Lou, I chose a deeper tote so I can stack my 12"x12" egg crates vertically so the frass (roach poop) can fall straight down to the bottom. Some people don't do that, but I want to avoid getting any moisture on the egg crates and avoid any mold/mildew. The heat at the bottom of the tank is greatest and will dry the frass out faster too. Saying this now, the baby nymph's like to burrow into the frass and eat it, so you should probably put the temperature probe at the very bottom of the bin so you don't cook your newborn nymphs. Wouldn't that be ironic? Anyway, I was planning on stacking them vertically across almost the entire tote, and then putting an egg crate horizontally on top to put the dry food in, and the plates that will hold the moist food (and water crystals) like oranges, mangos, apple cores, etc., so the egg crates don't suck the moisture out and cause mold/mildew.
LOL...thanks Rankins and Kornel. I'm not sure how I came across the Cozy foot warmer idea (maybe in the flood of Christmas e-mail sales ads?), but so far it is working great on the low setting. When I put the UTH on the bin and saw just how weak it was, it got mad and started looking for a better option. I wasn't thrilled with the human heating pad idea, but the Cozy foot heating pad was made to be left on all day, so with the thermostat turning it on and off, it should be safe, and avoid any extreme hot spots. Just one warning though, put something down like those little rubber feet that are under computer towers or that come with the UTH, or you can probably use old medicine bottle lids...anyway, put something under your tank so the tank/bin isn't sitting directly against the foot warmer matt or you may get too much heat. If you try it without spacers, let me know how it works for you. 90 watts is a lot more than those little under tank heaters (UTH) and I'm guessing that direct contact would be detrimental. One owner posted pictures on Amazon of the mat viewed through a high tech thermal gauge and some points reached ~150 degrees. So keep the cardboard box the mat is delivered in and put that under the mat to protect the floor and stop concrete from sucking out excess heat, and you should be golden (also suggested by customers and the Cozy company). I've been monitoring mine all day and so far so good, and that is on the low setting. If all else fails and it is too much heat, it's still a great way to keep your feet warm if you work at a desk most of the time. :0)
If you read the reviews on Amazon several people complained about the rubber smell. I'm using mine in a smallish office with a low ceiling (I'm 6'3" and can't quite stand up straight...85 YO house) and I can barely smell the rubber. It's not a bad smell...just a smell you would have with any new rubber mat. I think they updated the composition of the rubber after they had those complaints.
Edit - aim for a bin with about 18" depth or greater. By the time you stack the egg crate flats which are 11.5" by 12", and put an egg crate on top to hold some dry food and feeding bowls, you'll want the few extra inches in depth.
http://www.homedepot.com/b/Storage-Organization-Storage-Bins-Cubes-Totes/Storage-Bins-and-Totes/N-5yc1vZc89jZ1z0tuqh
This is the tote I bought (the black base, yellow top $11.97, 27 gallon, model #: HDX27GONLINE), but the link gives you all the totes if you have different needs. The lid seems to hold well so if the tote gets knocked over (such as from my 6 YO or my 70 pound lap dog), you shouldn't have too much issue. The sides are pretty stout. The only issue is if you are drilling your holes in the lid, the design may be difficult to cut if you are not using a hole saw, or you can do a multiple smaller holes. You may need to just put all the holes in the sides instead without a hole saw. I cut my last (instead of failures, let's call them the practice bins LOL) with sheet metal snips, but these snips wouldn't work well with these types of lids. If that is an issue or you want a smaller tote, this may work better for you - Model #: FG2215H2MICBL
I figure I'll use my little failed tote with the 8 watt UTH for the feeders and the bigger for the breeder colony.
LOL...thanks Rankins and Kornel. I'm not sure how I came across the Cozy foot warmer idea (maybe in the flood of Christmas e-mail sales ads?), but so far it is working great on the low setting. When I put the UTH on the bin and saw just how weak it was, it got mad and started looking for a better option. I wasn't thrilled with the human heating pad idea, but the Cozy foot heating pad was made to be left on all day, so with the thermostat turning it on and off, it should be safe, and avoid any extreme hot spots. Just one warning though, put something down like those little rubber feet that are under computer towers or that come with the UTH, or you can probably use old medicine bottle lids...anyway, put something under your tank so the tank/bin isn't sitting directly against the foot warmer matt or you may get too much heat. If you try it without spacers, let me know how it works for you. 90 watts is a lot more than those little under tank heaters (UTH) and I'm guessing that direct contact would be detrimental. One owner posted pictures on Amazon of the mat viewed through a high tech thermal gauge and some points reached ~150 degrees. So keep the cardboard box the mat is delivered in and put that under the mat to protect the floor and stop concrete from sucking out excess heat, and you should be golden (also suggested by customers and the Cozy company). I've been monitoring mine all day and so far so good, and that is on the low setting. If all else fails and it is too much heat, it's still a great way to keep your feet warm if you work at a desk most of the time. :0)
If you read the reviews on Amazon several people complained about the rubber smell. I'm using mine in a smallish office with a low ceiling (I'm 6'3" and can't quite stand up straight...85 YO house) and I can barely smell the rubber. It's not a bad smell...just a smell you would have with any new rubber mat. I think they updated the composition of the rubber after they had those complaints.
Edit - aim for a bin with about 18" depth or greater. By the time you stack the egg crate flats which are 11.5" by 12", and put an egg crate on top to hold some dry food and feeding bowls, you'll want the few extra inches in depth.
http://www.homedepot.com/b/Storage-Organization-Storage-Bins-Cubes-Totes/Storage-Bins-and-Totes/N-5yc1vZc89jZ1z0tuqh
This is the tote I bought (the black base, yellow top $11.97, 27 gallon, model #: HDX27GONLINE), but the link gives you all the totes if you have different needs. The lid seems to hold well so if the tote gets knocked over (such as from my 6 YO or my 70 pound lap dog), you shouldn't have too much issue. The sides are pretty stout. The only issue is if you are drilling your holes in the lid, the design may be difficult to cut if you are not using a hole saw, or you can do a multiple smaller holes. You may need to just put all the holes in the sides instead without a hole saw. I cut my last (instead of failures, let's call them the practice bins LOL) with sheet metal snips, but these snips wouldn't work well with these types of lids. If that is an issue or you want a smaller tote, this may work better for you - Model #: FG2215H2MICBL
I figure I'll use my little failed tote with the 8 watt UTH for the feeders and the bigger for the breeder colony.
