Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What is the best way to heat a 3x18x18 all glass and plexi cage?

One of the reasons people avoid glass cages is that it has poor insulating properties and is hard to keep warm. Most people with plexiglass cages heat with heat panels. If your glass cage has a screen top you can use a ceramic heat emmiter, or you can use a red heat lamp.
-----
1.0~amel corn~C.S.
1.3~Aztec Okeetee corns~Coatl,Maya,Acatl,Tepin
0.1.1~Green tree python~Tempest, Whisper
0.2~Rhodesian Ridgebacks~Akilah, Ona
0.1~Old black Lab~ Callie
1.0~Black fat cat~Topper
3.0~Horses~Zaarah,Galliano,Achilles.....

no screen top glass back and bottom plexi sides top and front. i use flex watt heat tape for my other snakes but with green trees needed pereches didnt think the heat would rise and heat it enough with just heat tape

It think the people who use the plexiglass cages use the heat panels that connect inside the enclosure on the top. I think you have to drill holes in the plexiglass to mount, but I haven't used them myself so I'm not certain.
-----
1.0~amel corn~C.S.
1.3~Aztec Okeetee corns~Coatl,Maya,Acatl,Tepin
0.1.1~Green tree python~Tempest, Whisper
0.2~Rhodesian Ridgebacks~Akilah, Ona
0.1~Old black Lab~ Callie
1.0~Black fat cat~Topper
3.0~Horses~Zaarah,Galliano,Achilles.....

I've had a female aru in quarantine for the last 9 months in a glass aquarium. The only heat I've had to use was a piece of 3" heat tape about 18-24" long. I wrapped the heat tape around a corner near the perch to create a heated end/corner. I've quarantined many animals in this situation with zero problems. IMHO, heat panels are nothing more than an overpriced heat tape......which are easy to make if you've ever taken one apart. Don't believe the hype of glass being bad for keeping chondros. If all the requirements are put into place, they will thrive in a 5 gallon bucket. Just ask Eugene Bessette. He produced hundreds upon hundreds of chondros before chondro breeding was even attempted by the average hobbyist.....all from 20 gallong aquariums. Get all of your ducks in a row before putting the animal in and you'll do fine. Good luck.

Brandon Osborne

Actually plastic buckets hold heat better than glass! I find in the winter it's hard to keep the heat up in my cages as the house is very cool. I added heat cable to the baby's cage ( ap lastic shoebox)just so the thermostat wouldn't have to work so hard. It's good to know that the glass ones work well though. By the way, that's a great picture you posted there!

-----
1.0~amel corn~C.S.
1.3~Aztec Okeetee corns~Coatl,Maya,Acatl,Tepin
0.1.1~Green tree python~Tempest, Whisper
0.2~Rhodesian Ridgebacks~Akilah, Ona
0.1~Old black Lab~ Callie
1.0~Black fat cat~Topper
3.0~Horses~Zaarah,Galliano,Achilles.....

Thanks Meg. I would agree that plastic is a better insulator than glass if it were to be kept in sub-optimal conditions. I don't know of too many people that keep their chondros in a room cooler than room temp. Honestly, I think a lot of it has to do with marketing and selling cages that are overpriced and unnecessary in most cases. Don't get me wrong, I love a nice looking black pvc set-up. But it's just as easy to set them up in aquariums regardless of what the "experts" say. I'm no expert, but I do what works best for my animals. Thanks again on the compliments. Here's another......what do ya think?

Brandon Osborne

ohhh man... that pic of your paradox is awesome B...

did you breed him this year???

Shiloh

-----
Shiloh Hawkesworth
kansas
(Midwest Serpents)

Shiloh, he's been breeding my biak female. They've locked up about 10 times so far.....and he's wanting more. I can't wait to see what happens.

Brandon

Ohh man, Thats sweet... Keep me posted
-----
Shiloh Hawkesworth
kansas
(Midwest Serpents)

It looks like the female was a red neo... What color was the male Paradox???

Shiloh
-----
Shiloh Hawkesworth
kansas
(Midwest Serpents)

Yep.....she was a red hatchling as was he. He is going on 4 years old and still has an orange tint to his eyes. I hope they end up taking. I've had them seperated for a couple of weeks. He was on her so much, she had to retreat under the paper......and he even did her on the floor under the paper. He loves the women. Here's a pic of one of his babies from '05 which unfortunatly didn't make it long. Try and try again.

Brandon Osborne

I'm thinking hot, hot, hot!!! No wonder you don't need plastic cages....that animal heats his own!

-----
1.0~amel corn~C.S.
1.3~Aztec Okeetee corns~Coatl,Maya,Acatl,Tepin
0.1.1~Green tree python~Tempest, Whisper
0.2~Rhodesian Ridgebacks~Akilah, Ona
0.1~Old black Lab~ Callie
1.0~Black fat cat~Topper
3.0~Horses~Zaarah,Galliano,Achilles.....

hopefully my sorong turns out to be nice and blue all you can do is hope right? sweet pics of your chondros one day i shall aquire a digi cam so i can get some good pics of my cute lil girl/guy