This is great and very helpful info.

Funny you mention a Sinaloan Milk Snake which we just got Phil last week and he’s on the mainfloor in an exo terra model: Natural Terrarium Mini/Tall 12” x 12” x 18” (WxDxH) which is just a short term solution since he’s a baby. We plan to transfer him to the test 20 gal cage with 3 hides throughout. I borrowed the heat lamp for the test and all he has now is the UTH and the ReptiSun 2.0 UVA only during day time. He seems to be more mobile but upstairs is hotter (73-80) with fireplace going in the other room etc and I’m trying to get him relocated.

Best source for buying Flexiwatt at lowest price? How does this compare to the ZooMeds?

When you suggest compact fluorescent, are you referring to something similar to a ReptiSun 2.0 UVB or regular compact one from Home Depot/Lowes Hardware store? No concerns of the Kings constricting it/ripping it out? Maybe I’ve watched too many Boa/Python/Anaconda movies

Regarding the front opening terrariums DIY project:

Thought about this some more… since the base and the front glass are the only non-tinted surfaces it would mean the back (with 6 holes) would need to be facing down so the front is at the top giving clear view of whats going on in the terrarium. Which means that leaves the two sides to be avil (two 3” holes ea side) for lighting and venting and use some of the front door as a vent as well for circulation if needed.

So the lighting in this situation would be in a horizontal position. For example use one hole on each side as a vent. Then dedicate the other hole on both sides as a light, one compact fluorescent light that you had in mind and the other on to be a compact florescent red light (from lowes/homedepot) just to see them at night?

You were saying use a ZooMed UTM plus flexiwatt on the back side? Or would this be two flexiwatts one under and one at the back?

Another test I did for the 20 gal tank… I put my digital probe right on the glass in center of the UTH ZooMed Brand… and got a whooping 117 deg after 15 min. But when I put the probe just resting on top of the Aspen shavings (1.5”-2” thick) it read to be only 77deg (with spot lights off). Is this bad? So I’m now testing out a 12” tile slate with the rough side up (waffle side) and the smooth side in close contact with the glass. After 2.5 hours its now reading 104 (with the probe on top of the slate and aspen shavings over it) so will monitor that some more. Any thoughts on using a slate tile over the glass UTM? Right now I just have one piece but suspect I could add another and leave a 6 inch gap on the cool side or have the gap between the two slates. Am I wasting my time here with the tile? Guess my thinking was trying to replicate nature a bit by having a slate like feature with the heat distributed opposed to heat directly on glass which isn’t found in nature other than littered beer bottles .

Are snakes smart enough to avoid the super hot spots? Or do they allow themselves to burn like some lizards I’ve heard happen to since some don’t have a good sense on their bellies opposed to their back?
All I had for now.

Thanks for your tips/insights.

David

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