Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I purchased a Vision 332 at the White Plains Rep. Expo and am kind of at an impass as to how to heat the cage. The standard area they give for heating, a 5.5" dome opening seems woefully inadequate to me. Even if maxing out the dome with a 60w spotlight, I can't see how the temp will get high enough in the cage.

Should I go with a Cobra heat mat and stick it inside or are there other ways. I've heard of putting a pro-prod. radiant panel, but would rather not go that route for now.

So, what would everyone advise me to do?

I to have a vision, and had fits trying to get the temps up. Then I got it. I use a 50 watt red bulb, dont go any higher the light is to close to the floor. So that temps around there are perfect. Then I bought a cobra heat mat, I stick that underneath the vision cage on the otherside of the light. The temp will get to 100 degrees, so I also bought a thermastat thing at petco, and now its at like 95 degrees, the other side of the cage is like 85 or so, and I also use spanish moss, I think on one corner to keep the humidity up. I also underneath where my cage lays I use ceramic tiles, so the mat is not right on the stand even thought they give you these little rubber things to raise it. But tjats what I do, and works good.

So you wouldn't recommend putting the Cobra into the cage itself? If I do go the route of putting the heat mat on the outside of the cage, I was planning on using a piece of plywood on the bottom, sandwiching the mat between the plywood and cage.

My other option is some flexwatt... I have a piece I never used, it's the larger styled tape. Could probably use that, but I will definitely have to get a thermostat or controller because it just gets too damn hot when it's covered by something.

Problem with putting inside the cage, is how are you going to get the cord out. Or are you saying you would drill a hole to get the cord out of the cage, or how would you work that. It works good on the outside, but thats just my opinion. Ya those heat pads get extremly hottttttttt. Flex watt alot of people rave about, I have yet to make somthing to use it, so I don't know anything about it.

How about Kane heat mats? They seem pretty nice, I would just be worried about them melting the bottom of the cage.

No, I have been using the cobra heat mat underneath for over a year, and has not melted, actually a guy at a reptile store said it would be ok, because I thought the same thing. And I just actaully got a thermastat a couple months ago. Its for my Boa and she never went over there and the temp got up to 100, and the books say any where from 95 give or take 5 degrees, now its down to 95, and it helps bring the temp up in cage, and with the moss and half of the cage taped up with plastic, by the vents, the humidity is perfect. I actually love vision cages, I only have one, and I have a animal plastic cage for my burm, they are both good cages. I like the AP cage because it has the heat tape already with it, and it is on the bottom, its not really heat tape but like a heat rope.

I would recommend some form of heat panel. Either the pro-products(which are quite expensive) or if you go to beanfarm they sell ultratherm radiant heat panels at a fraction of the cost of pro products. As far as Kane mats go I have never used them but have only heard exceptional things about them. they are waterproof so they can be put directly in the cage and can be washed effectively. The problem with using the domes as a heat source is the fact that it makes it more difficult to maintain a proper photoperiod. If you use daylight bulbs then when you turn the lights out at night you lose your heat source and if you use an infra red or ceramic heat emmitter then you have no internal lighting. Either way not the best options for maintaining a photoperiod. Hope I have assisted a little. Todd