I don't feel to good about 11 inch flexwatt backheat..

I have my new ball python in a RBI Rack, the guy who owned it before me had backheat placed in it as well. What I am wondering is, is this safe for the snake? It doesn't seem like it gives a basking spot or it would make it difficult to digest food.. What do you think?

if it is regulated by a thermostat and the probe is in the right place, then it should be fine.

I'm not a big fan of back heat... heat travels vertically not horizontally. because of this and the fact that flexwatt is extremely inefficient at heating air (it works great for heating surfaces) back heat doesn't make much sense to me except in a few special cases.

Your going to get different opinions. I feel totally opposite. I love the back heat and because the heat travels vertically you get more of a range in temps.

I like back heat for our enclosed rack... closed in all sides except the front where the tubs slide out. The heat is trapped inside and creates great ambient and range. Wouldn't use it on our melamine rack that really just has shelves and corners, and the tubs are much more exposed. Of course, we also have a snake room that, with all the racks and tubs, creates a pretty warm room and it doesn't make much of a difference, for our setup.

This makes it easier to explain

http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/.../heatrange.jpg

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Originally Posted by grits

This makes it easier to explain

http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/.../heatrange.jpg

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but it requires so much more power to do so, the flexwatt has to be run hotter, and do you really get that gradient? If I hover my hand 2 inches over my flexwatt that is up to temp I can't feel any heat radiating off of it. It simply isn't designed to work this way.

To each their own I guess.

I do, thats the exact set up i use for my hog noses. And that range i posted is in a 6 qt tub.

I do not like back heat for any situation involving a ball python in a rack set up. Belly heat is much more efficient.

They both work fine. Back, belly it really makes no difference. Back usually runs a bit more power for the same heat however that also means that if a t-stat fails the max temp is lower. Belly heat is more efficient using less power. The reverse is true less power more heat if the T-stat fails. The placement of the heat does not effect digestion in any way.

(note•• just because a back heat may not get as hot as belly heat in the tub does not mean it is 'safe' in the event of a failure. Unless you are using a T-stat with over and under temp shut off points I would strongly suggest a failsafe with any and all set ups.)

I have both back & belly heat in two different racks; I can't tell a difference between them as far as my animals go. Neither seems to have any effect on feeding response/digestion/overall health, etc. that I've been able to tell, anyway. The room I keep my animals in is maintained throughout the year with either heat or cooling to maintain the proper ambient temps overall but other than that, nothing is any different between the racks aside from how the Flexwatt is situated. I don't really have a preference either way between them and the one rack I purchased directly from Animal Plastics I got with belly heat; the other I bought used and it came with back heat. Do what works for you; pros/cons to both but either will work fine if used within the specifications it was designed for and with a thermostat or thermostatS to control the output/act as failsafes.