Daytona 2008. Rack search

AP has always used cable and has only just started offering flex watt. Ali (from AP) has told me that they have never had an issue with cable causing melting tubs or fires or whatever. I was going to go with cable for my big cages until I decided on RHP's instead.

Jamie, can you share your experience with cable causing issues? It might be really helpful for other members when needing to make a decision for heating :)

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Originally Posted by nathanledet

I've been pretty happy with my Vision over the past year. The quality is pretty good if you ask me. It's not solid metal like Freedom, but it is definitely solid.

The heat rope is great...I've wired and re-wired my rack a few times and it was extremely easy...especially when I had 7 unexpected hatchlings come along and I had to adjust my rack....yep, half of the rack holds adults, and the upper two levels hold babies...I didn't have to buy a baby rack.

As far as I can remember, Jamie, there have been a few cases of flexwatt doing quite the melt job on tubs. T-stat malfunction? flexwatt malfunction? not wired properly? I dunno. Based on my limited experience, the heat rope has been easier to deal with and control over Flexwatt. ;)

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Nate,

I've heard the horror stories before but nothing first hand. I heard about houses going up in flames and melted tubs but nothing first hand. I don't use anything but 3" or 4" flexwatt anymore. I used to use 11" which is higher wattage and runs much hotter. I haven't measured temps on unregulated (no stat) 3" flexwatt but it runs much cooler. Unregulated heat rope on the other hand runs extremely hot.

Jamie

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Originally Posted by starmom

AP has always used cable and has only just started offering flex watt. Ali (from AP) has told me that they have never had an issue with cable causing melting tubs or fires or whatever. I was going to go with cable for my big cages until I decided on RHP's instead.

Jamie, can you share your experience with cable causing issues? It might be really helpful for other members when needing to make a decision for heating :)

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When I first started keeping snakes I used heat cable. In my experience it runs extremely hot unregulated which in the case of a thermostat malfunction could be disastrous. I had AP cages and the heat cable heating was very uneven. Extremely hot right at the area where the heat cable was routered in and then not close to warm enough 2 inches away. Mark and Ali do a great job and if they say there have been no incidents, I believe them. For me, heat cable will never be an option. Radiant heat panels are an excellent choice for caging and Rich has done a great job with his. I am about to pick up two of them for my boa cages.

Jamie

Thanks for the info Jamie. The extreme hot spot is a reason why I don't like flex watt either~ none of my snakes ever want to be right on that hot spot....
As for RBI's RHP's, they are awesome!! Your boas will love them!! I have Rich's RHP's in each of my boa cages and they work really well. Jeez, wish I lived close enough to make a road trip to Rich's place and fill the bed of my truck with his products :D

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Originally Posted by starmom

Thanks for the info Jamie. The extreme hot spot is a reason why I don't like flex watt either~ none of my snakes ever want to be right on that hot spot....
As for RBI's RHP's, they are awesome!! Your boas will love them!! I have Rich's RHP's in each of my boa cages and they work really well. Jeez, wish I lived close enough to make a road trip to Rich's place and fill the bed of my truck with his products :D

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No problem. I've never seen an extreme hot spot with regulated flexwatt. I definitely think people should go with what works for them. For me, it's flexwatt and high quality thermostats. Lots of dollars in animals to protect! ;)

Right on about Rich. He is a good guy and I catch up with him at shows every chance I get or just BS through email. I like to support the good guys in the business.

How about Animal Plastics line of economy racks? They make one that's for the 41 qt tubs that is 10 tubs high. Its not on their website, but they had them on display at the NARBC show. I have two of the 1756/46 economy rack, and its been great so far!

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Originally Posted by jglass38

No problem. I've never seen an extreme hot spot with regulated flexwatt. I definitely think people should go with what works for them. For me, it's flexwatt and high quality thermostats. Lots of dollars in animals to protect! ;)

Right on about Rich. He is a good guy and I catch up with him at shows every chance I get or just BS through email. I like to support the good guys in the business.

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Hmmm, interesting. I regulate all of my racks and cages with either Helix or Herpstat t'stats and there is still the one spot that gets higher than what the snake would like and so I just put the larger water bowl over it (helps with the humidity). All of the other flex watt areas are perfect- it's just the one spot and the temps are taken with my temp gun. I think this is just the nature of the beast (flex watt) however.

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Originally Posted by starmom

Hmmm, interesting. I regulate all of my racks and cages with either Helix or Herpstat t'stats and there is still the one spot that gets higher than what the snake would like and so I just put the larger water bowl over it (helps with the humidity). All of the other flex watt areas are perfect- it's just the one spot and the temps are taken with my temp gun. I think this is just the nature of the beast (flex watt) however.

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All I can say is I have every snake in my collection in racks with flexwatt and haven't had any problems like that. All have uniform heat. I think people are fairly temperature obsessed anyway when it comes to their snakes. Use a quality heat source and a quality thermostat. I rarely check temps in my racks. The snakes tell me if there is a problem. Of course not everyone has temperature and humidity controlled snake rooms and that definitely helps.

Lol!! I don't have a temp controlled snake room!!! I have kids instead ;)

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Originally Posted by starmom

Lol!! I don't have a temp controlled snake room!!! I have kids instead ;)

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I have a dog...That's all the child I need...:D