How to Best Use Back Heat with Belly Heat ?

So i have been looking at doing a combination of belly heat and back heat but i wanted to get some feedback from people that have experience using both at the same time before i purchase anything.

My idea is to use the belly heat for the hot spot and install some back heat to turn on during the colder months to help with the ambient temperatures. I was thinking that if i am trying to maintain the ambient temperatures i would want to install 21' heat tape on the side of the rack instead of the back to help with the temperature gradient. If i use the belly heat, which is at the back of the cage and back heat at the rear of the cage i dont think that would provide the gradient i'm looking for and would make it too hot at the back of the cage.

Let me know if im overlooking anything or anyone has an alternative idea.


Thanks !

I want to get something going pretty quick by using side heat tape to help with the ambient temperatures but i just don't want to do something stupid. Is this a good/Bad idea or another idea for what to do instead. I just got my heating bill and was a little surprised to say the least.

Uth sources be it under or behind the cage is not going to do much for ambient temps. You may want to check out rhp instead.

I wish i could switch over to T8's and use RHP but since i have a rack already it would be to much money at this point. I just moved to a new house and i am learning all the nuances of keeping my temperatures. I cant afford to keep the house heated to what i want it to be, I am debating on weather i want to use a space heater to keep the rack room right temperature or if i should go with using more heat tape on the rack.

I think i can keep one room the temperature i need but keeping the entire house heated to the right temperature is expensive. I cant shell out for a new Tstat and heat tape to find out that it cant do what i need and have to go with a space heater and different type of tstat. Best option is heat tape i hope since i only have another month or so of cold weather.

I hope you mean 12 inch???

You can do it a couple ways but an oil filled heater might be more effective.

How handy are you?
If you are set on dual zoning the racks I have an idea.......
You really don't want your tubs rubbing on the heat tape so putting a second source at the front of the rack isn't easy.
Is it a home made or bought rack?
You could mount the tape at the front of the rack under the shelf/over the tub....... Just getting it up there without having tape accessible to the open tub below it.

You could always put the rack in a closet with a small heater. That would be much cheaper than heating a room. You could even change the switch to a timer unit to give them a light cycle.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ba11er

I wish i could switch over to T8's and use RHP but since i have a rack already it would be to much money at this point. I just moved to a new house and i am learning all the nuances of keeping my temperatures. I cant afford to keep the house heated to what i want it to be, I am debating on weather i want to use a space heater to keep the rack room right temperature or if i should go with using more heat tape on the rack.

I think i can keep one room the temperature i need but keeping the entire house heated to the right temperature is expensive. I cant shell out for a new Tstat and heat tape to find out that it cant do what i need and have to go with a space heater and different type of tstat. Best option is heat tape i hope since i only have another month or so of cold weather.

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I'm new to snake keeping and like to keep my house cold (60's during the summer and mid 50's to 60 during winter) and was having a difficult time with ambient temp as well. I currently have my snake in a 20L tank I covered with some Reflectix type material (until my T10 arrives). So I bought a Delonghi oil filled heater and since putting it there, the temps have been spot on. I figured better to heat 1 room instead of the whole house would be more cost effective and it really has been.

When my T10 arrives with a RHP, Bob assures me the temps will be fine since the temps and RH are easier maintained in AP enclosures. If not because my room temps are so low, I'll just stick some heat tape to the bottom for the hot spot and let it ride.

Hope that helps.....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ba11er

I wish i could switch over to T8's and use RHP but since i have a rack already it would be to much money at this point. I just moved to a new house and i am learning all the nuances of keeping my temperatures. I cant afford to keep the house heated to what i want it to be, I am debating on weather i want to use a space heater to keep the rack room right temperature or if i should go with using more heat tape on the rack.

I think i can keep one room the temperature i need but keeping the entire house heated to the right temperature is expensive. I cant shell out for a new Tstat and heat tape to find out that it cant do what i need and have to go with a space heater and different type of tstat. Best option is heat tape i hope since i only have another month or so of cold weather.

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It is expensive enough heating one room to 80-82 ( mine is small thank God) but a whole house is overkill and too expensive. I use a Honeywell space heater the round kind to heat my room to around 80-82. On real cold nights I have to plug up another kind to help. But most the time the one Honeywell does the job. They are pretty safe if done right. They stop if tipped over and I don't let it get close to anything. I bought mine at Walmart (but there are better digital thermostat one's, infra-red type) I don't have a rack but I have one plastic tub. I use 2 uth's with thermostats. One side keeps the bottom around 80 the other keeps the bottom around 90 but I still feel I need to have the room close to 80 .

The main thing is just be safe if using a room heater, or any kind of heater really.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ballpythonsrock2

The main thing is just be safe if using a room heater, or any kind of heater really.

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Ditto that as I have everything having to do with the snakes on GFCI circuits.