Re: heating melamine cage
Quote:
Originally Posted by recycling goddess
frig, good point sean. i didn't think about that. i do use aspen so it would be covered but yes... i would be creating a heat rock *duh*
to increase the ambient temp in the enclosure... as it's going to be large (6'x2'x2') we are going to use slate tiles on the back side with a UTH underneath them (positioned so it touches 4 tiles) which we'll only use in the winter to up the temps a little. it's going to be in the living room which is the warmest room of the house anyway, so we just want to make sure it doesn't 'chill' in the enclosure on him.
but i'll use heat tape on the UTH instead of the tile on the bottom. :P thanks for giving my brain a shake LOL
Another Idea is to make heat panels for the ceiling. I did this in some bearded dragon cages with good results (not as good as Pro-Product's actual panels but did the trick). On the ceiling I mounted Reflectix, then flex to this then covered the flex with 2 large ceramic tiles. This way the heat was directed back down through the tiles and into the tub. This kept a 4x2x2 cage at 88 without any othe heat source on.
Re: heating melamine cage
we are going to do the back wall... cause we want to cover it anyways since it's in the living room... we want a really organic feel to the tank... hence the slate tiles. we are also putting drift wood in the enclosure for him to climb and perch on as any self respecting hog island wants to go up up UP!
Re: heating melamine cage
Cool...I can't wait to see pictures when you are done.
Quote:
Originally Posted by recycling goddess
we are going to do the back wall... cause we want to cover it anyways since it's in the living room... we want a really organic feel to the tank... hence the slate tiles. we are also putting drift wood in the enclosure for him to climb and perch on as any self respecting hog island wants to go up up UP!
Re: heating melamine cage
i can't wait to get it done. i'm salivating over my new 135g tank for my oscars... and i'm sooo excited to have drake in the living room. it'll be great to see more of him. ;)
btw the front of the cage will have a framed glass removable hinged door... so we can clean without it there... and just open it to feed and clean water :) a small 'touch' light inside for those evening viewings :)
Re: heating melamine cage
Okay, I think I will put it under the cage then.
For the probe, what do i do about making sure it stays in place? I dont like to put tape inside even if it seems secure since I have heard a few storys about the snake geting the tape off and then it stuck to the snake. I was think drill 2 hols on each end of the wood where the probe will be and then use the zip ties (I think)?????
Re: heating melamine cage
from what i've heard from others is... since the tape is never removed from the probe, it doesn't come off. it's smooth against the bottom so it's secure.
since you are going to want your probe on the hot spot... having holes and zip ties, IMO would give you an inaccurate reading...
Re: heating melamine cage
Quote:
Originally Posted by PJ FF
Okay, I think I will put it under the cage then.
For the probe, what do i do about making sure it stays in place? I dont like to put tape inside even if it seems secure since I have heard a few storys about the snake geting the tape off and then it stuck to the snake. I was think drill 2 hols on each end of the wood where the probe will be and then use the zip ties (I think)?????
Another option is to use a hot glue gun to glue to probe down. Has all the benefits of tape without the risk. It holds well but can be easily removed if needed.
Re: heating melamine cage
Quote:
Originally Posted by lord jackel
Aleesha...personally I wouldn't do this. What you are creating is basically a large heat rock. I would use lanoliam (sp?) cleans easier and won't hold the temp as long as a ceramic tile would (which allows the thermostat to do its job).
Just a suggestion :)
I use the flexwatt with ceramic tile on top and it worked great. The ceramic tile holds heat, but if you have a quality thermostat it will be fine. The thermostat never lets the tile get above the set temp. Setting it up that way is ALOT different than a heat rock. ;)
Re: heating melamine cage
Quote:
Originally Posted by PJ FF
Okay, I think I will put it under the cage then.
For the probe, what do i do about making sure it stays in place? I dont like to put tape inside even if it seems secure since I have heard a few storys about the snake geting the tape off and then it stuck to the snake. I was think drill 2 hols on each end of the wood where the probe will be and then use the zip ties (I think)?????
How thick is your melamine? If you are using 3/4" melamine I wouldn't put your heat source on the outside, it will take alot of heat to get the temps you want inside the cage and would be a fire hazard. Here is a picture of a melamine cage that I use flexwatt sandwiched in between ceramic tile, works great!! ;)
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g3...os/heatboa.jpg
Re: heating melamine cage
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wild Bill
I use the flexwatt with ceramic tile on top and it worked great. The ceramic tile holds heat, but if you have a quality thermostat it will be fine. The thermostat never lets the tile get above the set temp. Setting it up that way is ALOT different than a heat rock. ;)
i was wondering about that actually. since the temp won't be too high... then there's no worries.
i like the idea of the ceramic tile because it will distribute the temp further than just where the UTH is.
i do hesitate to recommend a glue gun though... because honestly, won't the 90 degree temp keep the glue from being cool and firm?
