New Enclosure, and i have a Heat ?

[ubecrew610]

I am building my first enclosure, and i would like to heat it by using flex watt. The Dimensions are 36 x 24 and 16 high. is it possible to only heat this with only flex watt, i wanted to use 2 pieces, both 11inches wide and 12 long. one on the warm side to 90-92 and the other to about 82-84 to think this will keep a good ambient temp in the cage. i will be using 3 digital thermometer and i am trying to buy a thermostat off ebay, there is a guy right in my town that has one on ebay, but i dont think i can really afford it this week. so anyone let me know if this setup is gonna work

[Slim]

What are you building the enclosure out of? Wood, PVC, Glass, Old car doors?

[ubecrew610]

it will be made of plywood with the inside lined with plexi, so i can put the flexwatt between the wood and plexi. i hope to make the cage as energy efficient as possible. i am not sure about vents in the cage. i purchased two vents at lowes. they are 2 inches by 10 inches. i want to put one on each end of the enclosure. but i am not sure if that will be to much ventilation.

[Slim]

Wow, I'd be concerned with sandwiching a heat source between two surfaces. Is your thermostat probe going to be sandwiched in there right on the flexwatt? If it's not, I'd worry out heating up the ply too much.

[ubecrew610]

would you recomend just placing the flexwatt under the plywood? or i have what looks like 3/4 pvc board. it looks like plywood but it is plastic. i was didn't think the heat would pass through the pvc with it being 3/4inch thick. any other ideas for the cage design would be great.

[Slim]

Actually, PVC is a very good conductor of heat. Rich over at RBI makes his cages out of 3/8ths PVC, and I have no problem with heat transfer...it's better than glass, and way better than plywood. If you're dead set on using plywood, you should look into a radiant heat pannel. Check this out.

http://www.reptilebasics.com/RBI-Rad...p-1-c-283.html

[ubecrew610]

if i do the 80watt, will that eliminate any need for belly heat, and that will heat my whole tank?

[Slim]

I wouldn't say it will eliminate the need for belly heat. Belly heat is really good for BP's. What the RHP will do is allow you to maintain good ambient temps in a chage as large as the one you're building.

[bigballs]

ubcrew, placing the flexwatt in between the plywood and plexi will be fine. make sure you use a thermostat to control it and put the probe directly on the flexwatt. you can also put the probe on the plexi over the flexwatt but make sure it is securely in place and that it cannot be moved by the snake.

i have a few custom enclosures very similar to what you are describing and i think one vent will be more than enough for ventilation. dont use two because it may cause you heat and humidity issues.

anyways post up pics when youre done!

good luck!

[starmom]

if i do the 80watt, will that eliminate any need for belly heat, and that will heat my whole tank?

I don't use belly heat for any of my ball pythons in cages and I only use an 80watt radiant heat panel. Balls are fine and eating, pooing and breeding- they don't need flex watt belly heat.

As for ambient temps, the cage you're making is kind of large and so it really depends on your own environmental temps. I use the 80watt panels in a 3x2x1 cage because I live in the high desert of Oregon and it's cold here. The flex didn't give me the ambient temps that the snakes need and so I switched to RHP's and all is well