Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Can a pad such as a Kane heat pad be used inside of a cage?
I am still at a loss as how to heat a large 8' burm enclosure.
Can the Kane type be used under the substrate? I plan on using cypress.
Also, I have read that radiant heat panels should not be used in high humidity situations.
Would'nt enclosures for burms and most boids be high humidity?
All the skills in the world to build a cage. An no clue as how to heat this thing.
Grrrr!

>>Can a pad such as a Kane heat pad be used inside of a cage?

I have heard that they can be used. MarkG mentioned in a thread yesterday the possiblity of mounting one to the ceiling of a cage. Read that thread and ask him.

>>Also, I have read that radiant heat panels should not be used in high humidity situations.

RHP's are used extensively in Green Tree Python cages which tend to be fairly high humidity. Don't quote me on this, but I believe I read about a keeper who had a misting system spraying water on a ProProducts RHP for several weeks before he/she realized it.

Contact Bob at ProProducts or e-mail him. He'll tell you exactly what you need.
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1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.4 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

I made my own light hoods that mount to the back wall and use Zoo Med's Ceramic Infrared heat emitters for basic heat. It will heat my 6X3X2 cage to about 88 degrees at one end and 81 degrees at the other. Right now my burm is avoiding the hotter side so I have plenty of room for adjustment.

I connected the heater to a wall outlet, mounted under the cage. I connected the outlet to a Line Voltage thermostat mounted inside the cage. When the t-stat turns on it simply turns on the outlet. Whatever is plugged into the outlet then comes on. I use a wizard sculpture with lighted eyes to tell me when the heater is putting out heat because it's plugged into the same outlet. Here's a drawing of the hood. I'll post actual pics when I can.

DZ

Are you concerned about affecting the longevity of the CHE's? I ask because those are designed to be used in a perfectly vertical application to avoide excessive heat build up.

I have a project that I'm working on where I really want to use CHE's. However, the products will have to be angled for clearance issues.

Also, can you provide more information on 1) the size of the cage? 2) what wattage/how many CHE's you're using?

Look forward to seeing actual pics.

BTW, I love your idea on the wizard with lit eyes. I either plug a fan or a small red light bulb into my thermostats so I can tell how often they are cycling. A bit more boring that yours
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1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.4 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

I think I am going to go with radiant panels. I will see a rep from Pro Products this coming weekend at the White Plains show.I'm sure they can provide me with all the info I need.
I will use them in conjuction with a 20w undercabinet halogen light.
I am looking at the design using the CHEs. Should'nt these have adequate ventilation, and does mounting them that way provide enough? And should'nt they be vertical for longevity?
Just curious. I know how my luck runs, and I am sure the Mrs would be upset if I burned the house down.
After reading all these posts in here, I guess I am sold on the radiant panels. I guess it's fear of the unknown holding me back.
Bob

Look at the drawing. The back side where (Burmaboy, I completely understand about the unknown plee) the cord comes through is completely open. The hole in the wall it's mounted to is the same size as the back opening of the hood. It vents from the back. I've had one in place for a year now with no operational problems. The only issue I have is the 150 watt unit is recommended for a 50-100 gallon terrarium. BULL! My cage is 6X3X2, way more than 100 gallons. If I simply plug it in, it will cook junior. I've even been thinking of getting the smaller 100 watt unit. If you think about it, the basking light puts out enough heat to assist the CHE, then at night when the light goes out you have a nice nightime temp. Even with the stat @ 80 and a 65 watt basking bulb my snake still retreats to the underground hide which doesn't get above 80. Someone earlier said the recommended temp may come from the power co. He may be right! Pics to come real soon.

DZ

I said that about the power company recommending the temps.
All my herps, even my desert lizards seem to enjoy the cooler end of the enclosures. And I am diligent about checking temps.
I've gotten to the point where I let the animals tell me what temps they like.
This was discussed over in the Burmese Python forum.
It seems the cooler it gets, the more active my snakes become.
Even at the high end temps for my beardies and frilleds, they become stressed.
And then I let everything cool down.
I am looking forward to seeing pics of your CHE setup. I am beginning to build a burm enclosure, and I am open to ideas.
Actually, I saw your setup, and though...why not angle the backside , and cover it with hardware wire and use lights there.
Sort of like the Vision cages use. Keep it all angled, so I can stack cages, yet lights are easily accessible.
I think I need to build some small cages, and use those as prototypes for different ideas.
Kind of like engineering or architecural mock ups. Man...
I'm scaring myself now...lol
Looking forward to seeing those pics!

Bob

You can use a Kane inside as long as you use a dimmer or controller. I've attached them to the cage ceiling of a low-height cage, and they work just like a radiant heater and are completely sealed against moisture. For a 6ft cage, I'd use at least one 3ft Kane and maybe another 18" one depending on the room temp. They're heat output is less than a Pro-Products radiant heater, but still pretty good in an insulated cage. I've also used them inside for belly heat, but I prefer air heat for big snakes. Kane pads can take a beating and can be used for dogs and pigs, so certainly a snake is no threat to the device.

In a cage with 2ft height, you may not be able to use a Kane mounted above and get enough heat. Not sure. My cages were 18" high and 12" high. Never tried one taller than that. You could make a wood skirt to lower the heat pad.

I've been in a jungle in Mexico. The shaded ground and tree hollows were cooler than the air temp. Yeah I know Burms aren't from Mexico, but it would seem to me they are used to warm air rather than cooler air and a warm ground (i.e. undertank heating.) And a big snake like an adult needs alot of area heated. Oh the heating bill. You Burm keepers are crazy lol.
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Mark