Reptile & Amphibian Forums

okay i have a few questions. im building 4 cages for breeding that are 2 feet tall, 2 feet deep and 4 feet long. im wondering what the best heat source is? i was going to use heat lamps but i really dont like those. and im not sure that i can use flexwatt on sheets of pipe, plus i dont really like flexwatt because i dont see it being very safe. so what do you all suggest? i was also told to use heat panels, would you suggest them? where can i get them? and what could i use to heat the room up to the high 70's because the rest of the house is in the low 70's. and i was looking at the big apple herp power thermastats and i saw that they are just turn knobs. ive used ones with digital, but do you all trust the turn knobs? and what is the night drop option in the herp power thermastat? sorry for all the questions but i have 1 more. the sheet pipe is 1/4 inch thick, im planning on using 1/8" glass, so can i get tracks that are like 1/4" so they will fit perfect on the sheet pipe? do you know where i can get tracks online because i cant find them at home depot or lowes! and is it safe to use glass that is 1/8" that is 1' 11" by 1' 11" (2 pieces for double sliding doors)?

and forgot to say thanks!

What is sheet pipe?

Also, you failed to mention what species these cages are for.

Regardless, Radiant Heat Panels are likely the ideal way to heat any cage. One exception would be for species like Uromastyx which need incredibly hot basking areas.

So I'll always encourage anyone to call Bob at ProProducts and ask about using one of their panels for their reptiles.

Regarding the use of flexwatt, you might read this recent thread.

But don't use it or anything else if your think it's unsafe and/or are uncomfortable with it.

I like the BA thermostats. I still have the original model that was marketed in the states many years ago. I've heard the BA model is unchanged.

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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)

sorry!! its called pvc sheets not sheet pipe haha. and it will be for boas. im also wondering for boa breeders, i usually see dark cages, this pvc sheet is white, is that okay as long as i keep the room a little dark (mainly when breeding)? and you think the big apple herp power therm is good? i hear everyone talking about it but im thinking a digital would be alot better. im guessing you just use digital thermometers to make sure the temp is okay and thats the same as a digital thermastat? thanks for the response

>>this pvc sheet is white, is that okay as long as i keep the room a little dark (mainly when breeding)?

I'm guessing it does not matter. There are many white PVC cages on the market as well. And for years everyone bred boas in white melmaine cages.

>>i hear everyone talking about it but im thinking a digital would be alot better. im guessing you just use digital thermometers to make sure the temp is okay and thats the same as a digital thermastat?

I think the differences are trivial. What really matters is the ability of the T-stat to hold temps and a set level and not fail. Maybe others will have more of an opinion.
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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)

okay thanks i was hoping that would be okay. so what thermometer systems do you all use that are very acurate that havnt failed? and does anyone know where i could get tracks for 1/8" glass online? home depot and lowes are making me mad, not having anything!

I use an infared thermometer I got from Radio Shack. Reads similar temps as my friend's laser thermometer he uses for working on cars.

Try Outwater Plastics for the glass track. They are super cheap but you need reach a minimum order. You should be making enough cages for the minimum order.
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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 not sure where to start since there is so much misinformation in this thread. However, suffice it to say I have had Herp Power units since they came out about 5 years ago. Yet, before I purchased my units I asked many questions to Big Apple.

First, to address the gentleman who indicates that he had the old style units before the Herp Power came out and that the Herp Power is a replica of that unit. This is absolutely incorrect since I found out that the old unit that was once sold by Bob Clark was produced from a completely different company in Europe and was never digital proportional, it was pulse proportional and an unsatisfactory failure rate which is why no one has seen them on the market for the last 7 years.

Now as far as the digital vs. analog setting mechanism. Both the Herp Power and Helix are digital thermostats but the control mechanisms are different. Helix uses a digital interface while the Herp Power uses a analog interface for setting the temperature.

Ask any cook if they would like to set their flame for cooking by digital setting or if they would like to set it by an analog device that you simply turn. Which one is more precise? Do $10,000 Viking stoves have digital settings or analog settings? The reason they have analog setting devices is because while digital setting is great when it comes to consumer devices it simply does not have the capacity to be fine tuned like an analog dial can.

Moving past the strange analogy I used for grills/stoves you might take note that all of Europe uses analog settings on their thermostats for animal husbandry. I guess since they average about 10 years ahead of the U.S. in animal husbandry technology their must be something right about why they utilize the analog setting controllers.

Oh, and please don't by into the fact that digital thermometers are more accurate and somehow better than analog thermometers. That is simply not true. I'm not against digital thermometers but a good analog thermometer can be as good or better than a digital.

I hope I helped clear up some of the misinformation.

Winston

Hi Winston,

"Don't buy into the fact that digital thermometers are more accurate" I',m confused. Are you saying they are factually more precise or the belief that they are more precise? Have you ever heard of anyone having a problem with the Herp power by the way?

Thanks,
Bob.