Hi Quenton.

Sounds like a good plan. Looking forward to build pics!

There are some others here that are much better qualified to answer the wood sealing questions. I do remember some discussion of a coating made specifically for reptile enclosures, a search may bring it up.

I did use a two part epoxy on one enclosure with very good results.

The heat tape has been used widely in these applications with very good results. There are a couple of important safe gaurds to follow.
The manufacturer recommends a 1/8" air gap to prevent overheating.
I have never found a way to cover the electrical connections that satisfies me, but since it can be a potential shock hazard it is an important area to protect.
The wire will need a strain relief of some sort in case it gets pulled, something that many people overlook.

A fellow forum member here got me using the ceramic tile on the cage floor and it worked very well. I was using it in conjunction with RHP heat source, but should work well with floor or wall heat. It acts as a heat sink much like the earth. For my arborials the RHP alone worked fine. There are some using heat tape on the cage wall or ceiling making it essentially a RHP.The best advise I can give would be to size the heat source properly, as little as possible to get the job done. If there ever were a failure in the regulatory system and it delivers full power you do not want to overheat the animal.

The possibilities are endless really, many of the methods can work equally well in the end.

Best of luck!

Larry
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Larry Stroud - Fort Pierce, Florida

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