Posted by:
Matt Campbell
at Sun Jan 1 16:58:57 2006 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by Matt Campbell ]
>>There are other brands out there but so far all of them have an activation temp of 30 degrees F and a deactivation temp of 55 degrees.
It sounds like the product you're describing is not Flexwatt or anything similar but instead sounds more like pipe heating cables. Flexwatt doesn't have any built-in thermostatic control, that's why it's so important to use it with a rheostat or a thermostat [either on-off or proportional].
Also, the Flexwatt -to the best of my knowledge- that everyone sells is actually a product made by a company called Calorique and is primarily designed as radiant heating for homes and is intended to be installed in the ceiling behind drywall or some similar covering. It's also intended to be operated full-on which is why it doesn't get too hot [relatively]. It's simply a case of a product adapted for use with reptiles, which is the case with almost all products we currently see for sale.
I can't help you with any of your other questions. I don't own or use any Flexwatt, but I have researched it extensively. I personally don't like belly heat because I think it's unnatural in most cases. I prefer to use heat sources that come from above or from the back/side as I think that is more natural in terms of being most like what an animal would encounter in the wild and also helps maintain a better thermogradient, at least in how my cages are setup. Maybe some of our more Flexwatt-knowledgeable keepers will weigh in on the subject for more information.
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Matt Campbell
Big animals, little animals, plants - right down to the sea itself. We need them, not just for their own sake, but because all this has to be here for everybody forever. Only one thing is certain: if we are to preserve our environment and save this priceless wildlife we need much, much more knowledge.
Harry Butler from 'In the Wild With Harry Butler' 1977
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RE: Flexwatt and other heat tapes... - Matt Campbell, Sun Jan 1 16:58:57 2006