Re: PVC, RHP, general setup advice
Quote:
Originally Posted by
larryd23
What tips the scale for me is the convenience of ordering and delivery time from Reptile Basic. I can't understand why AP and Pro Products cannot match that convenience given the apparent demand for their products.
I agree with you 100%. It’s a PITA to wait months for my enclosures. I actually have another shipping out next week that I had custom made and ordered in Oct. Ali and her husband have another building set up for production that they bought this past summer. One of the machines they bought came damaged, they now are waiting on that. They also are doing employee training for the new building as her husband has done 90% of the manufacturing himself. I hope when the 2nd location opens they can compete with turn around time.
As far as Bob at Pro Products, small scale RHP’s make up 10% of his business. He does huge facilities and Zoo enclosures and installation. Ive never waited more than 2 weeks to receive one and I have like a dozen of them. The ordering is hands on though, you call and if between 10am and 4pm Ive never not had him answer. Yes online ordering is easier for some, but he does not want to sell without knowing your homes ambient temp and the species. He is a perfectionist and he does not want someone to receive a panel that wont give the proper husbandry. I found this out myself while trying to use a temp quarantine enclosure that came with a 88watt. My home i like cool to sleep and at 66 degrees it would not keep up with the 4’ x 24” enclosure. So Bob being thorough about all this really helps. At 70 degrees the panel was fine but I can not sleep with my home 70* so I went with a 120 watt panel for that enclosure too.. Id rather run one that to big and cut the Tstat to 80% power. That way if my furnace broke or something my panels would have the juice they need to heat even in less than comfortable room temps...
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Re: PVC, RHP, general setup advice
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Southpaw91
So just kind of thinking ahead, as at the rate she is growing, I am probably going to be moving my BP to her forever cage by the end of this year so I am in the research/info-gathering phase. I think i am going to go wtih a PVC cage, I like the animal plastics T8. I am thinking I want to go with an RHP, possibly with heat tape to supplement hot spot, but I have a few questions.
Firstly, does anyone have any experience with Vivarium Electronics' RHPs? It seems a lot of people on here use ProProducts, but it seems as though I could probably save myself a bit of money going with the VE brand and their standardized sizes rather than the custom route. Are they reliable?
Second, in my current setup, (41qt bin, 23x16x8") I am heating from below with a heat mat. I don't have any additional heating from above as with the heat mats and insulation and the short height of the tub, i'm able to keep her ambient temp within an acceptable rage of 75-77*, even in the dead of winter. I know a lot of people use RHPs alone and say the BPs don't actually need belly heat but for some reason I am just more comfortable having a source of belly heat for her hot spot. I certainly can save myself a bit of money on the thermostat if I only have one heat source to control (looking at the Herpstat 2, but the Herpstat 1 is a bit cheaper), but I also just worry about the RHP not being enough to keep a good hotspot for her, especially under a hide. I live in Colorado and it gets quite cold here so I like the idea that her floor temps are nice and toasty just in case the ambient temp dips.
Can y'all share some of your experiences/recommendations in this area?
Thanks in advance!!
I have a t8 using a, I believe it’s a 75 watt, pro products rhp. It was $126 shipped. He offered a 10% discount if mailing him a money order or check. So that would of been $115ish I believe shipped if I didn’t use my credit card. Went a long with his recommendations based on ambient room temp of 65°. Before my snake room was up and running I had it in those temps, blocked off some vents and achieved 88-90 hot spot 77 cool end no problem. Now it’s in my snake room with constant ambient room temps 75-80 so there is definetly no worry there.
they cost more but their better built. And they work better. The reptile basics 80 watt panel for me is about $98 shipped. So about a $15 difference for a much better panel. I have a 125 watt panel and another on the way. Pretty sure those would be too big for a t8. I’d have to measure again but I think it’s like 30” long.
