Belly heat in wooden snake enclosure???

[ladyjustice33]

Okay guys.....I just ordered two wooden enclosures for my columbian rainbow baos. My question is what do you guys use for belly heat in a wooden enclosure?? Most of the heat pads I have found are not for wood and the heat most likely wouldn't penetrate the wood. So please give me some suggestions/examples if you have wooden enclosure with belly heat!!


Thanks,
Katrina

[youngster]

I think you can use UTH, how thick is the wood?!

[stephanbakir]

I used a UTH for 2 years to heat my bps wooden enclosure when I had him. Was nice and toasty in his hotspot.

[Gungirl]

I use flexwatt. I cut a small slit in the back bottom of the viv just big enough to slide in the sheet then attach my wires outside the back of the viv. I then place a sheet of plexiglass on top and seal the edges with a little aquarium sealant so that no water gets on to the flexwatt. I have had great luck with it that way. If you need or want I will post pics..

[Lankyrob]

Use a heat bulb CHE provide heat as the snake would get it form the sun in the wild - they heat the substrate so when the snake lies on it the get the basking heat from above plus belly heat from the warmed substrate.

[ladyjustice33]

Use a heat bulb CHE provide heat as the snake would get it form the sun in the wild - they heat the substrate so when the snake lies on it the get the basking heat from above plus belly heat from the warmed substrate.

I was wondering about that. It has a light in it on one side that the builder said generates quite a bit of heat. I thought about putting a radient heat panel or something on that side also and using the light during the day and the RHP during the night.

[ladyjustice33]

I use flexwatt. I cut a small slit in the back bottom of the viv just big enough to slide in the sheet then attach my wires outside the back of the viv. I then place a sheet of plexiglass on top and seal the edges with a little aquarium sealant so that no water gets on to the flexwatt. I have had great luck with it that way. If you need or want I will post pics..

I'd like to see that......Will be getting flexwatt to use in the tub rack I'm getting my daughter for Christmas anyway....

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions!!!!!

[youngster]

tub rack I'm getting my daughter for Christmas

:O From the viewpoint of a 13 year old, SHE'S GOING TO BE SOOOOOO EXCITED!! :D

[bladeblaster]

why do you want belly heat?

[Gungirl]

Ok I will post pics tomorrow for you.. I have to dig out the camera( im packing to move)

[Lankyrob]

I was wondering about that. It has a light in it on one side that the builder said generates quite a bit of heat. I thought about putting a radient heat panel or something on that side also and using the light during the day and the RHP during the night.

If you use ceramic heat bulbs they dont emit light, just heat, no need to have the rhp as well......... :)

[ladyjustice33]

why do you want belly heat?

Half the people I talk to recommend belly heat, the other half heat from the top, and I was just asking what people use for belly heat in a wooden enclosure since most the heat pads i've used on tubs and glass don't feel like they would really penetrate the wood if I decided to go that route as a secondary heat source. My house can get pretty chilly during the winter months since I hate running the heater. It dries out my sinuses. I prefer to use my fireplace or just bundle up. This will be my first winter coming up with snakes and going to look at different options and see what works best and is safe. Don't want any fire hazards!!!

[SnakeyJay]

Id go with a bulb or CHE then... itll keep all your ambiant temps up no problem. If you dont want to heat the room, and you dont want an RI, then thats the way to go. :)

[bladeblaster]

Half the people I talk to recommend belly heat, the other half heat from the top, and I was just asking what people use for belly heat in a wooden enclosure since most the heat pads i've used on tubs and glass don't feel like they would really penetrate the wood if I decided to go that route as a secondary heat source. My house can get pretty chilly during the winter months since I hate running the heater. It dries out my sinuses. I prefer to use my fireplace or just bundle up. This will be my first winter coming up with snakes and going to look at different options and see what works best and is safe. Don't want any fire hazards!!!

Think about nature, the ground is heated by the sun, or in a captive environment a CHE :)

unless its a snake that has evolved to live around volcanoes, its not going to get heat radiating up from the ground. If they really needed belly heat, then in the wild most would bask upside down. The only time any snake needs or wants belly heat is when they are cooking eggs, and then they do bask upside down. :)

[millertime89]

Do CHEs have the same problem with drying out the air as lightbulbs? With more tropical snakes like my BRB or a chondro I would be looking for solution that doesn't do that and would lean towards a RHP or UTH.

[ladyjustice33]

Do CHEs have the same problem with drying out the air as lightbulbs? With more tropical snakes like my BRB or a chondro I would be looking for solution that doesn't do that and would lean towards a RHP or UTH.


Good question since these enclosures are for my CRB's. Humidity requirement is basically the same as with the BRB's.

[SnakeyJay]

Che's are good for humidity... they dont dry the air as much as a light bulb. Im switchin my brb to one soon.

[TeaNinja]

che's still dry the air out though, i spray my bp's viv all the time to keep the humidity with my che.

[bladeblaster]

Do CHEs have the same problem with drying out the air as lightbulbs? With more tropical snakes like my BRB or a chondro I would be looking for solution that doesn't do that and would lean towards a RHP or UTH.

they do dry the air to an extent yes, however this is easily countered.

[Lankyrob]

I have CHE's in all my snakes tanks. With no spraying the vivs stay at ambient humidity, by spraying once a day my BP and SD go up to 70% and drop to 55% over the day and i spray my GTP twice daily, his arboreal viv holds humidity less well and he also needs consistently more humidity.

[marvelfreak]

You can use belly heat just put it in the cage. You can put tile over it and seal around it. You can also take something like a plastic litter box flip it over use as a hide attach the heat pad to the top of the inside of the hide. This way it can get belly heat or lay in the hide and get heat from above. Just place the hide against the cage wall and run the cored out the wall. Just make a small hole for the cored, run it and then seal it shut.

[millertime89]

but I'm assuming a RHP mounted to the side of the viv is gonna dry out the air less? ambient humidity in my house is around 40%. With my UTH I spray every couple days and the humidity never drops below 70%.

[Gungirl]

I use flexwatt and and RHP in my BP's viv I have no issues with Humidity at all. I use cypress bedding and I think I spray once a week at most. My BP has alway had great sheds and never any issues. The only reason I use both heat sources is because the size (4ft x 2ft x 18") of the viv and in the winter months my house gets low 60's high 50's on a normal occasion.

[millertime89]

I'm currently using a UTH and a red heat lamp outside the viv for that exact reason. I'm not looking forward to switching on the space heater.

[Gungirl]

I'm currently using a UTH and a red heat lamp outside the viv for that exact reason. I'm not looking forward to switching on the space heater.

You should look into getting a radiant heat panel instead of the red light or the space heater. It would save you $$ in the end.

[millertime89]

I've already got the space heater for my room, needed it a few years back when the windows in my room leaked and the air vent was blocked somewhere. Someone posted a good place for RHP in another thread, but I can't find it now.

[marvelfreak]

I've already got the space heater for my room, needed it a few years back when the windows in my room leaked and the air vent was blocked somewhere. Someone posted a good place for RHP in another thread, but I can't find it now.
Try Reptile Basics Inc (http://www.reptilebasics.com/)

[millertime89]

that's one, there was another, thanks marvel

[shaunyboy]

i use non light emmiting ceramic bulbs with a guard and a thermostat in all my wooden vivariums

they give me good accurate consistant ambient air temperatures

they also give a good basking spot on the floor of the viv

cheers shaun