Heating Pad or Heating Lamps....Help!

5211N5 · #1 (**permalink**) 10-15-2003, 04:29 PM

Hello, I have a 8X3X2.5 tank for a soon to be peruvian red tail...

it's made a out of melimine(sp) and sits on the carpeted floor in a room...

I need to know what you guys think would be the best way to maintain proper heating...

My plan as of right now is this...

4 lights above the enclosure, on the warm side 150 watt flood lamp, and a 75 watt red heat bulb.

in the middle, 100 watt red and 100 watt flood.

My concern with the under tank heating is I don't want to burn my carpet or the cage by sticking a heating pad under there, another member on another forum said it probably would burn anything, but to be safe would it be okay to wrap the heating pad in aluminum foil???

or will the lights be okay? I'm worried about the lights being on 24 hours a day too...not only for the snake daily cycle, but because of fire hazard.

what should I do?

telefrag · #2 (**permalink**) 10-15-2003, 04:49 PM

thats ALOT of heat for that tank. perhaps you should elevate it off the floor a few inches, or ideally, invest in a heat mat that is meant for placement inside the cage itself, like a kane, or pig blanket. I understand its a big cage, but before you go using 4 lamps, have them actually on in the cage sans snake to make sure its not going to be TOO hot, which it sounds like it may.

dlamphere · #3 (**permalink**) 10-15-2003, 05:05 PM

I agree that is way to much heat. I have a Burm in an 8x2.5x1.5 and it is heated with a human heat pad (under the wood) set on low and a 250 CHE facing long ways, not down. I have the CHE on a thermostat and it does turn off about 1/2 the time. Please remember that it will take several days to reach temperature as the wood will soak up the heat at first. But I have never had a problem with it warming back up soon after opening the cage because it also will hold heat well. As far as the heat pad underneath, try a "platform" made out of 2x4's going around the bottom to raise the cage off the floor by 4 inches. This also has a cross brace in the middle that helps the heat from the heat pad to stay on the one side and not just move all over the bottom of the cage. Then attach the heat pad to the underside of the cage I made a "hammock" out of an old pillow case and stapled the pillow case to the cage. Please do not have it hooked up when you do this and make sure your staples are not in the heat pad...lol

All these wonderfull ideas and no digital camera

5211N5 · #4 (**permalink**) 10-15-2003, 05:11 PM

thanks a lot guys....

that is a good idea rasing the tank, and the hammock with the pillowcase sounds good..

I'm just really paranoid about leaving human heat pads, or lights on all the time, I don't want to start a fire...

That 250 CHE that you have...is it like the red ones from Home Depot?

dlamphere · #5 (**permalink**) 10-15-2003, 05:24 PM

The CHE is a ceramic heat emitter. I got it from Reptile Direct http://www.reptiledirect.com/subcatm...1=302&2=-1&6=1 and the Themostat is http://www.reptiledirect.com/product...57&1=358&3=605 I don't have the heat pad attached to this because it takes so long for the heat to radiate up but I do have it on the CHE. I used lights for a very long time and got tired of them going out every 2 weeks or so. The CHE cost more but will last forever it seems.

5211N5 · #6 (**permalink**) 10-15-2003, 05:43 PM

right on man, thanks for all of your help....

I'm glad I didn't just use all of those lights...

a friend here from work gave me this tank, and he uses only lights, he has a 7 foot blackthroat moniter, and just built a huge new cage..

lights seemed to work well for him, but maybe it is different when it comes to Boas...

dlamphere · #7 (**permalink**) 10-15-2003, 07:01 PM

Opps, One question that I missed. If he had to use that much light to heat it,,,What is the front/top made of? If it is screen, Yes you will have a problem heating. If it is plexiglass or real glass then you should not have a problem with fewer bulbs. You will also have a problem keeping humidity in it. I just assumed it was wood on all sides but the front.

LdyDrgn · #8 (**permalink**) 10-15-2003, 07:09 PM

For a monitor, the heat needs to be much higher for basking (90-130 degrees). This explains all the heat lamps

5211N5 · #9 (**permalink**) 10-15-2003, 07:44 PM

ahhh, I see...

yeah, It's melamine on the sides and bottom, oak, plexiglass and wide screen on the top,(I dunno how to describe the screen on the back end. it's like a wire mesh.) and tempered glass for the front veiwing area.

the cage opens with 2 doors on the top, not the front.

people have told me like 10 different things on how to heat this tank...it's frustrating.

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