Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I dont really like the heat tape, hearing stories about it makes me not want to take the chance but I was wondering what did breeders use to heat racks before discovering heat tape? Also does anyone know how much expanded pvc sheets cost and if you can get them from home inprovement stores. I need a better cage for my boas but having to buy heating products and such I dont know if i can dish out $199 for a cage so i was wondering about lining plywood with plastic. If I do decide to just order a cage what do you all think of that vision cage for $199 compared to the other plasics

Visions warp and do not come with heat or light installed.
Boaphile Plastics are the only ones for me - come just the way YOU want them. Getting a good cage like this is sooo much more meaningful than one would think.

I have heard 2 'heat-tape horror stories' out of tens and thousands of applications.. I would say it is by FAR the best source.
Nothing else compares in many ways, including safety.

Some of the things used before were pig plankets / live stock heat mats , heat rocks, human heat pads, simple lighting.. all of which are more dangerous than heat tape available today.

Reduce your risk drastically by purchasing something professionally built with heat tape professionally installed/cut/wired like a Boaphile cage.
Running/wiring the heat tape yourself leaves more chance for potential issues (horror stories).

Just my $.02

take care, Joe Rollo - BciJoe
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Thanks and take care - Joe Rollo
'Tis not the stongest of the species that will eventually survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change' Charles Darwin

I didnt know that the visions warp. The thing with the boaphiles is that its low wattage heat tape which I think is like $35 extra. I checked a thermometer in my room today and it read 64 this is with a oil filled radiator heater in the room which is in the basement. I have read that the heated boaphiles are nothing if your room temps are not like 70-75 . So if I got a boaphile and got extra heat and all then it might run well above $199.

Just my 2 cents here... If your temps are running at 64 degrees in the room, you may just want to reconsidder putting any snakes into that environment. I also have my cages in a basement but I first put styrofoam on the walls (the construction type) and carpeting in my area. The furnace forced air duct work should help me in the bitter cold nights, but at 32 degrees outside (right now) my room with two oil filled heaters running on the low setting, my room is at 82 degrees. I feel when it gets into the 0 degree mark and the furnace is running more, I should not have much a problem. Just my 2 cents. Andy