Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am planning a home-made cage, and was playing with the idea of using heat tiles to heat them. It will be a stack of cages actually. 4'x2'x18" a stack of 5 or 6 cages. Would a heat tile in each be enough, or would I be better off going with wide heat tape? It will be made of a good grade plywood, and the interior of each cage will be lines with the bathroom paneling that is basically coated to look like tiles so that it is waterproof. This is the best solution I could find as far as durability and ease of use. All corners will be sealed with a high quality of silicone sealant to prevent moisture from getting under paneling. Any thoughts of what I may be missing in addition to the heat question? I am totally open to Ideas... Thanks

If you have your mind made up on the bathroom stuff then go ahead but have you considered formica. That 1/16 thick stuff that goes countertops-that is really good stuff. It comes in all kinds of colors to match your substrate or paper and is maintenance free if applied correctly. Apply contact cement with a small roller or brush and put the formica on and trim the edges with a router or very carefully with a circular saw.
Good luck with your project.
Bob

If you mean radiant heat panels, they are the best type of heat for snake because they heat everything including the snake and all the hides. I have no idea what a "heat tile" is, but radiant heat panels are the best. They must be installed inside the cage. I bought this one for a homemeade cage:
http://www.pro-products.com/proheat.html
More expensive than heat tape though. Also may depend on the ambient temp in your room ie. either might be insufficint depending on how cold it is.

Good luck,
Caden
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Caden Chapman
slithering.serpents@gmail.com

Yes, thats what I was talking about... Radiant heat panels.. It was late, but i knew what I was talking about, but obviously nobody else did. My bad.
SO they are a good form of heat... cool, that is what I was thinking and also what I have read. Thanks..