HELP HELP!! My tank won't heat up!!!

[rimelame]

Hello.

I have built a 3 section, acrylic tank. The acrylic is 6mm (1/4") thick.

The tanks dimensions are 72" x 22" deep x 18" high.

I installed a strip of 4" flexwatt along the bottom 70" long.

The flexwatt was set to 92 degrees all night... I came in this morning to check on the snakes.... the tank is 78!!!!

I want to put the sensor in the tank, but this may mean that the flexwatt needs to heat higher, maybe 100 degrees. I know that the acrylic can take it, but can the flexwatt?

I have read that it shouldn't exceed 95. however, as a test i heated it to 103 for an hour and it was fine....


please help!!

[rimelame]

Hello.

I have built a 3 section, acrylic tank. The acrylic is 6mm (1/4") thick.

The tanks dimensions are 72" x 22" deep x 18" high.

I installed a strip of 4" flexwatt along the bottom 70" long.

The flexwatt was set to 92 degrees all night... I came in this morning to check on the snakes.... the tank is 78!!!!

I want to put the sensor in the tank, but this may mean that the flexwatt needs to heat higher, maybe 100 degrees. I know that the acrylic can take it, but can the flexwatt?

I have read that it shouldn't exceed 95. however, as a test i heated it to 103 for an hour and it was fine....


please help!!

I have put the temperature probe IN the tank, and the temp is now fine.... HOWEVER.... the tape fluctuates between 111 and 125! (so far).

If the tape hasn't melted in an hour, should I worry?
If it doesn't melt over a 24 hour span... should I worry??

[snakesRkewl]

Flexwatt can run 120 degrees all day long and not hurt it at all.
What it will hurt is your snake.

You will find that flexwatt doesn't do a lot for ambient temperature especially if the top is open an lets heat out easily.

I'm assuming your controlling the flexwatt with a thermostat to control the temperature?
78 is fine for the cool end, was the whole enclosure 78?

Got pics?

[rimelame]

I am for sure using a thermostat! The probe was under the tank (attached to the heat tape). I set it to 92 degrees and went to bed. This morning when I went to check on the tank the heat tape was a steady 92, but the inside floor of the tank was 78 (measured with a digital thermometer). So, then I put the thermostat probe into the tank and the tank floor warmed up to 92, which is great, but the heat tape climbed as high as 120 degrees (and then hovered around 107 for a bit). I am assuming that once the tank, and substrate warm up that the tape will not need to go so high.

So as it stands the floor is 92, the air temp is about 83.

I just built this tank, so now I'm working out the kinks!

[sarahlovesmiike]

Don't have any insight for you, but NICE cage!

[rimelame]

Thanks!

[snakesRkewl]

Very nice enclosure, I like!

I would probably have put 11 X 12 inch flexwatt under each unit for a bigger hot spot and more help with ambient temps.

At this point you might research running a 3 inch strip under the front of the enclosure to help with your ambient temps on the cool end.
Maybe put the 4 inch up front under the cool end and put three 11 x 12 pads in the back for the hot spot?

[rimelame]

That’s not a bad idea. Maybe if I put a strip of heat tape in the front, on a dimmer at a low setting it will keep the front of the tank warmer.

The reason I went with the smaller tape is because the enclosure is only about 20" deep (inside). I have been told that the heat spot should be about a 1/3 of the tank, so... around 6" in this case. I actually have a roll of 11" tape also, if this 4" doesn't work well over the next few days I'm going to switch it with the 11" wide.

I'll update this if I change to the 11" wide!

oh - and thanks. I had a glass fish tank before which I made an acrylic lid for - but this so far is my best tank! I am very happy with how it turned out .. Maybe I'll make tanks as a business....

[snakesRkewl]

I guess I should have looked at the dimensions better

The killer thing about the new flexwatt is you can cut it to any length just like the 3 and 4 inch flexwatt

This way you can set the 11 x 12 inch piece under the enclosure and cut it to whatever length you deem appropriate for the warm end, be it 10 inches or 9 inches or whatever.

[Karbon]

Wow nice setup.

Where did you get those cages and how much did you pay for them? lol.