Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is my first year in our new house and temps are allot cooler then where we used to live. With this in mind I purchased an AP 48x24x12 cage using heat cord thinking this would hold heat better then my own built cage, sadly however this new setup isn't able to heat the cage anywhere near 85, barley able to make high 60s. The rooms ambient temp is around 60-65. I added a small UTH but this only makes a "small" hot spot of 70-75.

I have two options, purchase a 80 watt heat panel which I hope does the trick or cool him for a few months with little to no feed. My question is does anyone cool there boas? At what temps and do you feed? He has already refused once and has not taken food for roughly a month..

He is a full grown adult 20plus years in age and in my 18 years of keeping him has never been cooled beyond mid 70s.

Please any input?
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Jason A.
"Long time Herper, first year Breeder `07."
My 2008 Care Sheet & The BRB Stats. Username: brb@kingsnake.com

Many experienced breeders do not cool their boas and they have great breeding seasons. Some think the temp fluctuation is partly to blame for bringing on respiratory infections.

Is your room small enough to put a radiant heater in to warm up the whole room? This works great if you have more than a couple reptiles in the same room.

Good luck!

My opinion is if you want to breed Boas, get your room at least up to 75 degrees. If you don't, you will reduce your chance for success.
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>>My opinion is if you want to breed Boas, get your room at least up to 75 degrees. If you don't, you will reduce your chance for success.
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Thanks for the responses,

I should have been clearer I have no boids ATM that I plan to breed, just colubrids one reason for a cool room.

I am using a radiant heater in the room to keep it at 60. I used to heat the entire room in our old house(Mid 80s), however with this house to save money and above reason I am cooling all but my boids and only my boas's cage is having issues with holding the heat. Would a 80watt RHP do the trick I wonder?
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Jason A.
"Long time Herper, first year Breeder `07."
My 2008 Care Sheet & The BRB Stats. Username: brb@kingsnake.com

I do appreciate your input, Jeff.
jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

Hi Jayson,I have AP cages, and they are hard to keep heated. What did was go to thebeanfarm.com, they have under tank heat pads, get a 11x29 heat pad for $30. And temp controller from baophile for a $100. And get your room temp up to 75 deg. I hope this helps good luck..... Cory.

The real problem is heat is escaping from the cage faster than you can generate it. You might try insulating the cage to help hold in the heat. I've seen sheets of insulating foam, various thicknesses at my local home improvement store (home depot). if you cut and taped pieces to make a box of sorts to fit your AP cage inside of, that might do the trick to raise the temps in that single cage. You might get away with a 5 sided box leaving the front open but if I had to guess, you'll need to do something about the front as well.

That brings up another thought, photo period. Maybe the front piece could have a hole in the middle covered by plexi for a window of sorts to let daylight in?

Just trying to think "out" of the box.
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Dave hit on what I was thinking about your problem. Insulate the
outside of your cage seems to be a place to start,along with
some type of extra heat source for the cage.
. . . . . Lar M
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Boas By Klevitz
Boas By Klevitz

I cant heat the room any more then 60s because I am cooling other animals.

I am using a small heat pad for a 20 gallon tank(12x9 or something) underneath which helps but only brings that spot to mid 70s.

Since no one is suggesting cooling the boa at lower temps I will end up getting a RHP and maybe using some foam on the bottom of the cage, below is the reason for that.

I might use the foam on the bottom.

Old Pic/old cage

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Jason A.
"Long time Herper, first year Breeder `07."
My 2008 Care Sheet & The BRB Stats. Username: brb@kingsnake.com

Another possible problem I see is the wall his cage is mounted on
Is that an exterior wall ? If so exterior walls have greater heat loss.
This will cause the cage to inturn loose heat at a more rapid pace.
That wall is basically pulling the heat right out of that cage.
If that's not an exterior wall disregard.
. . . . Lar M
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Boas By Klevitz
Boas By Klevitz