Heating?

[mysticpython]

I am getting another ball python, a 2014 female pied, next month from a breeder and was wondering what heating option I should use?

Right now, I have two other 2014 ball pythons living in individual PVC cages stacked on top of each other, measuring 24x24x12. Each PVC cage is heated with an Exo-Terra 15watt heat cable. I have two Exo-Terra electronic thermometers suctioned cupped inside both bins to the floor on the warm sides to track the temperatures, which stay at about 88 degrees Fahrenheit. Between the PVC cages are two pieces of flat slate tile (at the front half) and the heat cable for the second cage on top is taped to the top on the back half with heat-proof tape. The slate is meant to lift the front part of the cage on top up a bit so it is stable since the heat cable is tapped to the back half of the PVC cage it sits on.

The third PVC cage for the female pied will be stacked on top of the second one. I don't currently own a thermostat but I will be getting the VE300 in the next couple of months. I know most people might say I should just get a snake rack but I wasn't planning on keeping more than one snake. As many of you know, one snake often leads to more... I originally started with a single PVC cage and got 2 more to match the first one so they were the same dimensions and could be stacked.

Is the Exo-Terra heat cable a good option to stick with for the third cage or are there better options out there I should consider switching to? I was thinking about trying heat pads, heat tape, or the Zoo-Med heat cable instead.

I have never used heat tape and don't know how that works but I have seen people use heat pads. The thing I like about the heat cable is I can move the PVC cages without worrying about a heat pad stuck to the bottom getting damaged.

However, if heat cables are not a reliable source for heat, I would like to know what works best. Any advice you can provide is appreciated. Thank you!

[Sauzo]

My advice is buy RHPs for the PVC cages. They will work much better than the whole mess of heat cables, tapes, pads etc. You don't need belly heat for a snake as long as the ambient is good and a RHP will take care of that. Although if you do prefer belly heat as well, then go for it. Belly heat is a poor heater for air though so unless you keep the room in the high 70s, you will probably need a RHP as well. That is why I just use a RHP only as it works fine. You definitely want a T-stat though for anything. If you cant afford a fancy one, just get a Hydrofarm. They work fine. But like I said, I like to keep things simple which is why I just run RHPs exclusively and use Herpstat to run them. You can RHPs from either Pro Products or Reptile Basics. They both work. I personally use Pro Product ones but from what I have gathered from research, the big difference in Pro Products use an aluminum housing while Reptile Basics use a plastic housing. The Price difference is about $15 I think too last I checked with the Pro Products being more expensive.