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Ok, Im converting an old glass front soda cooler to an incubator. Would it be better to use 11" heat tape to heat the inside or can i use a ceramic heat emitter? I was going to run about 5 feet of heat tape down the back but i'm now considering mounting a 100 or 150 watt ceramic heat emmiter in the bottom. The orignal fan in the top of the cooler still works fine so the air circulation is good and I plan to use a Helix to control the temp.....what would be the best choice for the heat source?
Thanks!

I would go 11 inch from the back top to bottom. You do not need heat tape on the floor or ceiling only on the back. Just make sure you put some kind of insulation between the heat tape and egg tubs. You must have good air circulation for this set up to work.

Good luck,
Bill
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2.1 Tripple Het Caramel, Orange Ghost, Genetic Stripe
1.1 Het Lavenders
1.1 Het Caramel Albino
0.1 Het Albino
0.1 Spider Het Albino
0.1 Het Pied
1,1 Pastel Het for Orange Ghost
1.0 Albino
0.1 Spinner
1.1 Super Pastel
0.1 Jungle Pastel
1.0 Pied 50 percent White
0.1 Clown
0.3 Normal
1.1 Kids
0.1 Spouse
1.0 Chocolate Lab

ditch the CH, place the flexwatt on the back or the sides. also the original fan blows to hard...it's better to replace with a small PC fan.

nothing is necessary for the bottom.

Pitoon

>>Ok, Im converting an old glass front soda cooler to an incubator. Would it be better to use 11" heat tape to heat the inside or can i use a ceramic heat emitter? I was going to run about 5 feet of heat tape down the back but i'm now considering mounting a 100 or 150 watt ceramic heat emmiter in the bottom. The orignal fan in the top of the cooler still works fine so the air circulation is good and I plan to use a Helix to control the temp.....what would be the best choice for the heat source?
>>Thanks!
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I'm not sure why people advise putting the heat on the back. Heat rises. I put mine on the bottom under a false floor. I have done it this way for 20 years, before we had t-stats and used the wafers from a hovabator.

Don't try to control your fan with the helix, only the heat.

I received my info on building my incubator from Rich at Reptile Basics. It is working great so far. But I am new with BPs. I heard Rich is very knowledgeable and has been in the industry for years. If you have a better way, I would love to see pics on how you built it. I am always trying to keep up with the best way to breed BPs.

Thanks,
Bill
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2.1 Tripple Het Caramel, Orange Ghost, Genetic Stripe
1.1 Het Lavenders
1.1 Het Caramel Albino
0.1 Het Albino
0.1 Spider Het Albino
0.1 Het Pied
1,1 Pastel Het for Orange Ghost
1.0 Albino
0.1 Spinner
1.1 Super Pastel
0.1 Jungle Pastel
1.0 Pied 50 percent White
0.1 Clown
0.3 Normal
1.1 Kids
0.1 Spouse
1.0 Chocolate Lab

This will be my 3rd year running the fan through the helix,my reason is that a constant air flow will dry the eggs out.If you have had a problem I would like to know about it.thanks Terry

The helix changes the output, similar to a dimmer. A fan needs constant full voltage, either on or off.

I use two Johnson t-stats in line. The first is set one degree above the second t-stat. The heat is plugged in to the second t-stat. The fans are plugged in to the first t-stat along with the second t-stat. The heat goes off and the fans run unless the temp keeps rising, then the fans shut off also. I had a fan go bad and stick that wasn't controlled by a t-stat, and that area of the incubator was getting a little too warm.

Rich at Reptile Basics is very good, I bought all of my t-stats and stuff from him. I recommend him all the time. I have seen lots of incubators with the heat on the side or back, I know it will work. I just prefer to have mine below a false insulated floor to keep the heat away from the boxes as best I can. There is a gap at one end and a fan at the other end blowing up.

I don't think temperature is as critical with ball python eggs, since they don't really thermo regulate like a Burmese python.

Mike

One reason to run the heat on the back or sides would be to not have to build the false bottom. Without the false bottom the lowest shelf might be too hot since it directly above the heat tape. Mike

I have the same type setup and utilize two computer fans AND the original fan. What you will need to do is install a rheostat between the fan and power source. ALso I installed the 11 inch Flexwatt down the back with one inch of clearance between it and a false wall( piece of plexiglass ), the air flow runs up the back through that wall then back down the front, works like a charm. The black orb was from an unrelated incedent to the plexiglass prior to use in this project lol.

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Primeval-Beauty
"Finding beauty where other's fear to tread"

Most fans aren't designed to be run with a rheostat or dimmer. Ceiling fans yes, most others no. It might work, and it might work for a while, but it isn't the way they are designed.

Why do you want to slow down the fan?

Is the false wall really a must? Still trying to decide on putting the 5' strip of 11" heat tape down the back wall or accross the bottom and sides in a U shape. I think I'm gonna just run the stock fan and see how well that works since it's already in there and functional.
Thanks.

I am not sure if it is a must to have the false wall. I put one in mine to help control temprature gradiant and to make sure that if a hatchling crawled out of the egg box it would not crawl up against the heat tape. I don't think that this would happen but I prepared for it anyway.

All this being said, I have gotten mine to where I am happy with the temps but still need to tweak it a bit before we have our first set of eggs. Next year hopefully.

>>Is the false wall really a must? Still trying to decide on putting the 5' strip of 11" heat tape down the back wall or accross the bottom and sides in a U shape. I think I'm gonna just run the stock fan and see how well that works since it's already in there and functional.
>>Thanks.

I've got mine setup with the heating elements at the bottom..However i also have two fans on the door,one at the bottom that blows towards the back,and the other is at the top blowing down.
My bottom fan started to get some vibration after running for over four years,so i disconnected it towards the end of last season..Which cost me a clutch that was on the bottom rack.
I didn't worry about it much since there were very few other boxes in there at the time.So i didnt think the circulation was going to be affected..I was dead wrong!
So if you put the heat at the bottom,put a fan down there with it! (The heat will rise up the backside anyway.),..and then put another elsewhere to force air back down the other side.
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Charles Glaspie
picasaweb.google.com/coldthumb

>>>>Is the false wall really a must? Still trying to decide on putting the 5' strip of 11" heat tape down the back wall or accross the bottom and sides in a U shape. I think I'm gonna just run the stock fan and see how well that works since it's already in there and functional.
>>>>Thanks.
>>
>> I've got mine setup with the heating elements at the bottom..However i also have two fans on the door,one at the bottom that blows towards the back,and the other is at the top blowing down.
>> My bottom fan started to get some vibration after running for over four years,so i disconnected it towards the end of last season..Which cost me a clutch that was on the bottom rack.
>> I didn't worry about it much since there were very few other boxes in there at the time.So i didnt think the circulation was going to be affected..I was dead wrong!
>> So if you put the heat at the bottom,put a fan down there with it! (The heat will rise up the backside anyway.),..and then put another elsewhere to force air back down the other side.
>>-----
>>Charles Glaspie
>>picasaweb.google.com/coldthumb

I forgot to say that the stock fan will create more heat than you think it will..Well over 90F most likely.(Which shows just how poorly they are geared towards conserving electricity as a cooler.lol)
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Charles Glaspie
picasaweb.google.com/coldthumb

I have an old Coke beverage cooler that I converted,.I used 2 Zoo Med 9 x 18 inch under tank heat pads on the bottom of the cooler and also used a 39 ft heat rope/cable that I ran up both sides in the front and zig zagged across the top and back. I made some brackets to mount the fan 6 inches off the bottom blowing up the front of the inside of the door and also have a fan mounted in the back blowing down the back. My incubator is in the basement outside the snake room, the temps in the basement drop down to upper 50's in the winter so I had to use extra heat in mine. I have used this setup for 4 seasons and the only problem I've had is with the Radio Shack 3" fans burning out,..I just ordered new fans from Helix Controls for this next round of eggs, and I'm setting up a second cooler that is about half the size to try incubating Caramel Albino clutches at a slightly cooler temp than the other clutches. I use a Helix control on the big cooler, but I'm going to use a Herpstat on the smaller,..the Herpstat allows you to dial in the temps to a tenth of a degree.
I don't think that I would use the coolers fan if I were you, it is designed to push alot of air, I think you would be better off with smaller 3" or 3 1/2" fan(s). The Helix fans have 3 power settings so you can adjust the air flow and not burn out the fan. Also you probably won't need as much heat source if your incubator is in a warmer room than mine,...my temperature recovery time was too long after opening the door, so I added the 39' heat cable. Now it works perfectly.

CARL AIKEN-SNAKES

I set my Dasani Water dispenser up with 2x3 ft. lengths of heat tape taped the back with aluminum tape. I use a $10 desk fan I picked up at Rite Aide. I set it on high, facing up on the bottom shelf. It has a SMALL magnet and therefore does not overheat cooker. Fan has lasted 13 months so far. I bought 4 so as to back-ups.

I use a Herp Stat with sensor hanging in the middle of incubator -- love them!! I incubate at 87.
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Bill Buchman

Use the 11" tape. I have 2 strips about 4 1/2 to 5 feet long running up the back wall of my fridge incubator hooked into a HerpStat ND which I keep set at 89 degrees. The fridge has 5 shelves in it and I put a small 3' desk fan on the middle shelf facing up and it does a great job of keeping the whole incubator very uniformally regulated on the temps from top to bottom. I use a 32qt Sterilite tub sitting on the floor of the incubator to keep the humidity at 100%. I also use the lighting egg crate method in my egg boxes. I put 2 layers high in a 6qt box and keep about a 1/2" of water in the box also just making sure that the water never touches the bottom of the eggs. It works great for me and I have not lost an egg in the 2 yrs of using it. I never did get the hang of mixing stuff to set the eggs on or in so I was constantly losing eggs before I perfected my own system. Hope it helps and if you would like any incubator(frige pics)of my setup or the way I make up my egg boxes email me and I can send you some pics. Good luck this year... Jay from Sunny AZ.
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JEM from sunny AZ.

3.25 Normals
3.10 Pastels
1.0 Super Pastels(Thanks Dan Wolf for the best looking Super male I have ever seen)
1.7 Normal Spiders
1.1 Spiders 100% het Ghost(thanks Mark Petros)
0.2 Spiders 66% het Ghost(Thanks Steve Beamer)
1.3 Orange/Butterscotch Ghosts(BallPython777 Mark Petros)
0.6 100% het Orange Ghosts
0.3 66% het Orange Ghosts(should prove this year)
0.1 Pastel Ghost
1.0 Citrus Ghost(courtesy of Josh Hutto)
0.1 Super Pastel 100% het Ghost
2.3 Albinos
1.1 Caramel Albino
0.1 100% het Caramel Albino
0.4 100% het for Albino
0.5 66% het for Albino(should prove this year)
0.7 Yellow Bellies
1.0 Pastel Yellow Belly
1.2 Ivory
1.2 100% het for Clowns(Mark Petros)
1.6 Cinnamons(Thanks Stan Ruppel)
1.0 Pied
1.4 100% het for Pied(Josh Hutto)
0.5 66% het for Pied(should prove out next year with my visual male Pied)
1.5 Mojaves
0.1 Pastave het Ghost
1.1 Beautiful Black Pastels(thanks Gulf Coast Reptiles)
1.2 BumbleBees(thanks for the AWESOME Bees Marc Bailey)
1.1 Pewters(Myself and Scott Priester of Brookside Reptiles)
0.1 Chocolates(Thanks Brandon of Priceless Pythons)
1.3 Lessers(Josh Hutto)
2.1 Fire's(Thanks Brandon of Priceless Pythons)
2.2 High White Calico's(Thanks Brent from BRB)
1.1 SpotNoses(Thanks Brandon of Priceless Pythons)
1.1 Enchi's (Me and Josh Hutto, Thanks again Josh)
1.0 Pinstripe
0.1 Lemon Blast
1.0 Vanilla Ghost(Thanks again GCR for all the great snakes)
0.1 Vanilla(Another one from Josh Hutto, I must have all your snakes now...lol.) Thanks my friend, Jay
1.1 Stillwater Hypo Bull snakes(Brad Chambers)
0.0.1 Vietnamese Blue Beauty
14 Tarantulas
Last but most Important 2.2 Children