Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all, I've been keeping most of my reps in 30 gallon Rubbermaids, measuring 30x16x14 approx. I've been using heating pads but am looking to switch to lights to provide better air temperatures this winter. Anybody have good any ideas on how to incorporate heat lamps with plastic/plastic lidded tanks? I had previously cut out half the top section of one, replaced it with wire mesh and duct taped it down, but inevitably the tape comes off or the snakes can work their way out of it. Any input welcome.

as long as the heat lamp doesnt touch the edges of the screen you could probably use hot glue or some other type of adheasive. a better idea might be to make a frame out of wood and screw that to the opening.

I have tried duct tape and my hot glue gun also, but like you, I had problems with the screen coming loose. I have cut out a portion of the lid with my Dremel rototool and use a wooden yard stick or wood paint stirring paddle over the screen laying on the plastic and then use a heavy staple gun through the bottom. I have also used 1 by 2 lumber with tacks or staples. If this makes sense: from the top of the lid-wood frame, then screen, then the plastic lid then staple up through the underside of the cut out plastic lid.

Good ideas guys. I Had a new idea for it too, which I just finished building my prototype, I took off the screen and duct tape that I had formerly been using and drilled small holes every inch around the perimeter. I then "sewed" on the screen usign thick string. Now I have the screen, tied down around its edges by the string, on top of which I placed a layer of duct tape. Seems much more secure than before.
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0.0.1 Snow Corn
0.0.1 Oketee
1.1 Ghosts
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.0 Burmese Python

How do you keep the snake from pushing the lid off the rubbermaid? I've been thinking about using rubbermaids for a while, but I can't figure out how to keep the lid on.
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MY COLLECTION:
1.0 Columbian BCI
0.0.1 Crested Gecko
1.2 Ball Pythons

MY WISHLIST:
A Northern Blue-Tongue Skink
1.1 nice Jungle Carpet Pythons
1.1 Hogg Island Boas
0.1 pastel Columbian BCI
A Blood or Short-Tail Python
A Dumerils Boa
1.2 Bearded Dragons
1.1 Rankins Dragons
1.3 Crested Geckos
Breeding groups of various Leopard Gecko morphs (including Tremper Giant, Patternless Albino, Blazing Blizzard, and Bell Albino).

The ones I buy have latches on either side. They're not name-brand Rubbermaid, don't know if there's a difference. I get 'em at Bed Bath and Beyond, they're just oversize sweater boxes I guess.
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0.0.1 Snow Corn
0.0.1 Oketee
1.1 Ghosts
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.0 Burmese Python