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  1. #1
    Registered User Squirtle44's Avatar
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    Question on Enclosure Manufacturers for Specific Situation

    Hi everyone,

    Was looking for help and advice on a cage upgrade for my BCI boa. She is currently in a sub-adult rack. I am looking to move her into a large cage that will last the rest of her life.

    I have done my research and am comfortable with the options and the general pros and cons of Boaphile vs. Animal Plastics vs. Vision cages.

    What I AM NOT COMFORTABLE with is which enclosure is best suited for my specific cage heating needs.

    I live in a studio apartment and the room is 75 °F during the day but can drop to 68 °F at night.

    Due to such I need a way to keep the ambient temperature up.

    Chris at C-Serpents made an awesome rack for me that has an extra strip of heat tape (so two rather than the standard one) which works perfect to keep ambient temperatures exactly where they should be. I was thinking of potentially doing a similar type of setup in the larger enclosure, so I included an image for reference.

    Because a large enclosure is far larger and different than a rack, I'm not sure how to achieve the same result of an increase in ambient temperature in a colder room. I have been considering RHP for ambient temp and then flexwatt for belly heat.

    My questions are:
    1) Are any of the big enclosure manufacturers' products better set up for being able to accommodate a solution to my heating problem?
    2) Any ideas on the optimal way to achieve correct ambient temperature in a large enclosure in the environment I am dealing with (with any of the large enclosure manufacturers cages)?

    https://imgur.com/a/V6x32iI

    Last edited by Squirtle44; 01-09-2019 at 05:04 PM.

  2. #2
    BPnet Lifer dakski's Avatar
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    Re: Question on Enclosure Manufacturers for Specific Situation

    Quote Originally Posted by Squirtle44 View Post
    Hi everyone,

    Was looking for help and advice on a cage upgrade for my BCI boa. She is currently in a sub-adult rack. I am looking to move her into a large cage that will last the rest of her life.

    I have done my research and am comfortable with the options and the general pros and cons of Boaphile vs. Animal Plastics vs. Vision cages.

    What I AM NOT COMFORTABLE with is which enclosure is best suited for my specific cage heating needs.

    I live in a studio apartment and the room is 75 °F during the day but can drop to 68 °F at night.

    Due to such I need a way to keep the ambient temperature up.

    Chris at C-Serpents made an awesome rack for me that has an extra strip of heat tape (so two rather than the standard one) which works perfect to keep ambient temperatures exactly where they should be. I was thinking of potentially doing a similar type of setup in the larger enclosure, so I included an image for reference.

    Because a large enclosure is far larger and different than a rack, I'm not sure how to achieve the same result of an increase in ambient temperature in a colder room. I have been considering RHP for ambient temp and then flexwatt for belly heat.

    My questions are:
    1) Are any of the big enclosure manufacturers' products better set up for being able to accommodate a solution to my heating problem?
    2) Any ideas on the optimal way to achieve correct ambient temperature in a large enclosure in the environment I am dealing with (with any of the large enclosure manufacturers cages)?

    https://imgur.com/a/V6x32iI

    I can only speak from experience. I have a Boaphile "room/reptile area." However, I imagine, all this applies to any similar tank setup.

    It's in my finished basement and in the summer, it's 72-76F, but in the winter, it's 66-68F down there. I have 4 size cages for the snakes and this is what I do without issues.

    For my two Boas I have the following cages.

    Female BCI: 6X2X1'. I have a RHP and "2X" heat tape on the left side, the hot side. I run that side off one thermostat and it does a great job, all year, of keeping temps perfectly dialed in. The cool side has a "1.5X" heat tape I have a tower of tanks that all keep the cool side about 78-79F. So I run all those tanks off one thermostat. However, there is another way to do it. See about my male BCC.

    Male BCC/Venezuelan True Red Tail: 4X2X1'. I have the same RHP and "2X" heat tape on his hot side as the 6X2X1' for the female BCI. However, I also run his "1.5X" heat tape off the same thermostat. If I keep the hot side 87-90F (note, the thermostat is not set to that), the cool side stays 78-80F. Again, all year round. Worst case, if it gets really warm in the summer, you can unplug the cool side heat tape.

    The other size tank I have is for my carpet python. He has a 4X2X1.5' arboreal enclosure (has PVC branches/perches running across the tank). He also has a RHP and 2X heat on the hot side and a 1.5X heat tape on the cool side running off one thermostat, just like the male BCC. It works great there as well.

    I am a believer in belly heat and also redundancy. I'd rather have more heating devices than fewer. However, that implies that I am running an excellent thermostat that is redundant/dual thermostat. In other words, g-d forbid, the main thermostat fails, the secondary shuts off the temps a few degrees higher and no one gets hurt.

    Dual heat tape adds $45 to a cage build.

    Also, many people who keep reptiles have warmer areas to keep them in then you or I do. They swear by one heating element. I don't have that luxury. I don't think you do either.

  3. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to dakski For This Useful Post:

    bcr229 (01-09-2019),Squirtle44 (01-10-2019)

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