Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently built a 4x2x2 enclosure for my salmon boa out of 5/8 melamine. I had originally intended to use a 18"x18" Kane Mat for heat, but have recently thought about using 11" Flexwatt heat tape. My one concern with the Flexwatt was waterproofing it, since this will be in-cage heating. It is my understanding that Kane heat mats are completely waterproof and to waterproof flexwatt, you need to silicone the connectors and even then, its best to cover the tape with a thin waterproof material like plexiglass or linoleum, and then silicone that to the bottom of the cage. Will this completely waterproof the flexwatt? Does flexwatt need to breathe? Or should I just go with the kane mat for a little extra money for the peace of mind?

Also, for a 4'x2' cage, would one strip of 2' of 11" flexwatt be good for a 5 foot snake?

Thanks for your help

You will get little to no heat transfer through 5/8" melamine. You can use a Kane matt, or my choice is to use the Flexwatt or other brand of UTH and cut a 1/8" piece of plexiglass or plate glass 2" bigger in W and L and silicone all around the edges with good adhesive caulk and you are now good to go. I do the same thing with my Proline cages. The Kane Matts are real thick, yes they a real nice quality but I prefer having the heat on the inside as I can directly control the heat without variations in heat transfer. Works for me.