Home build questions/advice needed.

[plutos_kiss]

A few enclosure questions I have for a build I am planning. Here are the tentative plans, but still playing with the height because I am a shortie (5'3) and this thing is a little tall for me. Probably just going to invest in a stool. Sigh.

Anyway. I was playing with the idea of using both a RHP and Flex Watt heat tape for the snakes, and a RHP only for the gecko. However looking at other enclosures I have noticed most use either one or the other. Anyone out there who uses both, or would that be overkill? Is one better for keeping a high level of humidity?

What brand of RHP and thermostats do you prefer/use? Any clue as to what wattage RHP I would need for tanks the size I am building?

And what simple strip lighting can I use for the tanks, on the inside, that will not injure the animals if they touch them? Was definitely wanting LEDs but will consider other options.

Thank you!

[Mikoh4792]

Where do you live? How cold does it get in the winter in your reptile room?

For 2x2's I use 28watt RHP's from reptilebasics. I also use 6x11'' ultratherm heat mats you can also buy from reptilebasics.

For 4x2's I would use 40 or 80 watt RHP's in conjunction with a 1ft x 2ft ultratherm heat mat.


In the summer I only use RHP's. In the winter I use both RHP's and heat mats.




But note that the cages on top will still absorb heat from the cages underneath(especially if you are using lights inside...those things get pretty hot and create 90f+ hotspots on the floor of the above cages).

[plutos_kiss]

Indiana. I keep the house between 65 and 70 in the winter, they are kept in what used to be the dining room. I run a radiant oil heater in the room separately to boost the temp. It get's very dry here.

I'm not sure what thickness of wood I am using for the build, 5/8 or 3/4, but it will be doubled up between the cages. So hopefully the wood won't get too hot, if it still will I will look for lower wattage lights.

Thank you for the suggestions.

[Mikoh4792]

I wouldn't worry about humidity so much as I would about temps. Humidity isn't as tricky as temps if your cages are well insulated.

In the Winter(right now) I have a hydrometer on my desk and it reads 32%.

I haven't misted my 2x2x18's in a week and they read 50%.

I haven't misted my 3x2x2's in a week and they read 45%.

I use unprinted newspaper for all my cages so if you use cypress mulch for example humidity should be way easier. A small water bowl does everything.

[plutos_kiss]

I was looking into mulch or aspen. I will probably go for the thicker wood, maybe throw a thin veil of insulation between tanks. Do you use wood tanks?

I was creepin' and saw you recommended a thermostat from LLL Reptile. I would need two separate ones, yes? (one for mats, one for RHPs?)

[Mikoh4792]

No I use plastic tanks. You don't need anything inbetween the enclosures. You might actually need to create gaps between them so that your heat mats/thermostat probes can fit.

The number of thermostats do not matter. It's the number of probes that count. One probe for each heat source.

For example you can have one thermostat such as herpstat 4. That one thermostat has 4 probes so you can control 4 different heat sources.

If you are willing to spend the money I would much prefer a herpstat 2 or a vivarium electronics 300x2 over a helix.... not to say that helix is bad. The first two just offer more options ie. a night drop and temperature alarm.

[Mikoh4792]

I guess you could go either way with aspen or cypress mulch but I think cypress mulch will be better for your rainbow boa because aspen can mold and rot in high humidity conditions.

[Mikoh4792]

Actually I think someone else should chime in and give you advice on heat mats and wooden enclosures.

I forgot that you were using wood. As far as I know, ultratherm heat mats may not get hot enough to penetrate heat into a wooden enclosure in a very cold room. These things only get around 105f at full power(maybe a little more).

[plutos_kiss]

Ah. So one probe can control both the UTH and RHP of one enclosure? So I would only need four probes?

I was planning on putting the UTH in the cage, but under a layer of linoleum (I saw this on some other builds, made it easier to clean). I was thinking of going with the heat tape instead, at least for the bottom two enclosures since they will be so big, and maybe an Ultratherm for the sand boa.

[plutos_kiss]

Wow I didn't see that they made the Ultratherms so long. Will definitely look into those.

[formica]

you can use one On/Off thermostat to control a UTH and RHP, but dont use a pulse or dimmer thermostat to control two diffrent kind/power heater, it wont work, and worst case, it could be dangerous


what kind of heat you use, really depends on the animal, RHP are great for arboreals, UTH for terrestrials, including Leopard geckos (you didnt specify)

I dont recomend putting Lino underneath the enclosure, use expanded polystyrene sheet (6mm would be perfect) to help insulate and relect heat back into the enclosure without over doing it, but you will still need something to raise the enclosure up so theres an air gap

[bigsnakegirl785]

To my knowledge, a heat mat will be ineffective for a wooden enclosure. I have two 6ft long 3ft tall and 2ft wide wooden enclosures. I did try a heat mat one night and it didn't even get hot enough to get through the wood. The wood is 1/2in thick plywood.

I use both RHP's and CHE's. The RHP's by themselves do fine in the summer, but they need something to supplement in the winter. I use a Herpstat 2 to control the two CHE's and two ON/OFF VE-100's for the RHP's. I have no problems with humidity now that the RHP's aren't running constantly. I have one huge Sterilite tub in each enclosure for water, soaking (which they rarely do), and for humidity. I also have them on 3in thick EcoEarth. The only thing is it could make finding poo and urates difficult, but I find them easily since I run my hands through the bedding often and they rarely ever bury their excrements. It usually takes about 5 days for the enclosures to dry out from 70-75% to 55% for the boa and I wait a bit longer until it's 45% for the ball python. I never spray their enclosure, I only mix up the bedding when the top gets dry and then mix in water when the humidity is low enough. Sometimes I'll spray the boa directly, though, as he gets bent scales.

As others have said, if the cages are stacked (which is how I have mine) the top one will have a better time keeping heat. It's higher up, where the heat escapes the room, and is right above the heat source of the one below it.

Also: both the RHP's and CHE's are 100 watts. I don't use lights in my enclosures, but I have an LED light and fluorescent light bulb fixture set up in them, although I have yet to figure out a way to wire them that doesn't blow the circuit breaker. I think I may take them out when I move.

[Mikoh4792]

Originally Posted by plutos_kiss

Ah. So one probe can control both the UTH and RHP of one enclosure? So I would only need four probes?

I was planning on putting the UTH in the cage, but under a layer of linoleum (I saw this on some other builds, made it easier to clean). I was thinking of going with the heat tape instead, at least for the bottom two enclosures since they will be so big, and maybe an Ultratherm for the sand boa.

You need one probe per heat source.

If you are going to be using an RHP and a heat mat. You need two probes.

There are thermostats with multiple probes such as a herpstat 4. It controls 4 different heat sources so you can use it to heat two enclosures(2 rhps and 2 heat mats).

[plutos_kiss]

The way this user built their stackable enclosure is how I meant I wanted to do the heat mats. However instead of sealing them to the enclosure I would make it so that they would be easily removed and replaced if needed with a desk grommet or something of the sort.

@formica, I was leaning toward doing just the UTH but I don't think that will be enough to keep the ambient temperatures up.

Yeesh this is going to be pricey. But better to know beforehand. Thank you everyone for all the info so far.