Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just custom built a new cage for my timor pair (wood and plexiglass), 6'High x40"Wide x24"Deep. My question is I'm trying to heat the substrate and the temp at the bottom is difficult to control, and I don't want to take the chance of burns if I install a ceramic or incandenscent heat lamp inside the cage closer to the bottom. Any suggestions? I keep about 8 inches of cypress mulch there, they love to dig, especially the female. Thanks much.

you could try heat cable, available from Big Apple Herp and other places. The stuff gets pretty hot so use a dimmer switch, or you could run it through 1" PVC pipe with 1/4" hole drilled in it. Heat cable is great stuff because its water proof, durable, flexible, and WARM.
Paul

Thanks for the advise Paul. Would you run the cable (or the PVC) right under the substrate, or along the sides of the bottom, just above the substrate?

for one of my water dragon setups was first put a 1" layer of substrate, then coiled it back and forth, about 2" apart with each pass, towards one end of the cage. I would not put it around the perimeter, nor would I put it under the entire surface area of substrate. With my water dragons I did not use the PVC, but with monitors claws, and the tenacity with which they dig, I would suggest going that route.
Hope this helps,
Paul Kemes

Absolutely it does, thanks again!

Paul, one more question. I'm going to use a thermostat with this set up, should I just duct tape the sensor to the outside of the pvc? Or do you have a different idea. Thanks again amigo.