per bulb. Plus, you get brighter lights.

Win, win.

s
geckguy said:
... Scott, do the t-8 bulbs fit in any shoplight or does it have to be a t-8 shoplight?
 
G
#13 ·
Tad,

I've got the one from lowes and have 4 vert tens loaded on one shelf and its bowing...Not happy at all with the lowes one, especially since the shelf has only been up about a month and that shelf wasnt fully loaded till about a week ago. Probably will see about replacing it with a Sams club one when i get the basement finished.


Matt
 
#18 ·
Racks: we got all of our racks from Sam's. Regardless of the brand you buy, if you have the chance to bring a friend to help out, do it.

Lights: Got ours at Home Depot, the T-8s are awesome. The fixture was under $8 and 2 6500K lights were around $6. So, for $14 you get a light fixture with a 5-6 foot cord. Our plants are growing like weeds under the T-8s. Plus, each fixture uses 16W less electricity than the T-12s.

Melis
 
G
#20 ·
I've got the one from lowes and have 4 vert tens loaded on one shelf and its bowing...Not happy at all with the lowes one, especially since the shelf has only
I'm curious how do you have them sitting on the rack? I wonder if it has something to do with the way the weight is distributed? I can believe that 4 10 gallon vert tanks would weight more than 350lbs.

Does anyone know if the racks at costco/sams club come in Black? I like chrome it just wouldn't match anything else in my living room.

-Tad
 
G
#21 ·
Tad,

All 4 10 gal verts are setup exactly the same, so i doubt its a weight distribution thing, but i'll weigh them all tonight and find out exactly how much weight i have on that shelf. My guess is im not anywhere near the 350 mark.

If i remember correctly the Sam's Club Utility shelf only comes in the chrome. The Lowes version does come in black.


Matt
 
G
#22 ·
All 4 10 gal verts are setup exactly the same, so i doubt its a weight distribution thing, but i'll weigh them all tonight and find out exactly how much weight i have on that shelf. My guess is im not anywhere near the 350 mark.
I didn't mean so much as how each tank was set up. But wether the collective weight of the tanks is spread out evenly over the shelf or if there are just a few "wires " that are bearing the majority of the load. I wonder if placing a wooden board that rests across all the wires would more evenly distribute the weight?

-Tad
 
#24 ·
I was really lucky. My Mom uses them in her kitchen and she wanted to get rid of one and now its all mine!. She also gave up this really cool one that has two racks on the bottom that fit a 20L perfect( pipa pipa and Axolatl tanks) and a wooden shelf above that where I keep my 30 tall and then the there is a huge space and at the very top there is another little shelf where I keep my ff's. between the the back legs that run up tp the top there is also this wire cage between the ploes that I can hang things from. The other normal one I have is really heavy duty and I have been keeping a huge bowfront on the one shelf that has my mudskippers in it and its really heavy and the rack is fine.
 
#25 ·
It won't bow worse, just bows a little, I have had mine setup for awhile now with no issues, but the slight bowing.

outlawvizsla said:
Tad,

I've got the one from lowes and have 4 vert tens loaded on one shelf and its bowing...Not happy at all with the lowes one, especially since the shelf has only been up about a month and that shelf wasnt fully loaded till about a week ago. Probably will see about replacing it with a Sams club one when i get the basement finished.


Matt
 
#26 ·
Check the lighting section and some do not have them displayed but just a pile on the floor. Like Melissa said they are cheap and put out a ton of light. I have soem T12s on my other rack and this new one is a lot brighter.

geckguy said:
melissa68 said:
Lights: Got ours at Home Depot, the T-8s are awesome. The fixture was under $8 and 2 6500K lights were around $6.

Melis
Wow, I went today and the only t-8 fixtures I found were $45
 
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