Heating a Rubbermaid/Sterilite - Page 2

MoreliAddict · 11-12-12, 03:28 PM

my responses to your questions/statements are in red:

I love radiant heat panels for heating enclosures, as they can provide a ton of heat, and do not kill humidity. - I don't see how you'd fit a RHP into a fish tank??

Mount it on the bottom of the wood top, just like you would any other enclosure
Sounds like a pain to open and close (a lid with an rhp and wires attached to it) - this is what I mean by a "jerry-rigged" setup. Why make things a hassle?

Also, you're losing all of your heat every time you open the enclosure...

I like front opening cages. It's easier to pull snakes out, and do routine maintenance with a front-opening cage. Also, bitey snakes are more likely to see you as a threat if you approach them from above.

Plastic tubs arent front opening are they?
I'm talking about an enclsoure, with a hindged door, built out of PVC. NOT a tub.

Also PVC cages only have visibility through the front window, proving alot of extra security for your snake.

Never had an issue with it
Snakes that aren't used to traffic, and get frightened easily, certainly do.

PVC also holds heat and humidity very well.

Not nearly as well as glass!
Right, but you can't keep a snake in a solid box of glass on all sides...
You can drill holes into PVC, put thermostat probes where ever you want.

I use infrared, so havent had a problem, but the same could be said for the wooden lid

You can use a drill to add perches in PVC cages.

Ya got me there!

Fish tanks are also very heavy, PVC is nice and light.

True, though I dont move my tanks often

And, fact is, you always have to jerry-rig fish tanks if you want them to hold heat and humidity well.

Again, as you can see, all I did was cut a piece of plywood to fit the top. Not much effort or jerry rigging at all.

You can also stack PVC cages, so they're more space efficient.

You might notice that tank on top of this one...

Are they stacked directly on top of each other? If so, how do you open the bottom one?

They display and look better too. lol

There our opinions differ I guess! I do think we should add that most people already have a tank that come on to this forum. So fixing something you already have quickly and easily is much simpler.

I'm not talking about simplest, or easiest, or cheapest. I'm simply debating what's BEST...

jarich · 11-12-12, 03:31 PM

Going to PM you as I feel bad for doing this on someones thread...

MoreliAddict · 11-12-12, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jarich

Going to PM you as I feel bad for doing this on someones thread...

i appreciate that.

@ relentless sorry for throwing this thread off a bit, but it was all good stuff to know, right?

**lady_bug87** · 11-12-12, 03:37 PM

I have my amazon in a tub and I use a UTH and I have a hole cut on top just large enough for mtpy lamp. The whole is covered with a small scrap of screen to protect the snake from the light

Relentless · 11-12-12, 04:11 PM

Thank you for trying to keep the thread on track! However, I currently have a glass tank at my disposal and am deciding that it makes more sense for me to make it work now since I'm just going to be upgrading in a couple months anyway to a vision/animal plastics/boaphile cage with different heating elements. Debate away, more information for me!

MoreliAddict · 11-12-12, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Relentless

Thank you for trying to keep the thread on track! However, I currently have a glass tank at my disposal and am deciding that it makes more sense for me to make it work now since I'm just going to be upgrading in a couple months anyway to a vision/animal plastics/boaphile cage with different heating elements. Debate away, more information for me!

I've had a good experience with Boaphile.

Boaphile is great if you'd like them to install everything for you. I once ordered an arboreal cage from Boaphile, I ordered it assembled with:

built in removable perch
built in radiant heat panel
thermostat
built in florescent light

The cage is awesome, and I ordered it because I was not comfortable installing anything myself. Since then, I taught myself how to use a power drill, for the sake of my snakies. lol

However I currently get my PVC enclosures from herpcages.com Your source for the best in herp cages
^I see them at the reptile expo I go to every few months, so I pay nothing for shipping. So basically I can pick up a fully assembled 3' X 2' PVC cage for like $115, all I do then is install a radiant heat panel, and connect it to a thermostat...

Danimal · 11-12-12, 06:49 PM

Does the tank you have already have a screen top?

Relentless · 11-12-12, 08:19 PM

MoreliAddict, thanks for the feedback on Boaphile. I do really like their options for them to install whatever it is you need. I wouldn't be confident installing it myself either, but I admit I probably will give it a shot. I'm actually considering building my own cage as well since I love DIY projects and my grandfather would love to help. He is/was (semi-retired) an architect and is very handy and we have all the power tools we would probably need.

Danimal, yes it does already have a screen top. The humidity in my room (where the snake will be housed) is currently reading at 53% which isn't bad at all. However, I know it definitely drops below that. I plan on making humid hides as well as misting and covering up the screen top until the snake outgrows the tank (won't be long!) and then will be moving up to a plastic/PVC/melamine enclosure.