Question about clear acrylic

[marisa]

You know those awesome looking clear acrylic cages used by some for aboreal snakes? How do people go about heating them? I can see it being easy if you have quite a few and heat a whole room, or using heat tape connected to them all. But what would be the most effective way to heat one of these if you have only one, for an aboreal snake?

Marisa

[morph]

most effective I would say for just one would be a radiant heat panel from enerjoy or pro products but they are pricey.Then probably a ceramic heat emitter on a rheostat or a bulb on rheostat.

Scott

[marisa]

I am assuming a radient heat panel could be hooked up inside the cage on the lid or somewhere on the outside on the back. But how could a bulb work? Just pointed towards the cage?

Marisa

[Stockwell]

I'd stick to heat tape...run it up the back or side then put a piece of bark over the back to disguise it, so its not visible.
Heat tape is the most effecient cage heating out there.. a single strip of 4 inch at 8 watts per foot, should be more than enough..put it on a dimmer. So as not to damage your acrylic, I would staple gun it to a board and then place the board against the plastic..you could hold it in place with that temporary seal and peal calking, or velcro...

[marisa]

Heat tape is always the choice eh? :) Thanks guys.

Marisa

[morph]

To be honest Roy thats exactly what I would do but it seems most people won't even consider thats the only reason I left it off.

Scott

[Linds]

Originally posted by morph
thats exactly what I would do but it seems most people won't even consider

Really? I find many people heat theese types of setups this way. I don't use all-acrylic enclosures, but I've always used heat tape to heat arboreals as well.

[Stockwell]

Yeah, Flexwatt ROCKS!!! LOL
I love the stuff, just brought in 100 feet in fact.
Along with obvious herp cage use, I use it in my incubators and I even use it as a foot warmer here at the computer.... Got some 10 inch under a rug

[marisa]

Hi!

Well I am still quite concered over which heating method I should choose for my acrylic cage. (Photo located here: http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=38377&highlight=acrylic)

I asked on the Chondroweb.com forum and almost every single response was to use a Pro Products heat panel. These can go inside the enclosure which means less chance of ruining the cage b heating through it I suppose..... But I have even had conflicting info about using this with acrylic.

I would like to try and use heat tape, but I am definitly concerned over messing up my cage with it! I see your suggestion Roy, but wouldn't that mean I would have to "turn it up" even hotter to get a nice 88 hot spot, going through wood, than acrylic, then some air....? I am just really worried about ruining the cage, or buying something that doesn't get hot enough. Obviously the tape would be controlled.

Marisa

[Grant vg]

Marisa,

I would go for heat panels myself, as that is what i have been currently using and i find they work AWESOME for arboreals.
Theres no need to worry about doing your own wiring as is with heat tape, especially when in a humid environment.

Plus, Pro products heat panels are CSA approved.
for that cage, assuming its not cold in your herp room, a nice 9" x 12" 35 watt heat panel will do just fine. They can take humid environments and i believe they are unable to catch on fire b/c of what they are made of.

Plus they look nice.....nice(er) anyways...lol

Heres a link to cages similar to what you would have. http://www.arborealadventures.com/our_facility1.htm

Shipping is dirt cheap if you only want one heat panel and i have never got burnt with customs.

Grant vg

[Grant vg]

By the looks of your cages, i think you might have to add a couple holes to mount the heat panel, as i think if you dont mount it with the screws, they void your 10 year warranty.
perhaps ask those chondro guys if there is a safe way of mounting them another way.....

or drill a couple holes if you are able too.

gvg