Posted by:
John Q
at Mon Jan 2 09:13:11 2006 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by John Q ]
Flexwatt does not come with any type of controller. You need to either wire in a dimmer or plug it into some type of rheostat / thermostat controller. I've used dimmers and don't recommend them. I used the 600 watt leviton dimmers on racks that were running less than 200 watts. They are not made to run 24/7. So they turn off, stop passing current. All you have to do is turn the dial all the way down and then back and they will come back on. In the meantime your reptiles have gotten cold. If you do use one, I recommend that you check it 2x a day. This may seem like a minor problem but it can be worse. As an example: I fed several colubrids in the a.m., left for two days, and came back to find they had all regurged. The dimmer turned off and they got cold. Spend the money and get a better controller.
I've always used foil tape to hold down the flexwatt. Even when there was groove routed into the shelf. Just place small pieces along the clear plastic edge of the flexwatt. Do not completely cover the flexwatt in foil tape. Also, you want a small gap for ventilation. 1/16 to 1/8 inch is sufficient.
When I kept leos in tanks I made my own heat pads out of flexwatt mounted on pressboard with foil tape and small squares of ensolite to raise the board up off the shelf and closer to the glass bottom. I've also made small thin boxes that were completely closed except for a wire coming out of one end. I placed flexwatt inside of these and sealed the hole with silicone sealer. You can make these out of door skins or paneling and 1/2" thick molding. Drill small holes along the edges in the molding. This way the flexwatt is ventilated but crickets cannot crawl into the box. I would place these in the tank and cover them with sand or bark.
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RE: Flexwatt and other heat tapes... - John Q, Mon Jan 2 09:13:11 2006