how did you mount your radiant heat panel?

Hi all,

first post. I'm a new snake mom, I just got my baby this month. I'm having trouble keeping the temp in the cage up now that the weather has turned.

I'd like to buy a radiant heat panel but I'm not quite sure how to mount it. I have a 20 gallon glass tank with a metal screen on top and I'm not sure that I can screw it in anywhere as the reptilebasics site seems to imply.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to mount a RHP over a metal screen?

Thanks a million,
my cold snake and I

The only cage I know of that they work with are PVC cages like animal plastics. Theres probably a way to mount it to the top but Im not sure

yikes. hopefully someone has a janky way they can get me hip to, I'm not ready to upgrade to pvc :(
I might have to explore other options like additional UTHs. I'm thinking of sticking one to the (cool) side of my tank that's where I'm having the most issues

What heat sorce are you using currently? If you are only using a heat mat(Which should be on a thermostat) than you could just add a heat lamp. Although the humidity becomes a pain in the behind when using a lamp :rolleyes:

I have a UTH (on the hot side) and a heat lamp (sort of in the middle). not really having problems with humidity, when I need it higher I put wet towels over the top of the cage.

I'm probably going to insulate the sides with cork, but I don't think it'll be enough.

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Originally Posted by casedbhloe

I have a UTH (on the hot side) and a heat lamp (sort of in the middle). not really having problems with humidity, when I need it higher I put wet towels over the top of the cage.

I'm probably going to insulate the sides with cork, but I don't think it'll be enough.

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what wattage bulb are you using? is it a CHE or regular heat bulb? how are you regulating your heat sources?

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Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

what wattage bulb are you using? is it a CHE or regular heat bulb? how are you regulating your heat sources?

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thats a good question lol, I believe its 70 watt, just a regular heat bulb. I know I should have a thermostat attached to my UTH but I don't right now. I have a laser thermometer though and I check the heat often, it usually stays pretty steady around 90. I'm honestly fine with it being warm these days since the rest of the tank is so cold. going to get a thermostat though, probably at the same time I buy the cork (getting them from amazon).

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Originally Posted by casedbhloe

thats a good question lol, I believe its 70 watt, just a regular heat bulb. I know I should have a thermostat attached to my UTH but I don't right now. I have a laser thermometer though and I check the heat often, it usually stays pretty steady around 90. I'm honestly fine with it being warm these days since the rest of the tank is so cold. going to get a thermostat though, probably at the same time I buy the cork (getting them from amazon).

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unplug the UTH immediately. you're risking the safety of your snake by running the UTH unregulated. purchase a thermostat NOW. this one can be used for a year or so while you save up for a better and more reliable one (Herpstat brand).

i use a 100 W CHE for my 20gal, so you might need to up the wattage. get that bulb on a thermostat or rheostat. ALL heat sources MUST be regulated. there are no exceptions.

what are the warm/cool -side ambient temps for your enclosure? how are you measuring these temps and how cold are we talking here? i'm assuming you're talking about your hot spot when you said "pretty steady around 90," but you don't sound confident in that number. you NEED to know the exact temperatures of your entire enclosure, and this is why thermostats are so important.

Call Boaphile... on the bottom of this page he seems to have RHPs that fit/cover 10-20 gallon tanks...

http://www.boaphileplastics.com/radiant.html

Unplug the UTH before your snake gets burned, they can pop over 120*F in minutes and a vet bill for a burned snake isn't cheap. You need to check the temperature of the glass floor over the UTH because snakes burrow.

A heat lamp + UTH should have no problem keeping a 20-gal tank warm, though it will dry out quickly. Covering the screen top with foil helps a bit but it's not a great solution.

You can certainly add a second UTH on the cool side, with its own thermostat set to create a "hot spot" in the low 80's. The other one should be regulated so it's around 90*F.

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Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

unplug the UTH immediately. you're risking the safety of your snake by running the UTH unregulated. purchase a thermostat NOW. this one can be used for a year or so while you save up for a better and more reliable one (Herpstat brand).

i use a 100 W CHE for my 20gal, so you might need to up the wattage. get that bulb on a thermostat or rheostat. ALL heat sources MUST be regulated. there are no exceptions.

what are the warm/cool -side ambient temps for your enclosure? how are you measuring these temps and how cold are we talking here? i'm assuming you're talking about your hot spot when you said "pretty steady around 90," but you don't sound confident in that number. you NEED to know the exact temperatures of your entire enclosure, and this is why thermostats are so important.

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that was the thermostat I planned on buying but I wasn't super confident it would work because the reviews were so hot & cold, but since you're recommending it I'll pop it in my cart. hopefully henry is alright when I get home, I'm at work so I can't unplug the UTH and no one is home.

I measure the temps with a laser thermometer to get the corners but I do have a thermometer/hygrometer mounted in the cage. its getting really cold at night on the cold side, somewhere in the 60s which is why I'm looking for a quick solution. we'd been having quite a warm fall but of course it turned overnight. I was concerned that it was a bit cool (75) before but now I know that its too cold. Warm side (in this weather) seems to be at like 80 (it was this morning when I checked the temp.

I'll definitely invest in a higher watt bulb

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Originally Posted by casedbhloe

that was the thermostat I planned on buying but I wasn't super confident it would work because the reviews were so hot & cold, but since you're recommending it I'll pop it in my cart. hopefully henry is alright when I get home, I'm at work so I can't unplug the UTH and no one is home.

I measure the temps with a laser thermometer to get the corners but I do have a thermometer/hygrometer mounted in the cage. its getting really cold at night on the cold side, somewhere in the 60s which is why I'm looking for a quick solution. we'd been having quite a warm fall but of course it turned overnight. I was concerned that it was a bit cool (75) before but now I know that its too cold. Warm side (in this weather) seems to be at like 80 (it was this morning when I checked the temp.

I'll definitely invest in a higher watt bulb

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that thermostat is fairly reliable but i wouldn't consider it a permanent solution to regulating heat sources. they've been known to fail after a few years so it's better to upgrade from that as soon as possible. i have 3 of those Jumpstarts and plan on getting Herpstats to replace them within a year.

is your thermometer/hygrometer analog or digital? just curious because those suction cup analog dials are wildly inaccurate.

your ambient temps should never fall below, like, 75° F anywhere within the enclosure. i try to keep my ambient temps around 80° F.

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Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

that thermostat is fairly reliable but i wouldn't consider it a permanent solution to regulating heat sources. they've been known to fail after a few years so it's better to upgrade from that as soon as possible. i have 3 of those Jumpstarts and plan on getting Herpstats to replace them within a year.

is your thermometer/hygrometer analog or digital? just curious because those suction cup analog dials are wildly inaccurate.

your ambient temps should never fall below, like, 75° F anywhere within the enclosure. i try to keep my ambient temps around 80° F.

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Is a velcro analog, but I guess that doesn't change anything. Perhaps I'll invest in a digital one as well.

I know these things about the temperatures. My preference is to keep ambient at around 80 as well but, as I said, cooler temps have hit

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Ok now we've talked about a lot of things that aren't radiant heat panels, does anyone have a solution to my actual question:

Can they be mounted on a glass cage setup?

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Originally Posted by casedbhloe

Is a velcro analog, but I guess that doesn't change anything. Perhaps I'll invest in a digital one as well.

I know these things about the temperatures. My preference is to keep ambient at around 80 as well but, as I said, cooler temps have hit

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Ok now we've talked about a lot of things that aren't radiant heat panels, does anyone have a solution to my actual question:

Can they be mounted on a glass cage setup?

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i'm trying to help you get set up with proper equipment since your snake does not have adequate heat OR equipment. an RHP needs to be regulated by a thermostat as well and i don't think a Jumpstart will cut it (EDIT: nah it would work, but i use a Herpstat regardless)

the only radiant heat panel i know of that is mounted to a glass enclosure is user Mr Sully's quarantine tank with a Pro Panel RHP on top. my RBI RHP needs to be mounted with screws, which i use for my PVC.

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Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

i'm trying to help you get set up with proper equipment since your snake does not have adequate heat OR equipment. an RHP needs to be regulated by a thermostat as well and i don't think a Jumpstart will cut it (EDIT: nah it would work, but i use a Herpstat regardless)

the only radiant heat panel i know of that is mounted to a glass enclosure is user Mr Sully's quarantine tank with a Pro Panel RHP on top. my RBI RHP needs to be mounted with screws, which i use for my PVC.

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I definitely planned on getting a more expensive thermostat for my RHP. It seems silly to have a top of the line heat setup with a not great thermostat.
but I guess what I've learned here is they're not compatible with glass cages. I shall investigate other options

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Originally Posted by casedbhloe

I definitely planned on getting a more expensive thermostat for my RHP. It seems silly to have a top of the line heat setup with a not great thermostat.
but I guess what I've learned here is they're not compatible with glass cages. I shall investigate other options

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glass isn't the best at keeping heat in, so you'd be wasting a lot of energy/electricity trying to keep a glass enclosure warm with an RHP. that's why you don't really see it.

Please get a thermostat ASAP. There was someone who recently had a snake thought got burnt. Just trying to save you the trouble of a vet visit.

I used a handful of exo terras that I had glass cut to fit ontop instead of the screen tops. I then drilled holes through the glass and mounted rhp to them. They worked wonderfully, only reason I quit using them is everyone out grew their enclosures. You can do the same thing with a piece of wood cut to size as well.

Are you able to raise your house temps? Thats a decent short term solution. My uth failed recently if it wasn't for the herpstat i could have had huge issues. So i had to raise house temps to 79 and put a temporary ir bulb up. Rhp's i've seen for plastic and wood vivs but not glass tanks.

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I have an acurite thermomter that is $10 from walmart, you can get them with probes for a little more so you can measure the floor temp

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Originally Posted by Pezz

Are you able to raise your house temps? Thats a decent short term solution. My uth failed recently if it wasn't for the herpstat i could have had huge issues. So i had to raise house temps to 79 and put a temporary ir bulb up. Rhp's i've seen for plastic and wood vivs but not glass tanks.

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I'm usually not home for 8 hours a day so I don't leave the heat on that high. I was considering maybe moving him to a smaller room with a space heater but I haven't managed to clear one out yet

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Originally Posted by Randall L Turner Jr

I used a handful of exo terras that I had glass cut to fit ontop instead of the screen tops. I then drilled holes through the glass and mounted rhp to them. They worked wonderfully, only reason I quit using them is everyone out grew their enclosures. You can do the same thing with a piece of wood cut to size as well.

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wow that's a great solution! I'll look into it for sure.

for those worried about my snake burning, a gracious cousin was able to pop over my house and unplug the UTH. Henry shan't burn today but he'll probably be quite cold :/

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Originally Posted by casedbhloe

for those worried about my snake burning, a gracious cousin was able to pop over my house and unplug the UTH. Henry shan't burn today but he'll probably be quite cold :/

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beeps handle cold temperatures a lot better than they handle hot temperatures. he'll be okay for the time being until you get everything squared away. :)

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Originally Posted by casedbhloe

I'm usually not home for 8 hours a day so I don't leave the heat on that high. I was considering maybe moving him to a smaller room with a space heater but I haven't managed to clear one out yet

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Space heaters are great but you'll want that regulate that as well. I'm gone almost ten hours a day for work, my gas bill isn't too high as my house is well insulated. Jacking house temps up isn't a permanent solution but does the trick when in a bind. Also a quick tip while on the subject heating the house up to 82 before a handling session will make your snake feel a little more comfortable.

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Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

beeps handle cold temperatures a lot better than they handle hot temperatures. he'll be okay for the time being until you get everything squared away. :)

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that's reassuring I thought the opposite! thermostat should be at my door saturday

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Originally Posted by Pezz

Space heaters are great but you'll want that regulate that as well. I'm gone almost ten hours a day for work, my gas bill isn't too high as my house is well insulated. Jacking house temps up isn't a permanent solution but does the trick when in a bind. Also a quick tip while on the subject heating the house up to 82 before a handling session will make your snake feel a little more comfortable.

Sent from my LG-M151 using Tapatalk

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my house is really old with bad insulation haha. thats a good tip, thank you.

Yes, you can mount a radiant heat panel to the top of an Exo-Terra style enclosure, as we’ve got two running that way right now, and a screen top for an aquarium is really no different. what you need to do is spread the weight of the RHP out.

Two methods we used.

1. Replace the screws with small bolts, and put fender washers (big wide washers) between the nuts and the screen top.

2. screw through the screen top into a piece of wood a bit wider than the RHP. We used a chunk about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick from the stack of scrap.

One or both of these methods we used four fasteners instead of two, and we had to trim some plastic on the enclosure top with method 2 (which is why we used method 1 the second time). In both cases the RHP is at least half the size of the enclosure top, so it also limits heat loss like covering the top with foil. IIRC method 1 was done with the smallest size Reptile Basics RHP, method two with the second-smallest.

The smaller glass enclosure with an RHP currently houses one of my Kenyan Sand Boas; the larger houses my juvenile water python, who loves to soak (and also did so in her smaller baby tub), and who is on Eco-Earth. Both also have UTHs for hot spots, and all heat sources are controlled by thermostats.


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Originally Posted by casedbhloe

yikes. hopefully someone has a janky way they can get me hip to, I'm not ready to upgrade to pvc :(
I might have to explore other options like additional UTHs. I'm thinking of sticking one to the (cool) side of my tank that's where I'm having the most issues

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I have a Pro Panel ontop of my quarantine 33 long. It works fine with the other side covered with plexyglass to hold the heat . It's not air tight at all so there's definitely enough circulation My hot side steady at 91 and cool 78-80. The reptile basics RHP are not flat like the pro panels so I can't comment about those. My pro panel is 12" wide so it works perfect. Never bothered the screen or anything else. I would definitely go with the pro panel an extra $20 is nothing for top quality. Also there's no plastic smell when it heats up because pro panels are aluminum. It is all around a better product And safer.
(Also mine just sits on the screen and i remove it before i take the Zilla Screened lid off to clean or take snake out)


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PS- here are the thermometers we all use... Great deal right now for $13 on Amazon. I bought 4 extra to have on hand.
https://www.amazon.com/AcuRite-00891.../dp/B001BO8CUE


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Originally Posted by Mr Sully

I have a Pro Panel ontop of my quarantine 33 long. It works fine with the other side covered with plexyglass to hold the heat . It's not air tight at all so there's definitely enough circulation My hot side steady at 91 and cool 78-80. The reptile basics RHP are not flat like the pro panels so I can't comment about those. My pro panel is 12" wide so it works perfect. Never bothered the screen or anything else. I would definitely go with the pro panel an extra $20 is nothing for top quality. Also there's no plastic smell when it heats up because pro panels are aluminum. It is all around a better product And safer.


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Have you tried out the Reptile Basics RHP and didn't like it? Also, how are the Pro Panel safer? Just curious.

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Originally Posted by Mr. Misha

Have you tried out the Reptile Basics RHP and didn't like it? Also, how are the Pro Panel safer? Just curious.

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Well they have never caused a fire in the History of them for one..
Bob has his Pro Panels certified like other consumer electronics. That means that they pass safety and efficiency standards. People have reported overheating/fire issues with RBI panels.







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Originally Posted by Mr Sully

Well they have never caused a fire in the History of them for one..
Bob has his Pro Panels certified like other consumer electronics. That means that they pass safety and efficiency standards. People have reported overheating/fire issues with RBI panels.







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I haven't been able to find a single UL, ULC or CE certification. I'd appreciate if you can point me in the right direction.

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Originally Posted by Mr. Misha

I haven't been able to find a single UL, ULC or CE certification. I'd appreciate if you can point me in the right direction.

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All I can say is that its known and all over the internet and this forum has several topics on this if you use the search. I have 3 Pro Panels and all my packaging had the slip with it UL listed.
We are 1/8th the sales for Pro Panel. His business is with Zoo's ect...

(Heres something from online)
Pro Heat panels are UL, ULC & CE listed, constructed of non-toxic materials and can never catch on fire, damage any surface or injure an animal. They are also built in accordance with all of the requirements necessary to create the best heater design and performance. They are also the only panel that is UL approved for use in high humidity.



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The heating element is UL listed in RBI, Pro Products, and Helix. That does not mean the RHP is UL listed, just the element so these manufacturers cannot by law claim their device is UL listed unless they pay to have the entire device tested which they are most likely not going to.

http://www.reptilebasics.com/manuals/heatpanel.htm

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The internal element is UL listed and is designed to operate for 40+ years under normal conditions. Please read all of the instructions thoroughly before proceeding!

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Pretty sure also Helix uses the same product pro products sells now. So RBI or Pro products... your choice.

Here is pro products page so you can read what they say.

http://pro-products.com/pro-heat/

Heres from Bob himself :
Our Pro Panels are the only panels sold that are UL, ULC and CE listed, ASTM E84<25 rated and we guarantee in writing that they can never cause a fire, burn or damage any surface they are mounted against and will not injure an animal. They are made of totally non-toxic materials and will never pose any health risk to you or your animals. They also outperform and outlast any other radiant panel sold. We only sell our panels directly through our facility, so they are not available through any retail vendor (with the exception of a couple of cage manufactures we work directly with).


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My point is both are perfectly safe an are in use in thousands of cages across the country. They both put in a lot of redundancy that makes them a lot better to operate than alternatives like CHEs

http://www.reptilebasics.com/radiant-faq

Read "what about fire safety"

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Originally Posted by Mr Sully

All I can say is that its known and all over the internet and this forum has several topics on this if you use the search. I have 3 Pro Panels and all my packaging had the slip with it UL listed.
We are 1/8th the sales for Pro Panel. His business is with Zoo's ect...

(Heres something from online)
Pro Heat panels are UL, ULC & CE listed, constructed of non-toxic materials and can never catch on fire, damage any surface or injure an animal. They are also built in accordance with all of the requirements necessary to create the best heater design and performance. They are also the only panel that is UL approved for use in high humidity.



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So my question still stands, what's the UL number for the Pro Heat panels? I'm not sure I'm going to get that answer because I don't believe it exists.

I don't think it's very ethical of you to boast about safety of a certain product without providing any proof, especially something important as UL cert. Bob used to boast about a UL rated panels back in the day but I don't even see that stated on his own website. Don't you think that's pretty strange? Also, the online resource you quoted is from a 2009 post from this forum from a user that only has 9 posts so forgive me if I'm not inclined to believe it.

Point is, you can buy and love whatever product you want but don't bash a competitor's product with which you have no experience. I get really peeved when someone tries to put down a reputable company. If you're going to claim superiority, then be ready to provide some facts, not post something that was written 8 years ago on a forum.

I actually own both panels and BOTH work great. No "plastic smell" from RBI panels as you claim because it's made of kydex material and doesn't need to be out gassed.:cens0r:

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Originally Posted by Mr. Misha

So my question still stands, what's the UL number for the Pro Heat panels? I'm not sure I'm going to get that answer because I don't believe it exists.

I don't think it's very ethical of you to boast about safety of a certain product without providing any proof, especially something important as UL cert. Bob used to boast about a UL rated panels back in the day but I don't even see that stated on his own website. Don't you think that's pretty strange? Also, the online resource you quoted is from a 2009 post from this forum from a user that only has 9 posts so forgive me if I'm not inclined to believe it.

Point is, you can buy and love whatever product you want but don't bash a competitor's product with which you have no experience. I get really peeved when someone tries to put down a reputable company. If you're going to claim superiority, then be ready to provide some facts, not post something that was written 8 years ago on a forum.

I actually own both panels and BOTH work great. No "plastic smell" from RBI panels as you claim because it's made of kydex material and doesn't need to be out gassed.:cens0r:

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My second reply was from Bob himself. If you have a Pro Panel you should know as its been printed and I've read it. I'm not going back-and-forth with you I simply gave someone GOOD information which is what this forum is for.
As far as RBI, there have been SEVERAL fires reported in the past and also reports of their RHP melting, if thats safe to you by all means you have every right to buy them. I'm done talking to someone that seems to be looking for a disagreement. Maybe you need to go join a debate club instead of a forum where people help each other.

Also as far as your statement about the experience i lack with RBI, you have no clue so stick to what you know. Ive owned Pythons for 30 years this year so I may have picked up a few things along the way.


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Originally Posted by Mr Sully

Well they have never caused a fire in the History of them for one..
Bob has his Pro Panels certified like other consumer electronics. That means that they pass safety and efficiency standards. People have reported overheating/fire issues with RBI panels. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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No, you are NOT providing good information. Why post that the panels are certified, when they are not? I also asked you whether you had experience with RBI panels. You dodged that question as well.

The last thing I want to do is "debate" you. However, I'm going to call you out if what you're posting is incorrect. If you have a problem with people questioning what you write on a public forum, maybe this isn't the place for you. :gj:

In regards to Bob, I haven't met or spoke with him personally because he never tends to return my emails regarding those UL certs. However, I've been here long enough to have read about his "interesting" business practices:
https://www.courtlistener.com/opinio...irosol-co-inc/
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCOUR...cv-02632-4.pdf

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Originally Posted by Mr. Misha

No, you are NOT providing good information. Why post that the panels are certified, when they are not? I also asked you whether you had experience with RBI panels. You dodged that question as well.

The last thing I want to do is "debate" you. However, I'm going to call you out if what you're posting is incorrect. I

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1) I am giving great info thank you.
2) Pro Panels ARE certified and now your posting Nonsense.
3) I didn't dodge your questions on purpose, I was here to give information to the (OP) that asked questions about something I have several years experience with....you some how took us on a trip around the world.
4) Not sure what that article link is but Ive played Prick games with you quite long enough. Take care now.



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Originally Posted by casedbhloe

Hi all,

first post. I'm a new snake mom, I just got my baby this month. I'm having trouble keeping the temp in the cage up now that the weather has turned.

I'd like to buy a radiant heat panel but I'm not quite sure how to mount it. I have a 20 gallon glass tank with a metal screen on top and I'm not sure that I can screw it in anywhere as the reptilebasics site seems to imply.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to mount a RHP over a metal screen?

Thanks a million,
my cold snake and I

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My snake has outgrown this setup, but I had a 80-watt Reptile Basics RHP on a 20-gallon tank when he was little. I cut a couple of pieces of scrap wood that reached all the way across the screen top, and screwed the RHP into the wood through the screen. This is also handy because the RHP covered up screen that would have to be covered anyway to maintain humidity. The bulk of the panel wouldn't let the lid sit all the way down, so I added extra scrap pieces of wood around the edges to block any gaps the snake could have gotten through and so there was something solid for the lid to rest on. It was all held on with a luggage strap. Not the most elegant solution, but my snake lived in it for less than a year until I built his big viv, and it was quick and easy using only scrap.

With very marginally more difficulty, you could just make a new lid out of plywood that you could mount the panel to.

For what it's worth, in the big viv I have the same panel mounted under a platform partway up. That brings it closer to the ground, makes an additional warm spot on top of the shelf (and there's some insulation between the panel and the shelf so the shelf doesn't get over 90°, and it means that less heat is lost through the top of the viv. Since my house gets below 60° in the winter, that's important.