Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Sorry for all the stupid questions latley, it's just that there are a lot of little things that need attention when setting up an entire new enclosure for the first time. I hope im not getting too annoying. Ok so for the question, i made a mistake in my recent post, im not getting a big apple heat mat, im instead getting two 11"x11" big apple radient heat panels. I heard that these were much better than heat mats so i decided to give them a try. I also got a dual probe digital thermometer and a big apple thermostat. So the question is, if radient heat panels are supposed to be located on the inside wall or cieling of the enclosure, how do i plug them into the thermostat that is outside the cage? I mean i can see drilling a centimeter wide hole in the cage for a thermostat probe, but how do i plug the big 2 inch outlit plug of the heat panel from inside the cage. Would i really have to drill a 2 inch hole too? Or am i missing something here.....?

Well if it isn't to late I believe that Big apple will install holes and caps for the holes before shipping. If it is too late then you have two options, that I can think of anyway. First you can drill a two inch hole in the side of the cage and tehn go to lowes or home depot and get a cord grommet plug(I am not sure what they are actually called). What they are is a plastic hollow cylander that fits in the hole you cut. Then there is a sleeve that fits into the cylander. This sleeve is solid except for a small notch on the edge. How it works is that you put the hollow cylander in to the hole. I would cement it in the cage using some form of epoxy or silicone or something. Then the cord to the electrical device(s) go through thte hollow cylander and out of the cage. Then the solid sleeve goes in the sleeve and the cords fit snugly into the little slot. I would put the cyklander into the sleeve from the inside of the cage so that it can't be pushed out by your snake.
The other way is two drill a small hole and cut the cord off the electrical devices. Feed teh cord throught the small hole and then splice the plug back on it or replace the plug with an after market replacement plug. Anyway, both these methods will work so it is just depends which way you want to go. Hope this helps and don't hesitate to ask questions. Todd

I use pro product radiant heat panels and perhaps these are similar in design. It should be the type of plug that can be cut off and a the cord run through a small hole and then reattach another plug once the cord is through the smaller hole. Question, why did you get two 11 x 11 panels? It seems like it would have made more sense to get one of the appropriate size and just leave it on continually...but, I do like heat panels much more than heat pads and I think you should be in good shape.

BTW...in response to your thermostat question: yes, the panels are plugged outside the cage. The panels should then be plugged into the thermostat which in turn is plugged into the wall (or power strip). You dial in the temps you want and I would place the probe directly under the heat panel where the burm will be basking. This way, you can set the panels for around 92 deg F and that should do the trick. Some panels may not even need to be regulated with a thermostat but I would recommend it. Good luck.

Thanks for your advice, i guess ill just have to wait and see what kind of ends i have on the panels...I had to get two 11"x11"'s because thats the only size they had.

You actually dont need to do any drilling at all. Have the wire fed through the side of the glass door. I have the same model Vision as you, and you should be able to still slide the glass window shut all the way with the wire coming out because theres a little gap. I also recommend using locks. Good luck

Thanks alot for your idea, I would be sooo happy if i didnt have to drill, considering i dont even have a drill. And yea i ordered it with lockable doors, will i still be able to lock it with the 3 wires squeezing in the side? What type of heating/thermostat setup do you have for your vision?

Yes, you should still be able to lock it.
As far as my heating goes...I have two Visions enclosures. One uses a 60W ceramic heat emitter, the other uses a heat mat (Ive never been a fan of them but decided to get one to compare the two heating methods). I recommend going with the ceramic heat emitter, or infrared heat lamp. Or you can get heat panels like some other people on this forum suggest. But you need to make sure you have a good humidity source or else the air will be too dry using the preferred methods. Good luck.