Rubbermaid heat insulation, or lack thereof

I've been running a heat pad under a rubbermaid I got, and when it's about 95 on the hot side, it's only in the low 70's on the cool side! It's not retaining any heat!

My house is pretty cold, but I don't want to have to use 2 heat sources for one enclosure. Do you have any recommendations for insulating a rubbermaid container?

Why don't you want to use 2 heat sources for one enclosure?

-adam

I have the same exact problem. I hope you get some answers. I didn't even think of insulation.. silly me. You could try taping some corrugated cardboard to the sides. I don't know really.

Adam - it would be mighty costly to have a heat pad under each end, each with its own thermostat. I'm just not made of money.

I understand that you are not made of money, but if your ball python gets a respiratory infection from being too cool, your veterinary bills will be far more than the cost of some flexwatt and a rheostat.

I don't want to get into a debate about responsible pet ownership, but what will you do if your animal gets sick? Or if insulating the rubbermaid doesn't help?

-adam

I don't have a BP yet, and I'm trying to get the enclosure set up before I get one. I want to see if I can get the temps right without using tons of equipment, but I won't get a BP before I have it worked out. And I will use two UTH's if I have to. I'm just exploring my options first.

Hey, chill out Adam. ;)

There's nothing wrong with saving money if you can. I'm sure guitrage will get another heat pad if necessary, but if only one is adaquate with some cheap insulation, then more power to him!

I use 2 under mine, works pretty well. Keeps the warm side at 93-94 and the cool side 82-84. I am planning on cutting a small hole in the lid of her container(with hardware cloth over it) so I can get a light to warm up the air some. My boyfriend's house gets a little cold at night, just because it's old, and I think she needs a little additional heat for the winter.

He's also getting me a thermostat for XMas, not anything fancy, but the middle one from Big Apple. Or if Matt can sell us something else around that price, that works better, then I'm game for that too. :)

For my boa, and he is in a rubber maid right now, I have a heat pad under the warm side, and a heat emitter on the warm side also, the heat pad just does not cut it by itself. But with my set up, I get temps of 90-95 on the hot side, and 78-85 on the cool side. Even at night, and my house is super cold cause it is way old, like built in the early 1900's, with very little improvements. How many holes do you have in your rubber maid, can ya cover a few, that may help keep in heat.

There are 12 holes on each of the long sides that I made with a soldering iron.