Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just bought a couple of 632 Visions for my retics yesterday, and wondered how high a wattage of heat you can placed in a fixture (before the cage melts). Vision says 60 watts but I know it is higher than that. I have had 100 watts running for 24 hours with no problems.

Also, what do you prefer... spot lights, flood lights, infared, CHE, etc.?

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Mike Miller
Florida
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1.1 Diamond X Carpet Cross
1.1 Brazillian Rainbow Boas
0.1 New Guinea Water Python
1.1 Okeetee Corns
0.1 Yellowhead Retic

The last thing in the world your retic wants is to hang out under a bright light.

An undertank heater is a far more efficient way to heat a big snake than over head lighting.

For a 6 foot cage, you can use two heat pads for a bigger heated area.

I like to set the probe right on the heated area and set the therm to about 94 degrees.

Thanks for your comment. I agree that a bright light is hardly what a retic would be drawn towards. That is why I was going with a couple of 100 watt CHE that I already had on hand.

In my limited retic experience, retics don't seem to spend much time in the zone of maximum cage temps.

Thanks again,

Mike
Florida

>>The last thing in the world your retic wants is to hang out under a bright light.
>>
>>An undertank heater is a far more efficient way to heat a big snake than over head lighting.
>>
>>For a 6 foot cage, you can use two heat pads for a bigger heated area.
>>
>>I like to set the probe right on the heated area and set the therm to about 94 degrees.
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1.1 Diamond X Carpet Cross
1.1 Brazillian Rainbow Boas
0.1 New Guinea Water Python
1.1 Okeetee Corns
0.1 Yellowhead Retic

If your animal spends all its time on the cool side of the cage, you have the heat turned up too high. If it spends all its time on the heated side, it is too cool in the cage.

A healthy set up will see the animal using both sides of the cage. Typically it will go the warm side when it is digesting a big meal and to the cool side at other times.

Heat pads are much more energy efficient than overhead heating.

Heat rises.

Thanks Again!

>>If your animal spends all its time on the cool side of the cage, you have the heat turned up too high. If it spends all its time on the heated side, it is too cool in the cage.
>>
>>A healthy set up will see the animal using both sides of the cage. Typically it will go the warm side when it is digesting a big meal and to the cool side at other times.
>>
>>Heat pads are much more energy efficient than overhead heating.
>>
>>Heat rises.
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1.1 Diamond X Carpet Cross
1.1 Brazillian Rainbow Boas
0.1 New Guinea Water Python
1.1 Okeetee Corns
0.1 Yellowhead Retic

You can line the heat shrouds in Vision cages with a few layers of aluminum roof flashing. This helps guard the plastic from high temps. Of course, there is a limit to how high of temps, and my guess would be a 100 Watt CHE would exceed that limit.

CHEs produce a tremendous amount of heat back up into the socket and the area immediately surrounding the socket. The HDPE plastic that Visions are made of has a low melting point. I never tried it because I don't feel like experimenting on such expensive cages.

Anyway, you can always use Flexwatt under the cage AND only 60 watt bulbs in the shrouds as Vision recommends. I have found that by placing sheets of 1/2" thick styrene foam insulation under the cage (foam, then Flexwatt, then cage bottom) and on the back wall of the cage, you lessen the need for higher wattage devices.
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Mark G