Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was wondering if this would work. Looking at the ones i've purchased it seems that this is nothing more than a plastic container layered from the top with insulation, a heat source similar to flexwatt, air space, then a cover. Now instead of spending over $100 per panel, wouldn't it be possible to take something like a shallow rectangular tupperware container and build something extremly similar? Make the heating element either flexwatt or just a plain old UTH? I know of course it wouldn't be as pretty... but it would work - would it not?

I'm considering getting myself just some cheap flexwatt and a rubbermaid container and trying this out...
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-Chris

The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

A fool doesn't learn. A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Which one are you?

My Website
N. American Rat/Corn snake care sheet I wrote
Information on substrates

Current snakes:
0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat (Lola)
1.0 Black Rat (Frankie)
0.1 Texas Bairdi (Rosa)
0.1 Blue Beauty (Brunhilde)
1.0 Green Tree Python (Monty)

Toon,

I've actually experimented with this. I had a ton of that Reflectix insulation and just started playing around. Honestly I was only testing the effectiveness of the Reflectix and found you can make an RHP.

But I have no idea how many watts I was using, how effective they would be compared to the professional products, and most importantly, if they'd be safe at all. I like peace of mind so I'm still inclined to order Pro Panels

Just curious, was there an air space on both sides of the heating element? If not, was it only between the insulation and heating element or only between the heating element and the face of the panel?
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Current snakes:

0.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.3 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

3.3 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black & Tan)

>>I'm considering getting myself just some cheap flexwatt and a rubbermaid container and trying this out...

Hard for me to imagine that Flexwatt will get hot enough to power a RHP... But I'm looking forward to hearing your results!

well i'm ordering some UTH's for my glass tanks and since i'm going to affix them to a ceramic tile instead of the tank i was thinking i may get like a cheapo tupperware and play around a little.

also... which uth is rated better? cobra or exo-terra? or something else?

thanks
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-Chris

The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

A fool doesn't learn. A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Which one are you?

My Website
N. American Rat/Corn snake care sheet I wrote
Information on substrates

Current snakes:
0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat (Lola)
1.0 Black Rat (Frankie)
0.1 Texas Bairdi (Rosa)
0.1 Blue Beauty (Brunhilde)
1.0 Green Tree Python (Monty)

Cobras are a good UTH, Exo-terra is also really good and is made at the same facility that makes flexwatt...
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www.mgreptiles.com
CBB Herps and Heating Supplies