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Can heat tape be used INSIDE a boid enclosure (red tail). The enclosure is made of melamine, and the heat tape would be put on the right side, inside the enclosure. Could the boid burn itself or would it be alright. I know the heat tape could not possibly penatrate the melamine if put outside the cage.

Thanks

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kdrkreatures.com
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Well, you can if you do it right. Problem is, I've seen alot of shoddy wiring and insulating jobs with heat tape that I wouldn't want plugged in inside a cage. You need to make sure all conducting edges are sealed and won't come undone. You need to silicon the connectors.

Truth is, a heat pad like a Exo-Terra is better. It is sealed better.

Is this your only source of heat? For a boa, I would go with radiant heat panels, overhead heat lamps or a Kane heat mat bolted to the cage ceiling. Boas have a large body mass, and so you need to heat the air in the cage. A strip of Flexwatt may not do much for you. Need to know your setup. I've messed with boas some, and it comes down to this: either have a heated room and then a piece of Flexwatt in the cage, or else use a radiant heat panel if the room isn't heated. My opinion.
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Mark

I was looking at those heat pads Ecco-terra you find them better than cobra heat pads? What do you find makes them so good.
I will use anything except Zoo med which I find the worst heat pad.
Lia

With any heater, you need at the very least a dimmer to control the heat, or better a controller like a proportional unit. That is what prevents burns.
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Mark

>>With any heater, you need at the very least a dimmer to control the heat, or better a controller like a proportional unit. That is what prevents burns.
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>>Mark

Yes - i would have a thermostat - the cage would be 1 ft high, 4 ft long, and 2 ft deep. Adult Red tail - also could i heat it with an 11" X 23" heat pad on one SIDE of the cage to heat ambient temps without them getting burned or anything? I would also use a heat light (set on a mesh hole on top of the melamine cage).

Thanks
David
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For that size cage I'd do something entirely different. A melamine floor won't hold up long term to the urates/deficates produced by a boa. I like to use something more durable for the floors.

So if it were me I'd build the melamine cages *without* a floor. At least not a melamine one.

Then staple/silicone a piece of expanded PVC sheet directly to the bottom rim of the cage.

The cage then can be set directly on top of the flexwatt or whatever you use. The cage will be lighter and will have a floor that is very simple to replace.

I'd also line the first few inches of the cage walls with packing tape or contact paper.

But ultimately I agree with Mark. Under tank heating is really not a great idea for heavy bodied snakes unless the cage is already in a relatively warm room.
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