My AP T8 finally came in!

[cwburns32]

So my T8 finally came in after about 5 weeks. Got here in a day after it shipped as AP is based out of Iowa and I'm west of Chicago. Everything looks great; however, I am undecided on how I want to setup the cage now that the RHP is on the far left side of the cage. This is for an 18 monthish old Tarahumara Mountain Boa.

- Room temp ranges from 69-74 year round
- I intend to use my Ultratherm 11x23.5 UTH on one of the two sides of the cage, I'm thinking left under the RHP?
- I am unsure of where to put the RHP temp probe (both heat sources will be hooked up to a Herpstat 2) at. I currently have a hole drilled right along the back wall under the RHP so I can hang it inside the cage a few inches below the RHP? Although, I do plan to use RHP to keep ambient temp, should I move prove to cool side?
- The temp probe for the UTH will go under one of the 3 recessed areas under the tank depending on where the UTH goes
- Currently I use aspen with my current setup but I am able to remove the top for easy cleaning. Removing the top on the AP T8 is about 16 or so screws (maybe more) so I am considering using corrugated wrap or any other suggestions people might have...I fear the aspen will be a pain to clean in the small 12" high T8?

Pics attached, I have a 2 ft long dimmable RGBW LED strip inside the cage on the inside of the sliding glass door wall. The wire is shrink wrapped and then cable clipped along the wall and ceiling and out the back, top left side of the cage. The controller is mounted to the back of the cage.

I have 2 small screws drilled into each side of the cage for thermometers, each with their own temp probe, to mount to. My main question is where to put the temp probes for these at? I was thinking running them both out right behind the thermometer and along the side and back on the floor of the warm and cool side? This would mean 4 more small holes but would give me fairly accurate readings all over the enclosure?

Yes it needs to be cleaned out real good and the pic with the LEDs is with the brightness all the way up, it'll never be that bright.

https://1drv.ms/f/s!AqOCHQW1MOLxtSvv04CLpZ6A8SrB

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers!

[cwburns32]

Originally Posted by cwburns32

So my T8 finally came in after about 5 weeks. Got here in a day after it shipped as AP is based out of Iowa and I'm west of Chicago. Everything looks great; however, I am undecided on how I want to setup the cage now that the RHP is on the far left side of the cage. This is for an 18 monthish old Tarahumara Mountain Boa.

- Room temp ranges from 69-74 year round
- I intend to use my Ultratherm 11x23.5 UTH on one of the two sides of the cage, I'm thinking left under the RHP?
- I am unsure of where to put the RHP temp probe (both heat sources will be hooked up to a Herpstat 2) at. I currently have a hole drilled right along the back wall under the RHP so I can hang it inside the cage a few inches below the RHP? Although, I do plan to use RHP to keep ambient temp, should I move prove to cool side?
- The temp probe for the UTH will go under one of the 3 recessed areas under the tank depending on where the UTH goes
- Currently I use aspen with my current setup but I am able to remove the top for easy cleaning. Removing the top on the AP T8 is about 16 or so screws (maybe more) so I am considering using corrugated wrap or any other suggestions people might have...I fear the aspen will be a pain to clean in the small 12" high T8?

Pics attached, I have a 2 ft long dimmable RGBW LED strip inside the cage on the inside of the sliding glass door wall. The wire is shrink wrapped and then cable clipped along the wall and ceiling and out the back, top left side of the cage. The controller is mounted to the back of the cage.

I have 2 small screws drilled into each side of the cage for thermometers, each with their own temp probe, to mount to. My main question is where to put the temp probes for these at? I was thinking running them both out right behind the thermometer and along the side and back on the floor of the warm and cool side? This would mean 4 more small holes but would give me fairly accurate readings all over the enclosure?

Yes it needs to be cleaned out real good and the pic with the LEDs is with the brightness all the way up, it'll never be that bright.

https://1drv.ms/f/s!AqOCHQW1MOLxtSvv04CLpZ6A8SrB

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers!

Putting RHP temp probe on cool side near top and setting thermostat to 74-75. UTH on far left under RHP with probe under PVC in recessed area. Mounted both thermometers on the inside and ran probes out of cage and back in through the back. Mounting tape holds the excess probe cable and keeps the RHP thermostat probe in place. Just cleaned, will move him in tomorrow.

AP T8 - finished - Album on Imgur

[GyGbeetle]

That's a really nice setup. We are hoping to transition to AP over the next year. We have a mish-mosh of different setups.

[cwburns32]

Originally Posted by GyGbeetle

That's a really nice setup. We are hoping to transition to AP over the next year. We have a mish-mosh of different setups.

They are really nice. Very easy to drill into if need to add holes or mount things. Moving my Tarahumara Boa in today.

[sattva]

Not that I know anything about this, but I had to ask... How come two heat sources? Isn't the RHP enough?

[cwburns32]

Originally Posted by sattva

Not that I know anything about this, but I had to ask... How come two heat sources? Isn't the RHP enough?

I prefer to use UTH for primary heat and RHP for ambient. The RHP will only kick on when the cool side gets below 75 so it won't be pumping enough to keep his warm side hide warm enough. The UTH provides a nice 86.5F heat spot in his warm hide and about 83-84 on the 23.5"x11"area. The RHP has yet to turn on since I plugged it into thermostat as the cool side stays right around 75.5-76F.

See pics below.

Complete T8 w/ Sal - Album on Imgur

[sattva]

Originally Posted by cwburns32

I prefer to use UTH for primary heat and RHP for ambient. The RHP will only kick on when the cool side gets below 75 so it won't be pumping enough to keep his warm side hide warm enough. The UTH provides a nice 86.5F heat spot in his warm hide and about 83-84 on the 23.5"x11"area. The RHP has yet to turn on since I plugged it into thermostat as the cool side stays right around 75.5-76F.

See pics below.

Complete T8 w/ Sal - Album on Imgur

The way I have understood it, "and please correct me if I am wrong" the RHP will not affect ambient temperature... I think it was John at Reptile Basics who told me this... He said it heats objects like the sun does... That's why it's supposed to be more therapeutic... He suggested using something like slate under the RHP for a basking area... He also suggested I put the prob 2 to 3 inches under the panel... I don't get my stuff until next Wednesday so until I get it all installed it's all theory to me...

[dannybgoode]

Originally Posted by sattva

The way I have understood it, "and please correct me if I am wrong" the RHP will not affect ambient temperature... I think it was John at Reptile Basics who told me this... He said it heats objects like the sun does... That's why it's supposed to be more therapeutic... He suggested using something like slate under the RHP for a basking area... He also suggested I put the prob 2 to 3 inches under the panel... I don't get my stuff until next Wednesday so until I get it all installed it's all theory to me...

No an rhp will absolutely affect ambient temperature much like the sun does. Heat is radiated down, absorbed by the floor, substrates etc and then radiated back up and repeat. The earth's ambient temperature is a function of the sun heating the ground and this heat being radiated back out hence why it gets colder with altitude.

Uth's will have very little impact on ambient temperatures as it will only heat what is pretty much touching it. They are pretty useless for things like lizards that like to bask and heavy bodied snakes. They are also pretty useless for arboreal species.

[sattva]

Originally Posted by dannybgoode

No an rhp will absolutely affect ambient temperature much like the sun does. Heat is radiated down, absorbed by the floor, substrates etc and then radiated back up and repeat. The earth's ambient temperature is a function of the sun heating the ground and this heat being radiated back out hence why it gets colder with altitude.

Uth's will have very little impact on ambient temperatures as it will only heat what is pretty much touching it. They are pretty useless for things like lizards that like to bask and heavy bodied snakes. They are also pretty useless for arboreal species.

Thanks Danny... That does seems to make more sense...

[Azrt]

i have had 6ft cages for retics and all I use is one RHP. Thats all you should need and they work perfect