i need experienced keepers' opinions

[Trackstrong83]

I have the opportunity to trade a rack I will build for a pair of pastel 100% het pieds one male one female. I am able to build another shelf on my rack to hold 2 more snakes but here is the problem, I am already using a good amount of heat tape for my current snakes and I can't add any more or it will skyrocket my electricity bill.
But, I do have a space heater with a thermostat so it would be easy to set the ambient temp to a specific temperature then I would remove the heat tape, because I have heard numerous stories of people having success with their snakes by just using the ambient temperature. If I do this my only worry is that my snakes now have had heat tape their whole lives, would they adjust to only having ambient temp and no heat tape? Or would it be too drastic of a change for them to adjust? I'm just thinking "out loud" here trying to think what i should do because I am being offered a great deal.

What do you guys think?

[MasonC2K]

Heat tape uses so little electricity. My PC using more than all my racks combined. Your bill will certainly not skyrocket because of one more rack. And that space heater will use more electricity than the heat tape.

[DestinyLynette]

The thing is, you need ambient heat AND belly heat... ambient air temps of 78-85 or so, and a hot spot for belly heat at 90-92. No heat tape = no thermal gradient = no thermoregulation = poor digestion.

[Coleslaw007]

I too have heard from a few ppl who use only ambient temps successfully. I personally don't think I'll ever play with it, it just worries me that they won't be capable of thermoregulation in one room of the same temp. In a heated room they have no way of cooling down and I do feel like belly heat aides in digestion. In nature there would be belly heat, as the ground would provide it and lots of different heat gradients. If they get hot they can go underground, etc.

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[decensored]

Sounds like a terrible idea. A foot of flexwatt uses 20 watts, a light bulb uses 100, a space heater uses up to 1500 watts. Your question doesn't make sense to me. They need basking temps as well as a stable ambient temp. Proper husbandry should always take priority with responsible pet ownership.

[Mike41793]

An extra few feet of flexwatt would skyrocket your electricity bill? No it wouldnt lol

It's possible to keep them at just ambient temps. I'm not sure of your experience level though so i wouldn't recommend it unless you really are in tune to the animals and know what you're doing.

[PitOnTheProwl]

Heat tape doesn't use as much as you think.

They do not NEED belly heat, we just think they do. I know of several collections within 20 miles of my house that only use ambient without any problems what so ever, then again do you think the big breeders have belly heat in their warehouses??

[Mike41793]

The thing is, you need ambient heat AND belly heat... ambient air temps of 78-85 or so, and a hot spot for belly heat at 90-92. No heat tape = no thermal gradient = no thermoregulation = poor digestion.

No you don't lol. Just because you read a few care sheets that say that doesn't mean thats how it has to be done.

[Archimedes]

Not to mention the room being just plain uncomfortable to be in. That would mean keeping a full room at 80* minimum, and while some people's reptile rooms are thermoregulated that way, it's always with HVAC ducting and ventilation, not a space heater pushing stagnant air around.

Overall, it would cause more problems.

[Artemille]

That's why I love my back heated and dual sided radiant heated racks. 73-75 degree apartment, perfect gradients for the snakes at a fraction of the wattage, typically only running at 50-60% power.

I once did the math, my RBI 4-tub 32qt tub rack is only costing me $1.66/mo to power. And that is holding five snakes (with the pvc dividers).