Roach cabinet

[shootthebunnies]

Has anyone built a roach cabinet to store there bins in so they can heat the air in the cabinet to the desired temp range?

 

[shootthebunnies]

These are the bins I plan to use. I have roaches coming this week 1500+ mixed sizes coming from a few different people on this site. I am going to build the cabinet big enough for 2 of these bins so that I have one for the breeding colony and one for the feeders. They are 18gallons. I can fit 7 egg crates in the one side and have plenty of room for food/water dishes on the other.

 

[Paradon]

That sounds like a great idea!

 

[shootthebunnies]

Has anyone had a problem melting these plastic bins?

I am trying to figure out a distance to separate the bins from the light domes and playing with different wattage bulbs and am having a hard time coming up with the magic mix so to speak.

Changed the design no problems now.

Willis

 

[shootthebunnies]

Here a few pics and explanitions of what I am trying to accomplish.

Dimensions are 64" High X 33 1/2" Wide X 24" Deep

Light box set in place with one light fixture cut into it.

A little better view with the soon to be roach bin next to it.

Light box with the second light fixture cut into it.

Two return grills and color clad inlay. I didn't have enough space to put two of the larger grills in and have enough room for the second fixture. The first roach bin will sit right on top of these grills.

There will be a second shelf for another bin above but I will have to get to that tomorrow.

 

[Sapphire]

The only problem I can see with this idea is: will there be a temperature gradient? (Warmer on one side, cooler on the other?) Dubia should have the option to get to a cooler area if they want/need to. This seems like it'll warm them pretty evenly throughout. Maybe they'll like that, though.

As for melting plastic, I've never had that happen. If you have temps high enough to melt the plastic, you're most likely going to kill your dubia.

 

[shootthebunnies]

The only problem I can see with this idea is: will there be a temperature gradient? (Warmer on one side, cooler on the other?)
As for melting plastic, I've never had that happen. If you have temps high enough to melt the plastic, you're most likely going to kill your dubia.

Never thought about the temperature gradient.

I changed the design after a couple of hours of trying to set the tubs directly over the lights.

I am going to set it in place tonight and run it and see what kind of temps I get from the first bin.

 

[ChrisMiller]

Heat tape (flex watt from beanfarm.com) will be about 1/3 the cost of that setup, more efficient, safer, and more flexible too.

No big cabinet needed and no need to warm an entire air space just for 2 tubs.

Check this out:

viewtopic.php?f=76&t=163239

A 65 watt ligthbulb can hit 200 degrees. My 60 watts of flex watt heats the whole tub and only needs to turn on occasionally, and when it does, only runs 120 degrees max.

 

[shootthebunnies]

Heat tape (flex watt from beanfarm.com) will be about 1/3 the cost of that setup, more efficient, safer, and more flexible too.

No big cabinet needed and no need to warm an entire air space just for 2 tubs.

Check this out:

viewtopic.php?f=76&t=163239

A 65 watt ligthbulb can hit 200 degrees. My 60 watts of flex watt heats the whole tub and only needs to turn on occasionally, and when it does, only runs 120 degrees max.

Everything in this set up was free, other than the cost of electricity. The reason I though to go this route is the area where the dubia will be is 57 degrees year round. I figured the cabinet would be an easy way to maintain that heat in a small space so to speak.

Will flexwatt raise the temp 30-40 degrees with out running above 115 degrees of heat against the tub?

Thanks
Willis

 

[ChrisMiller]

Heat tape (flex watt from beanfarm.com) will be about 1/3 the cost of that setup, more efficient, safer, and more flexible too.

No big cabinet needed and no need to warm an entire air space just for 2 tubs.

Check this out:

viewtopic.php?f=76&t=163239

A 65 watt ligthbulb can hit 200 degrees. My 60 watts of flex watt heats the whole tub and only needs to turn on occasionally, and when it does, only runs 120 degrees max.

Everything in this set up was free, other than the cost of electricity. The reason I though to go this route is the area where the dubia will be is 57 degrees year round. I figured the cabinet would be an easy way to maintain that heat in a small space so to speak.

Will flexwatt raise the temp 30-40 degrees with out running above 115 degrees of heat against the tub?

Thanks
Willis

If insulated correctly, absolutely. I shipped a frozen item 7 days across country in the middle of the summer (thru 115+ temps) wrapped in nothing but r30 household insulation and it was still frozen when it arrived. The OP of that thread I linked to used the cheap pink foam insulation to wrap his tub. He could tell you more about his results, but i've used the same foam for other projects and it holds heat VERY well.

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_sealing.hm_improvement_insulation_table

 

[ChrisMiller]

You can lookup the R value of the wood you're using too... should help shine some light on how efficient your cabinet will be. I personally would not run a cabinet setup unless I heavily insulated it, and lined it with foil sheets or foil tape.

 

[shootthebunnies]

I plan on lining it with the foilfaced foam (foil side in) insulation and taping the seams.

Either way if the fixture box setup doesn't work the way I am hoping I can always pull the box out of the corner and switch to flexwatt and still utilize the cabinet. So no matter what it is just a little time and trial and error.

Thanks
Willis

 

[Nathan1995]

All I use to heat my tub is a 100watt CHE on the inside, I originally had problems with the plastic melting, but I hooked it up to a thermostat and cut the ventilation into it and everything works perfectly. My tub sits outside, and I'm in England so it's usually around 40-50F during the day and colder at night.
The CHE easily gets to 140F, but with the CHE is hits 93F and then turns off with the thermostat for a couple hours then back on. All I did was got some insulation that I had spare from my loft and wrapped that around, fibre glass, works like a charm haha!
I like the idea, I just think it may be a little unnecessary :O Seems like you've done too much work haha!

 

[shootthebunnies]

The cabinet works great with one exception. The thermostat (mercury switch) that everything is running through is letting the drop into the upper 70's before turning everything on again. I am going to order a new thermostat and then should be in business.

I don't just want roaches in tubs visible. So for me it was work well spent.

 

[Paradon]

you could put a space heater in there. I think it would work and it's cheap. I bet it will heat up the cabinet really, really well.