Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My house is getting colder and room temp is 68-70 at it's lowest. The Burm cage falls to 79-80 at the basking spot with the heat wide open. If I instill another RHP, 12"x12" 50 watt, ProProducts, will that be enough to provide additional heat to my 6ft AP cage?

Reflectix inside is not an option because of the kidney disease and high urine output of this snake. I need to keep everything inside as clean as possible to prevent infection.

Laura,
Have you thought about 11" flexwatt as a UTH?

Kelly

Yes, but I just don't have any experience with it. It's the unknown factor.

I got me a 6ft AP cage, in the basement temps are at 65 degrees. The set up goes like this. I have the heat cable on the one side that comes with it. You can use heat mats. Then I have a large heat panel in the middle of the cage set at 82 on my helix therma stat. The far end of the cage 92, middle of the cage 85 and other end 80. Its perfect. I made those changes after I lost my first burm, since the heat cable did not work alone.

Good Luck.
-----
0.2 Rotts
1.0 Super Tiger (Dash)
1.0 Amel Retic (Mahola)
0.1 Ball Python (Cyeanne)
0.1 Red Tail (Memphis)
1.0 Coral Sun Glow Boa (Rodman)
0.1 Blood Python (Danica)
1.0 Green Ananconda (Prefontain)
1.0 Emerald Tree Boa (Bing Bong)

I'm reluctant to use heat mats because of the urine output of this guy. I think I'm going to go with the Flexwatt on the bottom, same end as the RHP. He's still curled up on the warm end, but a bit more active since it's warm today...poor guy! Room temps today are 75-77.

thanks for your help, I REALLY appreciate it!

Make sure your temps then are going down from the high end. I like my heat panel in the middle because it acts as if the room was at that temp.

Flex watt would be fine whatever you think is best.
-----
0.2 Rotts
1.0 Super Tiger (Dash)
1.0 Amel Retic (Mahola)
0.1 Ball Python (Cyeanne)
0.1 Red Tail (Memphis)
1.0 Coral Sun Glow Boa (Rodman)
0.1 Blood Python (Danica)
1.0 Green Ananconda (Prefontain)
1.0 Emerald Tree Boa (Bing Bong)

OK, this just seems strange:

We moved the big cages today so I had a chance to look underneath. The grooves for the Flexwatt are on the opposite side from the RHP. I was thinking of putting the Flexwatt on the same side, underneath the RHP so the snake had a really warm basking area. The water is on the cool side and he has room to go on the cool side, too, the middle, or the basking area.

Why would AP install the RHP on the other end? Basically, it seems to me that I would have the RHP over the water, a cool middle, and a warm bottom. Overall, this strategy seems to do nothing for the ambient temp of the cage, unless Flexwatt heats the air that much.

If someone could explain this to me, I'd be very grateful! I also have a boa on top of the Burm that has his RHP set pretty low on the thermostat. He spends a lot of time on the cool side and doesn't seem to appreciate the heat from above and the heat from the RHP below. I wonder what affects this will have on him? His cage runs about 86 right now and he is doing very well.

Laura,
I haven't replied to this because I'm not familiar with AP cages and I'm also not real familiar with using Flexwatt. All I can do is throw a few ideas out here and see if it gets you anywhere.

First - Reflectix is usually used to cover the outside of cages and helps hold heat in that way. For instance: I would probably lay it on the top and let it drape over the ends and back wall, trying to get it to lay flat against the surfaces, taping it to the cage if/where needed. You might have to cut out for vents.

Second - Flexwatt will raise the ambient temps somewhat but I don't know if it will raise it 10 degrees. About the only way I think it would raise it that much would be if you were to cover the majority of the bottom of the cage with it, as in - the length of the cage. However, you might be able to use Flexwatt in the grooves and let that area become the hot end and use the RHP to maintain the cool end temps.

I may be wrong but I think you can tape Flexwatt to the bottom of the cage where there aren't any grooves. I don't see why not. The only difference that I can think of without seeing the cage is that this area is thicker than the grooved area and may not heat quite as efficiently but it still may be enough.

Another option is heat mats like "rottenweiler9" mentioned. I can understand your reluctance to use them due to the frequent urination problem but if I'm not mistaken most of them are waterproof. But, I can still understand reluctance.

I don't know if another RHP would do the job or not. If I were you I'd call Pro Products and talk to them about it.

I think Flexwatt would be the least expensive of all. Even if you had to line the majority of the cage bottom with it. But then again, money can sometimes relieve headaches.

Hang in there!
Mike
-----
Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

www.natures-signature.com