Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Howdy gang, I am looking for some insight. I am looking at a few different options to heat my individual enclosures. Im looking at heat tape and radient heat panels. These are primarily LARGE iguana size enclosures.

Hubby deals with my building requests, however I am a tad stumped as to what works best when placed on a wooden surface. Im looking to put the heat on the sides of the enclosure to project inwards horizontally.

I need to get (depending on animal) between 10 and 30 additional degrees. Any input, better ways to research would be appreciated. Looking to somewhat reduce my reliance on heat lamps and CHE's. My reptile room has a baseline temp of 79-81 degrees.
-----
Cindy
PHFaust

Email Cindy

Land of the Outcasts!

well in this case i would say call the guys at pro products they are hands down the best heat for the dollar. they will get the sizes of the enclosures you are heating and size them accordingly. i had once offered my a heat panel but after spending a few hrs on the phone with the owner and getting info when a customer wants a radiant heat panel i send them to proproducts for the panels they have the BEST warranty in the world 10 friggin years !!!! yeah they are little more pricey then others but they will size them to your needs not just sale you a panels thats to big or to small and CS is just remarkable from them . so in lieu of your needs thats the only reccomendation i could give to you w/out feeling like i mislead ya . best of luck to you
Alan
-----
Buisnesses come and go everyday, what keeps you here is how you treated the customer the day before....My Boa Can Kick Your Boas _ss!www.cheapcages.com
Visit the new website while the Jungle gets made over.

I must agree with Alan. If you've read the threads below you'll see I've been trying to make some 11" flexwatt panels work. I hate em! I wish I hadn't wasted my money on these things. If you consider the money for parts and the time spent, either Pro-products or Boaphile heat panels are the way to go hands down.
-----
DZ
1.0.0 Burm, Moses
0.0.2 Ball, Chico & Chewy (rescue, many scars)
0.2.0 Cats, Merideth & Hannah
1.0.0 Black Chow, Pivo (tumor in liver, will euthenize Oct 23)
Lotsa fish
1.4.0 Rats
0.2.0 Humans (a little obnoxious though)

>>Im looking to put the heat on the sides of the enclosure to project inwards horizontally.

This is a question for Bob at Pro Products. I'd be concerned that heat would build up in one end of the panel and possible be dangerous or at least shorten the life of the panel. This is the same reason why you can't put them above screen. The screen reflects some of the rays back at the panel and reduces longevity. At least that's what I believe I've read.

I really like CHE's for basking lizards and think you should try to use them over panels. But they should not be used horizontally.

Another choice would be high wattage flood lamps shined through the side of the cage.

More info about the cages would be helpful.
-----
Current snakes:

1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.4 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

>>More info about the cages would be helpful.

I am currently using heat lamps and CHE's. I guess i am looking to increase things with as little energy used as possible.

Cages vary in sizes from the small end 5 x 5 x 5 to large end 7h x 5d x 7w. I also have a savy monitor enclosure that is 3h x 5w x 5d.

Part of the problem is we recently moved which expanded my space. My temps are really much harder in the bigger room to keep good. Im keeping them there, but on the largest cage using 2 CHEs to get it up high enough. I have to buy a new room heater and that may solve the problem, but just looking at other options.

All enclosures are floor space wood. 2 of them have 5 side wood, top screen/plexi. The other is 4 sides plexi, wood base and top combo screen/plexi. This is for my personal animals. The rescue stuff I cant make any permanant changes to caging, due to the fact that I never know what will be in that cage in 2 months or so.

I spose most of it stems from wanting to lower my electric bills.
-----
Cindy
PHFaust

Email Cindy

Land of the Outcasts!

Hey cindy ,

those size cages are gonna be a bare to heat. i noticed you said you just moved or recently . is this house a rental ? or do you own ?

here is a idea that might help ease the electric bill pains .
My snakes are housed in my office in my shop which is seprate from my home. its a 18x21 shop with a 8x10 or so office and the snakes are in racks. In NC in the mountains here we get cold winters so what i did i was using a oil filled space heater but it kinda drives the heating bill up . I bought a small room nat. gas / propane heater it will heat upto 300 sf i think was like $140 and a 100lb propane cylnder was $75 and it costs $30 a month to run it now that $30 is manly due to it is a seperate out building that is only heated in the office by this so it has to run more but with a inhouse room you could prob get atlest 2-3 months off a 100lb propane tank. just a option to think of
Alan
-----
Buisnesses come and go everyday, what keeps you here is how you treated the customer the day before....My Boa Can Kick Your Boas _ss!www.cheapcages.com
Visit the new website while the Jungle gets made over.

>>Hey cindy ,
>>
>> those size cages are gonna be a bare to heat. i noticed you said you just moved or recently . is this house a rental ? or do you own ?
>>
>> here is a idea that might help ease the electric bill pains .
>>My snakes are housed in my office in my shop which is seprate from my home. its a 18x21 shop with a 8x10 or so office and the snakes are in racks. In NC in the mountains here we get cold winters so what i did i was using a oil filled space heater but it kinda drives the heating bill up . I bought a small room nat. gas / propane heater it will heat upto 300 sf i think was like $140 and a 100lb propane cylnder was $75 and it costs $30 a month to run it now that $30 is manly due to it is a seperate out building that is only heated in the office by this so it has to run more but with a inhouse room you could prob get atlest 2-3 months off a 100lb propane tank. just a option to think of
>>Alan
>>-----
>>Buisnesses come and go everyday, what keeps you here is how you treated the customer the day before....My Boa Can Kick Your Boas _ss!www.cheapcages.com
>> Visit the new website while the Jungle gets made over.

We actually are finally homeowners. I doubled my floor space but with that comes new problems. I can now seperate the rescue and my personal collection.

I did look at some various space heaters at Wallys recently and planned on checking home depot as well. The ones at wallys are cheap as dirt but they really dont seem able to heat the space i need. I have an L shaped room. I did consider getting one of the bigger propanes, but was concerned with possible fumes. Any input on problems with that.

I do have one animal that I am extremely worried about loosing so was VERY hesitant with any fume issues in the room. I have a grand caymen hybrid iguana that I guard with my life. How long have you used the propane? Is there any side effects? Room stays around 73 with out the little heater I have now. We will be insulating room soon, but need an extra umf. And as I said, getting sick of obscene electric bills. Then again this house actually has insulation so I wont have $500.00 a month gas bills come winter.
-----
Cindy
PHFaust

Email Cindy

Land of the Outcasts!

Are you trying to heat entire cages to a warmer temperature or rather just trying to increase the temperature of the basking area?

If you're trying to increase the basking area then room heat might disapoint you. But if you just want the room to be a bit warmer I've actually had very good luck with the oil-filled, radiator style heaters.

I used to heat a 13'x12' room to 82* to 85* and it only added about $20 to my electric bill - even when it got very cold in the winter. The room had very large windows, a thin door, and I did nothing to increase the insulation.
-----
Current snakes:

1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.4 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

I just re-read the thread. For Iguanas and Monitors I would think a baseline temperature of 79* to 81* would be more than enough. I don't think increasing the room temperature is a good idea.

Instead I think you want hotter basking areas, and you want to do so with as little wattage as possible.

A radiant heat panel might provide a hot enough basking area for an Iguana. I'm not sure as I've never used one to provide a signficant hot spot. It might be worth checking them out.

But for a monitor, or if the RHP's are not hot enough for Iguanas, then halogen lamps and CHE's provide the most heat per wattage of energy. At least according to my testing.
-----
Current snakes:

1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.4 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

>>I just re-read the thread. For Iguanas and Monitors I would think a baseline temperature of 79* to 81* would be more than enough. I don't think increasing the room temperature is a good idea.
>>
>>Instead I think you want hotter basking areas, and you want to do so with as little wattage as possible.
>>
>>A radiant heat panel might provide a hot enough basking area for an Iguana. I'm not sure as I've never used one to provide a signficant hot spot. It might be worth checking them out.
>>

For the iguanas I have (other than the juvi greens which need hotter) the base line is good, for now. But what I am looking at is in the very near future we will be having temps that drop below zero here. Which means my reptile room which is in the basement (largest room in the house ;}) my temps will drop when the ground freezes. I would like to be prepared for that. I tend to keep my savy around 90 with basking spot of 100. He does so much better there, but once the ground freezes the basement temps will drop.

I did see several of the oil radiator type heaters out now. They plug in and look like the old aparment heaters of the college small old apartment days. I did debate on getting one of those over a ceramic. I was thinking it would have a better heat output.

All of my current basking spots are 10-15 degrees higher. My room baseline is at that temp with about 15 CHEs and 150 Watt bulbs. Oh our electric company will LOVE me. I want to drop down to 1 CHE or basking bulb per cage. Thats really all the kids need. Will take another look at heaters today at a few stores. Im still nervous about fumes from propane. No canaries down there to test the fume level
-----
Cindy
PHFaust

Email Cindy

Land of the Outcasts!

Hi Cindy,

Okay, I think I'm getting a better picture of your setup and future needs.

My gut tells me to avoid the propane heaters and use a radiator style heater. Since the room is in a basement I recommend using a staple gun to attach a reflective foil/bubble insulation to the walls and ceiling.

Then run a radiator style heater for the room. These produce primarily radiant heat (instead of convective or conductive) and the foil insulation will do an excellent job of blocking it.

Run the heater through a high wattage thermostat such as a Ranco or Johnson Controls. If you order the latter through DSreptiles (I believe I have that right) you can get it with a multi-strip outlet already wired in.

Plug the heater and a large box fan into the multistrip. That way when the thermostat kicks on both the fan and heater will start running.

I think you'll be surprised at how good the heat will distribute around the room. Keep the juveniles closer to the heater.

Here's a picture of a room I have heated in my garage. This is what the foil/bubble insulation looks like.

-----
Current snakes:

1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.4 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

Ahhhh so you use the fan to blow the heat... That makes a lot more sense. Ill look into that company for the thermostat. Of course my husband keeps telling me it isnt as cold as I think it is. I spose I have had green iguanas for so long and still have so many in the rescue that I am extremely paranoid about heat and humidity. I forget some other species are a bit more forgiving.
-----
Cindy
PHFaust

Email Cindy

Land of the Outcasts!

Your sav's basking spot is only 100F? You'd really get hammered for that in the monitor forum I would suggest a 130F basking spot with 80F ambient temp in the cooler part of the enclosure.
Neal
-----
pale reason hides the infinite from us

One question, unless I missed it...what type of heating system do you have in this house?
Perhaps you can add a second zone in the basement?

>>One question, unless I missed it...what type of heating system do you have in this house?
>>Perhaps you can add a second zone in the basement?

That Im not sure of... I can suggest to hubby.

This is the joy of moving... Double the space, but a bit of a headache heating the room...
-----
Cindy
PHFaust

Email Cindy

Land of the Outcasts!