Cold Weather

Hello folks, I try and keep my house quite warm, however, I have a glass tank and know it bleeds heat. I cover half the top with plexiglass and a blanket to insulate.

How may I cover maybe 3 walls with an insulating material (foam maybe) to ensure heat remains stable.

*cold snap in WA, tank still reads close 88 hot side, but I worry that cold side drops so much.

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Originally Posted by e_nigma

Hello folks, I try and keep my house quite warm, however, I have a glass tank and know it bleeds heat. I cover half the top with plexiglass and a blanket to insulate.

How may I cover maybe 3 walls with an insulating material (foam maybe) to ensure heat remains stable.

*cold snap in WA, tank still reads close 88 hot side, but I worry that cold side drops so much.

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I should specify, I use cold side hot side thermometers and hygrometers, glass tank and ceramic heater keeps the hot side around 95 or so, 85 currently in the hot spot, I would love an idea about an insulator.

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Many materials can insulate glass & are easy to cut & attach: cork (the 1/4" thick kind, sold in rolls), corrugated cardboard, self-adhesive carpet-tiles, poster-
board (1/4" thick, with foam core), packing bubbles (sold on rolls- also used as the core of hot water heater "blankets"), rigid foam sheets, etc. Your choice! :D

I use all glass tanks & for best appearance, I like to tape on scenery first, then you don't even SEE your insulation. Most snakes appreciate having the back
& sides of a glass tank covered, & you can even cover the lower 6" across the front if you want. Don't forget the bottom! If you use UTH, it needs a bit of
space to breathe, but otherwise insulate under the tank to help the heat rise. If my tank is on a wood cabinet, I use ceramic tiles underneath the UTH as a heat
sink, & to help keep the wood from drying out from long-term exposure to heat. If the tank is on an aquarium stand (with open bottom under the tank) you can
attach some welded wire or sheet metal underneath the open area, insulate ON that & under the UTH, to help keep the heat going upwards where you want it.

Be creative & safe, that's the main things. Minimize use of anything flammable near the UTH...even though hard to burn, things do dry out in time, especially
with the higher heat used on BP cages (or other tropical species).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Many materials can insulate glass & are easy to cut & attach: cork (the 1/4" thick kind, sold in rolls), corrugated cardboard, self-adhesive carpet-tiles, poster-
board (1/4" thick, with foam core), packing bubbles (sold on rolls- also used as the core of hot water heater "blankets"), rigid foam sheets, etc. Your choice! :D

I use all glass tanks & for best appearance, I like to tape on scenery first, then you don't even SEE your insulation. Most snakes appreciate having the back
& sides of a glass tank covered, & you can even cover the lower 6" across the front if you want. Don't forget the bottom! If you use UTH, it needs a bit of
space to breathe, but otherwise insulate under the tank to help the heat rise. If my tank is on a wood cabinet, I use ceramic tiles underneath the UTH as a heat
sink, & to help keep the wood from drying out from long-term exposure to heat. If the tank is on an aquarium stand (with open bottom under the tank) you can
attach some welded wire or sheet metal underneath the open area, insulate ON that & under the UTH, to help keep the heat going upwards where you want it.

Be creative & safe, that's the main things. Minimize use of anything flammable near the UTH...even though hard to burn, things do dry out in time, especially
with the higher heat used on BP cages (or other tropical species).

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Ceramic heater, would use a UTH, but I found a crack in the bottom glass, so I regulate my home heat.

Thank you so much for the constructive ideas, I will get some cork board, add in some aesthetic "plants work," thank you for the advice, Senua would say thanks, but she slurs her s's.

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Oh, you could even use thin (1/4") plywood...whatever's laying in your garage...:D (there's some in mine, lol)
Some places sell 1/2" thick cork tiles too (seen in Hobby Lobby, 12" square)...they used to use them on walls.
Have fun...

"...slurs her s's..." :rofl:

To insulate I use 1/2" foam board. An 8'x4' sheet was something like $15 at Lowe's. I just cut it to size with a sharp knife and then tape it to the outside of the cage. They have other stuff to insulate with also if you want to see other options. Like Bogertophis was saying, there's lots of things you can use. Just find something you can attach to the cage that doesn't take too much work.

I use 1/2" foam board insulation to wrap my glass enclosures. It keeps heat and humidity in beautifully. I think a 4x8 sheet was $15 at Home Depot.

So, the snow has begun, I am cutting a 2.5'x8' 2" thick piece of insulation foam down to fit. Tiny town and cold weather panic.. everything else was purchased.

It is wimpy weather compared to elsewhere, but homes here are not built for snow and the like, where I live, coastal tiny town.

Keeping warm by cutting insulation, making a stew and cookies in the oven.

Senua and I will weather, well, some weather.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by e_nigma

So, the snow has begun, I am cutting a 2.5'x8' 2" thick piece of insulation foam down to fit. Tiny town and cold weather panic.. everything else was purchased.

It is wimpy weather compared to elsewhere, but homes here are not built for snow and the like, where I live, coastal tiny town.

Keeping warm by cutting insulation, making a stew and cookies in the oven.

Senua and I will weather, well, some weather.

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ugh...that means that snow snow will soon be here in Seattle! Not looking forward to this!

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Originally Posted by Sunnieskys

ugh...that means that snow snow will soon be here in Seattle! Not looking forward to this!

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We get hit from the Straights of San Juan, but yeah... we have snow til next Thursday it says.

Also, cutting foam insulation inside is real messy.

This is just the last hour, not a blizzard, but WA snow acomin'.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...a4938b26da.jpg

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I'm also in the WA area, south by Portland tbh. We're expecting snow all day tomorrow starting tonight, stay cold and then more on tuesday.
I just moved all my snakes to a wire rack, didn't think about the fact that the old location on dressers flushed with the wall would be more insulated.
The wire shelving was purchased with with a t10 and a t12 on the way in mind. However now there is so much air surrounding the tanks(all glass :( ) and I need to insulate them. Been watching temps today and I'm seeing a lot of heat-loss. I started by simply turning on my room heater to raise the ambient, now temps are fine, but right now its the middle of the day, ambient temp will go down at night.
I don't really want to make more mess by cutting up foam, I am thinking about surrounding each tank with blankets. I have lots of those.

Anyway, wishing you luck this weekend. Its gonna be cold and wintry for us WA peeps.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by e_nigma

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Also, cutting foam insulation inside is real messy....

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A bit too much like snow. ;) That's why it's not my first choice to insulate, but it's effective once you're done. You can cover the raw edges with matching duct
tape, btw, so it's doesn't "shed". I've used it before for some things, just not snake condos.

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Originally Posted by ClarinetPhoenix

...I don't really want to make more mess by cutting up foam, I am thinking about surrounding each tank with blankets...

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Blankets aren't very dense, so they aren't as effective...unless you have a spare down comforter. ;) You're much better off taping one of the other materials listed
directly to the glass.

Steady snow and around and inch or more. She is foamed, homed and bio-domed.

If power fails, I luckily have a friend who will let me keep her there in a temporary home (she has propane heat). https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...e0e5133b46.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...1930b95aed.jpg

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Snow is pretty, at least. We get some snow here too, but right now it's just freaking cold. Only a few degrees above freezing today, despite the sun shining-
and it's been in the teens at night. Brrr!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Snow is pretty, at least. We get some snow here too, but right now it's just freaking cold. Only a few degrees above freezing today, despite the sun shining-
and it's been in the teens at night. Brrr!

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Sounds nice enough! Biggest issue is home is from the 70s, it used to snow once every 5 years or more, even when I moved to WA in 2005, snow was rare, now it is expected annually.

Beautiful, but when nobody knows how to drive or react to snow.... well, your entire town shuts down. Safeway and QFC run out of food and egress/ingress paths shut down.

I hope all of you in the Pacific NW stay warm & safe, and that your power stays ON. Just read your area's forecast for 2nd snow storm in a week- :(

Time to keep warm by layering up...that means tube socks for all your snakes, too. :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

I hope all of you in the Pacific NW stay warm & safe, and that your power stays ON. Just read your area's forecast for 2nd snow storm in a week- :(

Time to keep warm by layering up...that means tube socks for all your snakes, too. :D

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I tried to have a lap snake and keep her in her Christmas stocking, she was having none of it. My guess is fuzzy = mammal and mammals bad. She so much as brushes my arm hair and she immediately reroutes. She follows "0 legs good, any legs bad," and now I regret sharing Orwell with her.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by e_nigma

I tried to have a lap snake and keep her in her Christmas stocking, she was having none of it. My guess is fuzzy = mammal and mammals bad. She so much as brushes my arm hair and she immediately reroutes. She follows "0 legs good, any legs bad," and now I regret sharing Orwell with her.

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:rofl: Never fails, when you want a snake to sit still, they don't...but it's so nice when they do. One of my rat snakes fell asleep on my lap for half an hour recently-
I was so shocked. I wasn't paying much attention & just petting her lightly while watching tv, next thing I knew she was asleep, lol. That would be cute, in a Christmas
stocking. :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

:rofl: Never fails, when you want a snake to sit still, they don't...but it's so nice when they do. One of my rat snakes fell asleep on my lap for half an hour recently-
I was so shocked. I wasn't paying much attention & just petting her lightly while watching tv, next thing I knew she was asleep, lol. That would be cute, in a Christmas
stocking. :D

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Haha! I have been surprised by her sleeping, the lack of eyelids and such, her and I were both startled. I swear she had a look of pure contempt and I, one of bashfulness.

Senua is surviving her first snowstorm, thanks for all the help with getting her imsulated. Tank is holding ~90 down to ~73. Here is a sunset photo just after our first dollop of snow.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...8a2b834a75.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...61182b7ad7.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...c5ba553d4e.jpg

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Senua looks pretty happy....love her tongue pic...& what a pretty (although ccccold!) scene outside. :gj:
Just getting inches of rain here lately...I'm glad it's not snow but we have more chances coming for snow anyway. Not out of the woods yet...;)

Just a quick tip. I live in central PA and we lost power due to a fire in our neighborhood a few weeks ago. I had a bunch of hand warmers on hand that kept our snake nice and toasty for those few hours.