Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,

Just considering some rack options...what are your opinions concerning belly or back of tub heat? Thanks for any replies...

Chuck h.

Back heat is extremely inefficient and is only used when the breeder or rack builder can't figure out how to build in belly heat.

I build all of my own racks and use mostly back heat. May switch to all back heat soon. Dont want the house to burn down LOL!
-----
http://www.jasballpythons.com./

Belly heat is not a fire danger. Setting belly heat up wrong and using low grade thermostats can present a problem.

Back heat is far more dangerous in that you have to run it much, much hotter to get the desired temps inside the cage/tub.

Is what I use but the room is also always above 75 degrees even in the winter. If the room temps were cooler I might have gone with belly heat but what I have seen recently with racks and belly heat, I am glad I use back heat.

I use both but I like belly heat most.

I've used both but prefer belly heat.It provides a better warm spot with less heat.

What are you currently using? I recently bought a rack with back heat and had never used it before. There is definitely more of a learning curve to get your temps right with back heat than belly heat.

I appreciate the set it and forget it ease of belly heat. Belly heat will create a warm "spot". The size of this spot will depend on the size of your tape as well as the type of substrate you go with. Some substrates are more efficient with dispersing and/or holding the heat than others.

Back heat offers more of a "radiant" heat. So, yes, it does have to run hotter but your animals get more of a warm area than a warm spot. (Does that make sense?) If your rack is set up in an area where it will not be exposed to drafts and the back end is made with tight enough tolerances to where you won't have to worry about much heat escaping... back heat can be very effective.

Either way is fine... you will find arguments for and against both types of heat and most likely neither one will ever "win". Belly heat seems to be the more popular of the two, but if it is not installed properly your tubs can rub against the tape and eventually wear through it creating a very real fire hazard. Back heat does not have this problem, but since the tape has to run at a higher temp to achieve proper "in tub" temps, back heat poses it's own set of potential dangers.

Best advice: No matter which you chose - back or belly heat - be sure to spend the extra money on a good thermostat. By good, I mean, PROPORTIONAL thermostat. The on/off types are okay, but for my piece of mind (kids, wife, house, rack, snakes, I want to come home to ALL of them at the end of the day) I only use proportional thermostats.