Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a home made cage. Its 6x3x2 plywood with plexiglass and wood door. I dont even remember anymore what the heat source was when I got it. I know eventually it burned the linoleum that was on the bottom. Since then I bought a small heat pad type thing and that eventually burned out. I moved what was in it out and ripped up all the old linoleum and caulk. I have new linoleum to put down but am unsure what to do about the heat. It needs to be inside the cage (cord can run out between door and side of cage)but I am wondering about something again "burning" the linoleum. Is there something I can put under it that will be safe? There is a ceramic fixture in the ceiling of the cage so I am able to put a minor heat source there. Can someone suggest something that would be safe. I've read a lot of these threads but so much is initials I cant be sure what most of it is. Thanks.

I suggest going with Radiant Heat Panels. Here is a link:

http://www.pro-products.com/proheat.html

Give Bob a call or shoot him an email with cage specifics (size, material, room temps, species kept, etc.) and he will recommend a specific size. Expect to pay over $100 for one suitable for that cage size and you will need a thermostat to control it. The cost may seem high but they will not burn out or cause you the problems you have had with other heating methods.

Bart

Sorry if this is too obvious - did you have a thermostat with the old heat pad that was in the cage before? Most people who do inside floor heat in a plywood cage use a more rigid but thin plastic (like pvc-x, also called sintra) or FRP/showerboard, with Flexwatt underneath.. using a thermostat to be safe. Maybe the softer vinyl can't take as much heat.

If you don't have the cash to get a radiant heat panel, the above might work.

Question about the fixture at the top of the cage - is that outside of the cage (above a hole, with mesh covering it) or is it actually IN the cage? I know some people have cages built like that, and they wind up having to make or buy fixture cages so that the animals can't burn themselves on bulbs.

If you do have a fixture that is safe (either outside of the cage or with a protective wire frame around it inside the cage), a ceramic heat element might work as well. I have a large wooden cage that I received with two surrendered boas, and it is heated by a single ceramic heat element (controlled by a thermostat). The cage is 5ft x 2ft x 2ft, and the element keeps a hotspot of 90 easily if necessary (could go higher, but I don't need that). The tradeoff there is that you have to make sure you provide humidity by a large water dish or by spraying the cage, since the ceramic emitter really dries out the air.

Big Apple Herp sells fixture cages, if you want to see what I mean by that (it's easy to make your own though).
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Lauren Madar - OphidiaGems.com
1.0 Ball Python, 1.1 Hog Island Boas, 1.1 Hypo BCI, 1.1 Surinam BCC, 0.1 Green Tree Python

Hi- there wasn't a thermostat hooked up when I bought the cage and I didn't put one in when the heat pad that was there burned out as I knew I was planning on revamping the whole thing. I did contact Bob about a radiant heat panel and should be getting it this week. The fixture that the ceramic bulb would go in is inside the cage but has a wire cage around it and a snap in piece at the bottom so I can change it if I need to. I alwasy had a red bulb in it for night light though- never actually used a ceramic heat bulb. One question I have about the radiant heat.. what do I do about keeping a range in temp? I could put a ceramic bulb in as well- to make a high heat spot but that would mean no night light. The heat panel will be run through a thermostat but I still am at a loss for how to make a cooler side. Thanks for the info so far.. it had helped.

Sue