New AP cage clarifications

My new AP cage just arrived today and I have a few questions before I start setting it up. I have read all of the guides on here and they were extremely helpful, there are just a few questions I have left.

1. when I use foil tape to affix the UTH to the outside, do I just cover the edges, or the whole thing?
2. Do I remove the plastic sheet that protects the sticky side of the UTH first?
3. What is the best thing to use to lift the cage enough for the UTH to breath? I was thinking furniture coasters, but they are only about 1/4 an inch thick.
4. Will the fumes from the sealant affect my snake while it cures (I live in a tiny three room apt with no doors so the fumes are strong there is no way to close off the snake from the smell).

1. I cover the sides so it is secure. You don't need to cover the middle and if you don't have a roll of aluminum tape laying around, you can just use the tape they give you and cover the 4 corners as long as the cage is sitting on a flat surface so the heat tape can't move.

2. Sticky side? Are you using a Zoo med? I wouldn't use those for a PVC cage. You want actual Flexwatt, THG, Ultratherm or Flukers heat tape or mats. They are basically heat tape sandwiched between clear plastic.

3. I leave my cages on the table with no air gap and its fine. If you want an air gap, just use the furniture coasters. You only need about 1/8"

4. The smell isn't good for them. I sealed 3 cages at once in my house and it smelled lol. I ran a box fan to circulate the air out. All my snakes are fine but as for it sitting stagnant in your apt, not sure that's the best idea. Not to mention the stuff isn't good for you to inhale either lol. I would say let it dry on a deck but its pretty cold out so it probably would take forever for it to cure or it might not cure at all if its too cold. Maybe find the least occupied part of the apt and leave a window cracked and run a box fan to blow the air outside.

I don't have the UTH yet, I was looking at Ultratherm - just curious, why not Zoomed?

It's going to be really hard to leave a window open, It's currently 19*F outside, also I'd worry that someone will steal it if I leave it out on the porch......how many days does it take to set? I may be able to take in to work and set it up there...hmmm

Also, is the sealant just water/leak/humidity proofing or is the sealant what holds the tank together. I have not actually opened the box yet, I'm still at work until 7am

Ultratherm is a good choice. I have several.

When securing a uth I place one piece of tape on each of the three sides without the cord. On large mats I'll add tape to the cord side as well.

If you go with a ZooMed it will come with four small rubber pieces to give the cage clearance of the uth. Also with this choice you should put foil on the uth's sticky side. Then you can tape it on with foil tape so you can more easily take it off if it is ever needed.

You need to let the cage cure and be completely done before adding the snake.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Crowfingers

I don't have the UTH yet, I was looking at Ultratherm - just curious, why not Zoomed?

It's going to be really hard to leave a window open, It's currently 19*F outside, also I'd worry that someone will steal it if I leave it out on the porch......how many days does it take to set? I may be able to take in to work and set it up there...hmmm

Also, is the sealant just water/leak/humidity proofing or is the sealant what holds the tank together. I have not actually opened the box yet, I'm still at work until 7am

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The cage comes with screws. The sealant is to just seal it. It took me about 4-5 days for the smell to go away.

Zoo Med ones have a thick rubber coating on them. "Real" heat tape is pretty much paper thin. Its the heating element sandwiched between 2 pieces of clear plastic.

The Zoomed style uth are made with a heated wire zig zagging between the two pieces of plastic. They are not as uniform in heat delivery and the wire inside can break causing portions to not work correctly if it is bent or folded.

Ultratherm uth are really nice and a great choice. However if you already bought a Zoomed it will work.

If you bought a Zoo Med one, return it haha. You really don't want to have to mess with the cage once you get it set up. But yeah, pretty much what KMG said about the technical side of the Zoo Med ones.

And I actually had one short and melt a little hole in the rubber casing that I was using to heat my dubia roach bin so if it is a Zoo Med and you are using it, FOR SURE give it an air gap or risk a fire. I got lucky with mine shorting out and just turning off.

Thanks for all the great replies. I have one last question, I promise. I will probably be getting the ultratherm UTH, but I'm not sure it will work with the type of thermostat that I have. I have been using the Zilla brand thermostats that clicks on and off when it reaches the set temperature (one is currently running a CHE, the other is a spare that I would use on the UTH).

I know that RHP are the usual recommended method of heating, but I'm old fashioned and like my CHE's for ambient temps.

On/off t-stat will work with heat tape. Just the temp swing will be larger but for heat tape which heats up pretty fast, shouldn't be a problem. The biggest thing in t-stats is you want ones with "safeties" like Herpstats and VE.

By safeties, do you mean that they shut off at a certain temperature or is there some other safety feature?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Crowfingers

By safeties, do you mean that they shut off at a certain temperature or is there some other safety feature?

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As in a failure in the off position.

I vote Herpstat. I have four, soon to be five, and love them all.

So, herpstat is a little pricey to be honest. Took me a year to save up for the tank... is there a second best recommended? A friend of mine has corns and uses hydrofarm jump start and says they're great. Also, does the brand of thermostat matter, or will they all work with the ultratherm? I want to do what is best for my snake but I can't break the bank either

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KMG

Ultratherm is a good choice. I have several.

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This may be a stupid question: The Ultratherm mats I have seen make a point to say that they don't get above 95 degrees. Are they hot enough to get the AP hotspot up to 90? Most tstats I've seen with AP cages are set between 100-105 to get the hotspot up to temp.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Crowfingers

So, herpstat is a little pricey to be honest. Took me a year to save up for the tank... is there a second best recommended? A friend of mine has corns and uses hydrofarm jump start and says they're great. Also, does the brand of thermostat matter, or will they all work with the ultratherm? I want to do what is best for my snake but I can't break the bank either

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You may check around and find a nice used one online or local.

There are others like

Helix

helixcontrols.com

and these VE from Reptile Basics.

www.reptilebasics.com/thermostats


I had a Hydrofarm that I was using in a pinch when I needed another. It failed within two months of use and failed in the on position. Since then I have never suggested them.

If you had to save that long for a tank you certainly can not afford a burn treatment or RI treatment. Any tstat is better than none but I always suggest the best you can get your hands on. The tstat is the most important thing you will buy for your snake.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sallos

This may be a stupid question: The Ultratherm mats I have seen make a point to say that they don't get above 95 degrees. Are they hot enough to get the AP hotspot up to 90? Most tstats I've seen with AP cages are set between 100-105 to get the hotspot up to temp.

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That is what is stated but Ive tested these with a tub with a thick layer of cypress mulch for my Bloods to borrow in. I found the mulch insulated the uth and made the hotspot much hotter than my snakes would ever want or need.

In a normal situation with a normal tank and layer of substarate they would probably be fine but I dont chance it as I dont like 90-95F hotspots.

The snakes I have them on I only need a hotspot of 85 so I need a tstat for them anyways. Even my Ball only has a 88F spot.

I appreciate the link to reptilebasics. Those are much more within my price range than what I was looking at on amazon.