Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So I'm close to completing my custom cage for my girlfriends rainbow boa and I'd like to add a florescent light for viewing or cleaning and also maybe a socket for a heat lamp (waiting to see if the RHP will be enough for my cage or if added heat will be good) and...

I HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT ELECTRICAL!

K, I do have some knowledge and will have no problem wiring, but I need to know what kind of stuff I need to do this. The light I'm looking at is an 18 inch 13W florescent light.

Any help would be great...or if anyone has some simple solutions that would be great too..

Thanks!

I've seen fluorescent lights at home improvement stores for under cabinet kitchen installation. Should work fine but you'll have to cut off connector, pass wire through small hole in cage and attach new connector. You do know your BRB(s) have no need for light and actually prefer it dim??

Also, a RHP should be just fine all by itself. I get mine from pro-products.com, they work with you and ask questions to determine the correct RHP for your specific application.
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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

Thanks, and I realize they prefer the dark but it's more for viewing every now and then plus cleaning.

>>You do know your BRB(s) have no need for light and actually prefer it dim??

I agree with Dave, and think you may have a better viewing experience with a properly lite room rather than the enclosure.

Especially if the enclosure has a white interior.

If you do go with the light inside the enclosure, you will most likely have to perform so sort of wire connections in a Junction box, as there are very few plug and play products for the Herp community.

Many of us can give you tips or recommendations but for the most part people with no electrical background should consult a professional. Due to safety concerns.

That being said wiring a light and a RHP is not a difficult task, although the RHP should be protected by a thermostat which could complicate things but not beyond most peoples abilities.

Cheers
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Jeremy Payne
JB Reptile
Specializing in Boa Morph's

1.0 Snow "Kahl"
0.2 Triple Het Moonglow "Kahl"
0.1 Orange Tail Hypo Het Leopard
1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow
1.0 Ghost
0.1 Possible Super Hypo
0.1 DH Ghost
1.1 "Kahl" Albino
1.0 Hypomelenistic
1.3 Pastel Hypo
0.1 Suriname/Columbian cross
0.1 Anerthrystic

Ya I've thought it through and I saw a fluorescent light unit at Petland that will fit where i want it, then it's just a matter of adding a switch which wouldn't be too difficult.

As for the RHP and thermostat, I sent an email to Proproducts and that looks like the set up I'm going to go with with a Herpstat thermostat to run it. I may be wrong but those seem pretty easy to setup.

I'm not sure which light you are looking at, but if you get a unit with the cord already on it as opposed to the hard wired kind, you can just cut the plug off to feed it through the cage wall.
Pick up a replaceable plug end and you are good to go. No wiring other than the plug end.

Pro products does this with their panels.

yeah that's what i was thinking of doing, except maybe throwing a switch on there where it it'll be easier to access.

>>yeah that's what i was thinking of doing, except maybe throwing a switch on there where it it'll be easier to access.

It would be easier to wire a switch and a double outlet into a metal double gang box with a single extension cord.

Break the tang between the outlets (see instruction on box) to insulate between the two and wire the switch to one.

Plug the light into the switched outlet.

Plug the thermostat into the other, and the RHP into it.

Simple.

BTW my setup is very similar although their are no lights and most everything is hardwired.

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Jeremy Payne
JB Reptile
Specializing in Boa Morph's

1.0 Snow "Kahl"
0.2 Triple Het Moonglow "Kahl"
0.1 Orange Tail Hypo Het Leopard
1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow
1.0 Ghost
0.1 Possible Super Hypo
0.1 DH Ghost
1.1 "Kahl" Albino
1.0 Hypomelenistic
1.3 Pastel Hypo
0.1 Suriname/Columbian cross
0.1 Anerthrystic

Nice looking setup jeremy.

>>Nice looking setup jeremy.
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Jeremy Payne
JB Reptile
Specializing in Boa Morph's

1.0 Snow "Kahl"
0.2 Triple Het Moonglow "Kahl"
0.1 Orange Tail Hypo Het Leopard
1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow
1.0 Ghost
0.1 Possible Super Hypo
0.1 DH Ghost
1.1 "Kahl" Albino
1.0 Hypomelenistic
1.3 Pastel Hypo
0.1 Suriname/Columbian cross
0.1 Anerthrystic

thats a nice setup, I'll see if i can pull of something like that.