Last year I went to visit Justin Kobylka (btw Larry/BT, it's pronounced Ko-bell-ka - I heard you on a show trying to pronounce it! LOL). He had all his hatchlings in a rack like this, and of course, I had to pick his brain.

He used a plastic storage rack from Lowe's (it's a Lowe's brand. It has a small lip at the back that prevents the tubs from sliding out on the other side).

I have 3" flexwatt laid down on each level in the back. This is from two sets of the shelving unit, and I can stack two more on top.

The legs are cut to 7" (which I did by hand with a hack saw, since I'm in an apartment with no power tools - NOT fun!). I used the excess to make smaller connectors (about 3") to hold the levels together. And all the rest of the excess was used for tubes in the ASF enclosures - no waste! LOL

Each four shelf shelving unit makes two levels on the rack (because the part on top of the tubs is the flat area of one of the shelves).

Excuse the mess - that's where I put it right after building it, before the babies started hatching last year - I can't remember why the tubs were sweating now:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e90/rabernet/New%20Rack/BabyRack2.jpg

I love it Robin, If you leave the lids on you could have doubled the size with each shelf....they even make a 24" deep one that fits 27qts :cheers:

Nice idea! Thanks for sharing!

I love it Robin, If you leave the lids on you could have doubled the size with each shelf....they even make a 24" deep one that fits 27qts :cheers:

Yeah, but I like being able to slide the tub out like a traditional rack. Justin said that he's now modified it where he can use all levels using pegboard to fit in the bottom of each shelving level which allows air exchange and gives him all four levels. He's supposed to be writing up a DIY on it, so I'll get back on him about that! LOL

Nice idea! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks, what I really like about it is that not only is it functional, it's not an eyesore either and doesn't take a huge footprint.

Very nice. I often look at storage racks in stores and wonder what I can do with them. :yessir:

Yeah, but I like being able to slide the tub out like a traditional rack. Justin said that he's now modified it where he can use all levels using pegboard to fit in the bottom of each shelving level which allows air exchange and gives him all four levels. He's supposed to be writing up a DIY on it, so I'll get back on him about that! LOL

Yep understand that, it would make it alot easier like a traditional rack.

Now THAT looks like a plan.

Thanks, what I really like about it is that not only is it functional, it's not an eyesore either and doesn't take a huge footprint.

And space is always at a premium for me! Look forward to seeing the updated DIY with pegboard!

Thanks for the thread...Great Idea to house hatchlings.:cheers:
Kevin Stoltz

www.kmsreptiles.com

Great post. I may try this in the next few weeks. You just lay the flex watt on the shelf? thanks again

What size tubs are those, and how much did the shelf cost?

Great post. I may try this in the next few weeks. You just lay the flex watt on the shelf? thanks again

Yes, I laid the flexwatt (I want to say 36" across the back) down on the shelf and taped it down with aluminum plumbing tape.

Hmmmm. Interesting. Now I wanna go tinker with a plastic shelving unit.

What size tubs are those, and how much did the shelf cost?

Those are six quart sterilites, and it's been a year since I purchased the shelving units, so I want to say it was $20 a shelving unit (or it may have been $10).

Using a Ranco thermostat with the flexwatt.

I'll get in touch with Justin to get the exact model of shelving unit - look for the "V's" in the front - and you put them together so that they look like diamonds. But you can only get it at Lowe's, I believe.

Hmmmm. Interesting. Now I wanna go tinker with a plastic shelving unit.


It's certainly nice that it's light weight too for ease of moving. :cool:

I remember seeing those before with the Home Depot shelves and thinking they were a nice little cheap set up but I didn't like that you had go back and install peg board to compensate for the shelf lips and to block off the holes that were in the self -- seems like with the Lowes rack you have a solid shelf and you've just used two levels (back to back) to make them flat and the tubs slideable (no?) a bit less work for sure -- what does one of them racks set you back? Are the shelfs smooth?

I remember seeing those before with the Home Depot shelves and thinking they were a nice little cheap set up but I didn't like that you had go back and install peg board to compensate for the shelf lips and to block off the holes that were in the self -- seems like with the Lowes rack you have a solid shelf and you've just used two levels (back to back) to make them flat and the tubs slideable (no?) a bit less work for sure -- what does one of them racks set you back? Are the shelfs smooth?

That's exactly how they are done - back to back for one level. I also put four tubs between the levels when using a rubber mallet to hammer the top on each level to ensure that the fit is snug, but not too tight.

I don't remember if each shelving unit was $9.99 or $19.99. So, for that, I either spent $20 or $40 (not including flexwatt and thermostat). I've left a message for Justin to tell me the exact model number again. I know he also uses the same shelving unit using small kitty litter pans for juvenile ball pythons too, but I'm not sure the cut lenth on the legs for that. I believe that will hold 3 across.

Each six quart tub has a plastic flower pot saucer hide (with entrances soldered out) in the back, and water dish in the front.

I've seen a vendor at the Atlanta shows that build cages out of the shelving units. He uses the shelves for the top & bottom and wraps it in really thin PVC sheet and whips up a door.

I've seen a vendor at the Atlanta shows that build cages out of the shelving units. He uses the shelves for the top & bottom and wraps it in really thin PVC sheet and whips up a door.
Pics? I just can't picture it with that descriptuion.

Sorry , no pics. Picture Robins pic with sides and a door since that would be how they would look stacked.

Are the shelfs smooth?

Sorry, missed this question - the shelves are textured.

Just a quick update! I talked to Justin, and he said that the Lowe's name brand is Plano for the shelves, and they are the only ones with that name that look like these shelves.

He does not need to make any more at the moment, so he has invited me up when I'm ready to make a new set to help me make the cuts (thank goodness he'll have power tools, no more hand cuts with the hack saw! LOL), and do the peg board version - and make a DIY at the same time. That will be in a couple of months before I need to do that, so I'll post a DIY at that time!

Just a quick update! I talked to Justin, and he said that the Lowe's name brand is Plano for the shelves, and they are the only ones with that name that look like these shelves.

He does not need to make any more at the moment, so he has invited me up when I'm ready to make a new set to help me make the cuts (thank goodness he'll have power tools, no more hand cuts with the hack saw! LOL), and do the peg board version - and make a DIY at the same time. That will be in a couple of months before I need to do that, so I'll post a DIY at that time!

Wouldn't the pegboard need to occasionally be replaced due to warping and degrading from humidity. Maybe plexiglass would work better? Very cool idea that i've been looking into.

They sell a plastic peg board that would not have those issues.

WOW! Great set up Robin. Looks nice....Yeah I can't pull V away from the Storage containers when we hit the stores together....it's like a kid in a toy store with $100 to BURN! :D GREAT JOB!

They sell a plastic peg board that would not have those issues.


Yeah - what she said! LOL

WOW! Great set up Robin. Looks nice....Yeah I can't pull V away from the Storage containers when we hit the stores together....it's like a kid in a toy store with $100 to BURN! :D GREAT JOB!

Thanks! Haha - I know how he feels! I'm always looking at things going - hmmmm, that would make a great hide, etc! LOL

Keep us posted Robin...:cheers:
Kevin Stoltz

www.kmsreptiles.com

nice rack Robin.

onionboy

Looks good Robin.

Congrats!

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=43008-986-904W&lpage=none

Looking Good ,Cool idea..
JL

nice