RHP/probe placement?

I'm getting ready to move my boa from a 41qt tub to a PVC/boaphile style enclosure. Not sure of the actual brand as it was a craigslist find. It came with a RHP that works. My question is this: where do I put the thermostat probe? I thought about on the floor of the enclosure under the RHP, but if my snake lays ontop of it, then it will throw incorrect readings. I also thought about attaching it to the RHP, but am not sure about that either. My concern is that she'll pile herself up between the floor and the RHP and be able to stay in constant contact with the RHP and burn herself. Unregulated, the RHP reaches about 140° and I don't want her to burn herself. I'm also really uncomfortable with the idea of running it unregulated. I don't need it to raise ambient temps, just to provide her a hot spot/basking area. I know quite a few people use these setups, so how do you do it? Thanks!!


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I hang mine from the middle of the panel. It is about 1/2 way between the panel and floor.

I have had good luck mounting mine with a cable strap.

I glue the probe into a cable strap and then glue the strap to the edge of the RHP.

http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/...020_115558.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kitedemon

I hang mine from the middle of the panel. It is about 1/2 way between the panel and floor.

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What do you use to attach the probe to the panel?


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I used a big blob of hot melt glue to hold it in place. I found the cable was a bit looser than I liked so I use heat shrink to make it stiffer. It has worked reasonably well although a UTH is far far easier.

http://images12.fotki.com/v20/photos...MG_2980-vi.jpgHosted on Fotki

You can see the heat shrink on the probe (ridge) it extends to the blob. It is messy but working it can hold quite a tug I pulled it and actually pulled a screw loose from the ceiling.

Those are all great looking options. I'm going to give you one more. This was conveyed to me by Bob at Pro-Products, makers of RHP's Proventamite and some other great equipment.

This may or may not be the answer for you depending on the ambient temp of your cage and room.

Mine is in a finished basement and the temp is usually 67-75 degrees depending if I'm running an outer room heater.

Bob advised I should mount the thermostat probe to the far cool side of the tank and dangle the probe just off the floor slightly above the highest part of the snake's body.

I set my thermostat (Herpstat 1) to 80 degrees. This is the temp that my cool side reaches or my ambient temp. The gradient is created, and having the RHP work to make the cool side 80 works out that my hot side is 92 degrees. There is a bit of a gradient on both sides of the RHP as I mounted it 6"s out from the left side so it's still warmer on the left, but not as warm as directly under the panel. The right side is the cool side sitting at 80 and there is a gradual warming closer to the RHP.

Bob has a lot of knowledge and will talk your ear off explaining his reasons for the setup.

Keep in mind he wanted to know my room ambient temp, size and type of plastic cage I had, and whether or not we had a concrete floor or not. He designs his heat panel to suite the specific need you have.

You could probably still do some trial and error stuff, but I did all of that 3 weeks before I got the snake.

I used a little foil tape to stick the stat probe cord to the ceiling of the cage. If the snake hits it, it just swings back into place.

http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/y...a/IMG_1018.jpg

You can see the probe on the far right side. Hope this helps.

I think the other posts with photos are equally as good and advise you go with whatever works best for you.

Good luck!

Thanks for your responses guys. I'm not concerned with the ambient temp as my snake room stays warm enough on its own (I have an oil filled heater on a thermostat if it were to happen to dip too low).

Gio: I like your idea...but here's the flaw I see: if the RHP is on, how hot is it getting? Obviously if it's heating the cool side to 80 then it's getting far above that temp. I don't want this thing running 140 degrees for hours on end and my boa resting against it and burning herself.

I see your concern but the rhp is hot but not hot like a stove burner. Since it is on the ceiling the snake really has no way to stay in contact with it long enough to create an issue.

My gtp bumps his all the time. It however does not get anywhere close to 140 since it only creates a hotspot on the top perch and my whole room is heated for ambient temps. As long as it is not an overly tall cage I'm sure it will stay at temps that will not create burns. Certainly check it though.

The surface of mine often is over 140. It takes more heat than this to get a contact burn but mine will also heat the floor to 106 with no issue the cool side on my test enclosure with no secondary heat will only be 6 over the room temps. The room temp is only 63 so far too cool.

I don't see the logic of probe on the cool side as rhp do not heat air at all. I fiddled with this and the rhp produced a 100 hot spot and ambients under 70. It did not work for me at all.


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I actually unplugged my rhp's because they didn't help my ambient either. Well they created a hotspot to hot for my blood and brb trying to get the ambient up. I'm glad I had rhp's and uth's.

I ended up heating the room with a oil heater.