Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just finished putting together a cage for my carpet python by Animal Plastics. I am REALLY low on cash. I want to use the underbelly heat tape, but I don't have a thermostat for it. Can anyone tell me a cheap way to control the heat until I can afford something better. I'm only heating one cage. I have a temp. probe. My room is generally cold (to almost warm year round).

i have seen cheap rheostats at pet stores i think they were about 30 bucks

Look at http://www.beanfarm.com for Alife thermostats. I think they are $30-$40. Or, read below:

You can use a lamp dimmer. Home Depot, Lowes and others sell a very simple tabletop dimmer rated at 300 Watts (plenty sufficient for what you are doing) that is about $12.00. No wiring. Just plug in the heater to the dimmer, and the dimmer into an outlet. If your room temp doesn't vary greatly, a dimmer may be all you need.
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Mark

Did you get the beelly heat option? Cause supposable heat tape will not transmitt radient energy through CDPVC material of that thickness.

IE you can't place the tape under the cage, and I would never dream of placing it in the cage....

Just a casual observation....I ordered my AP T10's with Belly heat.
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Jeremy

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

0.1 Snow "Khal" RTB
1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow RTB's
1.0 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.2 Pastel Hypo RTB's
0.1 Suriname RTB
0.1 Anerthrystic RTB
3.1 Red Bearded Dragon's
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
1.0 Pomeriaian
0.3 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse
1.0.1 Child

yes, thanks everyone. I did get the belly heat option for my cage.

I actually have a 6x2x2 AP running on 11" flexwatt. It works fine, but it does take awhile for the heat to build up if I shut it off.
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Randall L Turner Jr.
Boas make the world go round.

>>I actually have a 6x2x2 AP running on 11" flexwatt. It works fine, but it does take awhile for the heat to build up if I shut it off.

Which is why I said supposable, my units have yet to come in.

But I did get the rope heat as the belly option. Its nice to know if I need additional heat if I move to a cooler area, I can supplement the entire cage.

Thanks
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Jeremy

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

0.1 Snow "Khal" RTB
1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow RTB's
1.0 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.2 Pastel Hypo RTB's
0.1 Suriname RTB
0.1 Anerthrystic RTB
3.1 Red Bearded Dragon's
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
1.0 Pomeriaian
0.3 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse
1.0.1 Child

i ordered my t65 with the belly heat also, the problem i had with dimmers i was constantly have to adjust the temps.

>>i ordered my t65 with the belly heat also, the problem i had with dimmers i was constantly have to adjust the temps.

That's the inherit problem with on/off controllers there is always some sort of adjustment. The problem with dimmers is you make the micro adjustments where's as a on/off Electric controller does this for you.

The effect is prodened even farther when you take into account material in which heat doesn't travel quickly through or that have a high thermal mass. By the time you get the temps right on the surface the controller is already set below that so the cage will continue to cool before the controller kicks on again.

The comprimise is takening a week to set up your cages in a controlled setting. When used for supplemental heat a dimmer works great because you don't have to take into account the rising and falling temps within the room itself. Rememebr a dimmer works of voltage not temperature it doesn't know the room has become 100° and it's still on.....

Cheers
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Jeremy

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

0.1 Snow "Khal" RTB
1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow RTB's
1.0 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.2 Pastel Hypo RTB's
0.1 Suriname RTB
0.1 Anerthrystic RTB
3.1 Red Bearded Dragon's
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
1.0 Pomeriaian
0.3 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse
1.0.1 Child