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Thread: Cold Weather

  1. #1
    Registered User e_nigma's Avatar
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    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.

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
    Semper Fidelis Tyrannosaurus - "Always faithful terrible lizard."

  2. #2
    Registered User e_nigma's Avatar
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    Re: Cold Weather

    Quote Originally Posted by e_nigma View Post
    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.

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
    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.

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
    Semper Fidelis Tyrannosaurus - "Always faithful terrible lizard."

  3. #3
    Bogertophis's Avatar
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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!

    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).

  4. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Bogertophis For This Useful Post:

    e_nigma (02-06-2019),viper69 (02-24-2019)

  5. #4
    Registered User e_nigma's Avatar
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    Re: Cold Weather

    Quote Originally Posted by Bogertophis View Post
    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!

    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).
    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.

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
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    Oh, you could even use thin (1/4") plywood...whatever's laying in your garage... (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..."
    Last edited by Bogertophis; 02-06-2019 at 08:32 PM.

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    BPnet Veteran SquirmyPug's Avatar
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    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.

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    e_nigma (02-07-2019)

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    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.

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    e_nigma (02-07-2019)

  13. #8
    Registered User e_nigma's Avatar
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    Re: Cold Weather

    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.

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
    Semper Fidelis Tyrannosaurus - "Always faithful terrible lizard."

  14. The Following User Says Thank You to e_nigma For This Useful Post:

    Bogertophis (02-09-2019)

  15. #9
    BPnet Senior Member Sunnieskys's Avatar
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    Re: Cold Weather

    Quote Originally Posted by e_nigma View Post
    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.

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
    ugh...that means that snow snow will soon be here in Seattle! Not looking forward to this!
    ~Sunny~
    Booplesnoop
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    *~* Nothing sticky (tape, stick on gauges, Velcro) goes into your enclosure! Again...NOTHING sticky goes into your enclosure....EVER! *~*

  16. #10
    Registered User e_nigma's Avatar
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    Re: Cold Weather

    Quote Originally Posted by Sunnieskys View Post
    ugh...that means that snow snow will soon be here in Seattle! Not looking forward to this!
    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'.


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    Last edited by e_nigma; 02-08-2019 at 03:22 PM.
    Semper Fidelis Tyrannosaurus - "Always faithful terrible lizard."

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