Uth

well, i finally caved and am planning on buying a helix and UTH in the next few weeks. I think using heat lamps in the spring and summer is going to just annoy me with the wild temp changes outside, so instead of buying more temporary solutions, i'm going all out. curse you experienced members convincing me to spend more money (jk, you guys are a big help :D)!

on a side note, just got my reptilebasics hides in the mail, and really like them. defiantly glad i bought them.

Getting the right equipment is always a worthy investment. Not only is it best for your snakes but it will save you aggrivation in the long run. :gj:

Yeah a UTH+ quality thermastat combo is well worth the money. And not to steal this thread but my ball is around 540 g. , and i was looking to switch to those reptile basics hides like you just got. But what size would be good for my ball? Sorry again, not trying to jack this thread lol. :)

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Originally Posted by gmcclurelssu

well, i finally caved and am planning on buying a helix and UTH in the next few weeks. I think using heat lamps in the spring and summer is going to just annoy me with the wild temp changes outside, so instead of buying more temporary solutions, i'm going all out. curse you experienced members convincing me to spend more money (jk, you guys are a big help :D)!

on a side note, just got my reptilebasics hides in the mail, and really like them. defiantly glad i bought them.

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Instead of a UTH, have you talked to Rich about the radiant heat panels? I have three of them and am working to put them into all of my cages- they are great!!!!
I also have a bunch of RBI's hides (made and designed by Frank) and they are great!! The mediums are super for all but my largest girls (1200g).

i was actually looking at those, but i really haven't herd that much about them- at least not enough about them to choose them over a UTH at this point although i'm always open to suggestions. i really couldn't tell how they work just from the pictures on the web site, is it just a heated panel that fits on the side or top of the enclosure?

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Originally Posted by ndizzleg

Yeah a UTH+ quality thermastat combo is well worth the money. And not to steal this thread but my ball is around 540 g. , and i was looking to switch to those reptile basics hides like you just got. But what size would be good for my ball? Sorry again, not trying to jack this thread lol. :)

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if i remember right the small size should be fine, but i have never owned a young snake, so i really don't know for sure

Either get a Radiant Heat panel or an Ultratherm pad from Rich at ReptileBasics. Both of those items rock the house for heating and don't break the bank (too much). :) I love the one Ultratherm pad I have...love it a lot more than the ZooMed UTHs I use everywhere else, even tho I can get them free (it's a secret).

I love the radiant heat panels- they rock the casbah!! I think they are most like the sun and best mimic a natural environment. I have 3 already for 3 of my RBI cages and am working on getting al my cages outfitted with them.
I like them a ton also because they allow me to use whatever substrate I want at whatever thickness the snake prefers. Because I am not relying on heat from underneath, I don't need to worry that not enough heat is escaping from below. I can use thick stuff and the snake can lounge 'under the sun' or get a little cooler in a hide or snuggle in substrate. Also, RHP's allow for a bump in the ambient temps a little which, for my situation, is good.
You might want to give Rich a call and let him know what you're thinking about and ask for his feedback.

does the heat panel absolutely require a thermostat like the UTH's so you don't fry your snake?

Absolutely. All heat sources need a thermostat. Talk to Rich at Reptile Basics about your options.