Advice for new AP cage set up.

[kurgan]

My new AP T3 cage has been shipped (the first ever shipped to the UK! - shipping costs are fairly scary) so I am wondering about how to best set things up. I am getting belly heat so connecting that up to a thermostat looks fairyl easy. My room temp can dip in the winter so I have asked for a mesh to be fitted to use with a heat lamp. Should that also be fitted to thermostat or will it be ok? if so where should I fit the thermostat probe?
Where should I put thermometer probes?
Cheers,
Ed

[BD1]

I'd suggest not getting the mesh cutout, or using the heat lamp. I ended up covering the mesh with foam insulation to keep the heat in and tossed the heat lamp, and then the ceramic heater because both sucked out all the humidity in the tank, and I had to spray the tank all the time. I got a radiant heat panel now and I am very happy with the results that I get from it. I haven't sprayed the tank since I got it, and the temps stay pretty consistent.

[kurgan]

It's too late now - my order has been shipped.
I'll see how I get on - the plan is to use the che only as a backup heat source for cold weather and keep it on a thermostat so that most of the time it should be more or less off. If it is a real issue I will follow your advice.

[jotay]

Did you get the circle cut outs for lamps on the top?

If so did you get one or two?
I had a T-11 w/ two mesh cut outs and I had lamps w/ 100watt red heat bulbs to help keep w/ temps up along w/ the belly heat option on one end.
The lamps will give your humidity a hard time. You will have to mist/spray about once a day.
I had my lamps hooked up to T-stats and when I ordered my cage I had them drill 1/2" holes on each end about 6" up from the floor of the cage and I ran my probe thru there and attached by each hide w/ little suction cup. I set my t-stats on about 82-83 degrees. They would cycle on and off depending on how cold my room got. Worked well and my bp was set up in it for about 2 yrs and he did fine. You can drill the holes yourself since you didn't order it that way.
I then had the belly heat hooked up to a Helix. The t-stats on the lamps were just on-off types.

Heat panels are the way to go if needing extra heat in a cage setup. You could always close off the mesh openings and still go w/ a heat panel.

[kurgan]

I've got a T3 with belly heat at one end and a circular mesh at the other. The bellyheat will be connected to a proper on/off thermostat and probe placement is obviously easy. Hopefully with one CHE on low power humidity will be less of an issue but I will keep it under review. Would you suggest I place the CHE thermostat probe on the floor at the cool end or higher up to measure air temps?
I'm also a bit concerned that the che may get the mesh hot enough to burn the nsake if he touches it, is this likely to be an issue? Did you rest the che holding directly on the mesh? What wattage of che did you use?
Cheers,
Ed

[jotay]

I've got a T3 with belly heat at one end and a circular mesh at the other. The bellyheat will be connected to a proper on/off thermostat and probe placement is obviously easy. Hopefully with one CHE on low power humidity will be less of an issue but I will keep it under review. Would you suggest I place the CHE thermostat probe on the floor at the cool end or higher up to measure air temps?
I'm also a bit concerned that the che may get the mesh hot enough to burn the nsake if he touches it, is this likely to be an issue? Did you rest the che holding directly on the mesh? What wattage of che did you use?
Cheers,
Ed

I didn't use a che I used a regular red heat bulb kinda like a light bulb I would buy @ Petco. I used 100 watt. The mesh getting hot was never a concern as even w/ a huge pc of driftwood in there my bp never spent much time up by the mesh. Yes I did rest the light right on the mesh.
As for the probe I had mine stuck on the side wall of the cage w/ a suction cup so that the tip of the probe was just touching the substrate right by the heat lamp.
Hope this helps