I hope that he's going to be okay...

It is mid-night here and I was about ready to fall asleep when I start to here a clinking noise. Every so often I would here a "clink", "clink". So I got up to see what was going on. HE WAS DANGLING ON THE LIGHT HOOD OF MY LAMP!!! I had a 100 watt night glow bulb on at the time. I took him down and put him straight into the water. He seems to be fine because the outsides of the hood (were he was) isnt hot, only warm. I misted him down after he got out of the water and I misted the cage. I took down both lights as fast as I could. Im done with lights. Those lights were very high up in the air, I have no idea how he can get to them. He seems fine, I'll check on him tomorrow. Now for heating... Grrrrrr... I dont know what to use now... Its a homemade cage so I cant really use an UTH in this unless its water proof or it has a plastic liner so it can't get wet. I hoppe they sell one. I could make wire mesh cages for the lamps but it is still to risky. Its even hotter twards the top of the bulbs. What to do now...........................



Mike and Cajun

If you have the spare money(not sure...but I don't think it costs too much..it'd be worth it anyway), measure the bottom of the cage, and go get a piece of glass cut out for the bottom of the tank. Then put some spacers at each corner of the cage to raise the glass up a bit, and all you have to do is put human heat pad(s) under the glass. Keeps the snake from getting directly to the heat pad, and it'd be easier to clean the cage bottom. Just take the piece of glass out and clean.

That's what I'd do anyway. I don't like bulbs much either. They dry the tank too much and I always had to fight with humidity when using my heat lamp for the cool side.

They do sell water proof heat mats they are a bit on the expensive side youll find them under the name of kane heat mats or pig mats the bean farm carries them

You can also create a false bottom for the cage with tile or fiberglass. Light bulbs are dangerous, as you noted, unless there's no way for the snake to get close enough to get burned. It's a good thing you caught him so quickly.

Cody what do you use to heat the cage and allow for day/night temp variation if you only use a heat mat?

Heres what im thinking about doing since the UTH's are not water proof and you can not ajust the temp. Im going to make a wire box to fit over the 2 lights so that way he has no way of buring himself. It will leave a inch gap between the lamp and the wire. On the bottom of the lamp (were the bulb produces heat) im going to make that part of a 2 inch gap. So this way he has no chance of getting burned. It not going to be the prettiest looking, but it will sure be safe for him. Hope this works...


Mike and Cajun

I was wondering why there isn't any form of belly heat. Snakes require belly heat to digest properly and if they can't digest properly, up it comes. And yes, you can adjust the temp of heating pads, thermostats work very well and aren't very expensive. It's an expense I would rather pay than having to pay the vet to treat my snake with burns on him. I am in no way trying to be rude, I just want to get the point across that we have so many ways of heating available to us, with belly heat being the best route, yet we still go the more expensive way with lights that don't last long at all and cost an arm and a leg(the reptile ones). Especially when using lights only, it is so incredibly hard to keep humidity up. BPs really need this humidity, especially when shedding.

All in all, I hope I haven't offended anyone at all. No bad words were said, just trying to be firm in my beliefs. And Mike, I really hope you consider other forms of heating, since a heating pad will be much cheaper in the long run and much better in the husbandry of your snake. I'm sorry about griping so much guys, I had to do surgery today and it was just stressful.

Let's think here . . . I think that the heat from the light bulb heats up the ground (yes it does because I've felt it). I have always have had problems with heatpads because it started to melt my container even though the container temps were just right. Not going to go that route again. On the humidity, I mist everyday so its always around 70%-80%. Second, since the ground gets warm, I don't have to worry about regerg. With all of my snakes now and the past, I have used lights and I never once had one of my snakes regerg because of the lights. None of this above was not ment to be taken in a bad way. :wink:

Heres the "contraption" I built.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...todude/sk1.jpg

Here is the pick of his cage *dont mind the temp, I just turned on the lights*

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...todude/sk2.jpg


Here's Cajun, nice and happy now. :wink:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...todude/sk5.jpg



Mike and Cajun

Quote:

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Originally Posted by padiente

Cody what do you use to heat the cage and allow for day/night temp variation if you only use a heat mat?

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I use a human heat pad to heat the cage. I don't need any day/night temp drop or whatever, since it's not necessary, and the house drops naturally in temperature at night, so whatever natural drop in temperature is fine.


Oh, and Reptidude, you mentioned that you used heat pads in the past and it melted your enclosure or something. Sounds like you most likely used those crap reptile heat pads. They tend to get way too hot. If you use human heat pads, you don't need to worry about that. I use a Dunlap heat pad I found at Walmart(no auto-shut off), and it has three temperature settings, and a cloth cover to control the amount of surface heat. I don't even use a thermostat with mine. I just put mine on low and it does my 20 gal cage fine. :) I understand you like using lights, but I don't recommend it. In my experience with them, it's a bit more difficult to control the temperature for belly heat(I know it heats the ground and stuff, yes), I was fighting with humidity(I'd soak the reptibark down good, and it read 70% humidity...then an hour later it was dried up and at 40%), and it sucks to have to replace them when they sell for around 10 dollars a bulb in my town. :(

i have Pandora in a glass tank and Apollo in a sterilite. in Pandora's tank, i have 2 heat pads kept on diff temps (the crappy reptile kind, but not the kind that get super hot... she cant get burned, i promise!!), and a heat lamp that goes on during the day. Apollo has 2 human heating pads underneath his sterilite, and so far a light isnt neccessary.

my rooms always freezing too, so i have a heater placed right between their enclosures. when i first switched my room around, i woke up and pandora's warm side was 70!! her cold side was 62!! i freaked out and got scared she was gona get RI, so i decided i needed a heater. works great :) 80 and 90 temps all the time