I would never recommend having any heat source the animal has access to hotter than 95ºF ever!!!
I would suggest a few alterations first the height. Two feet is hard to get correct ambient temps with and hard to keep at a reasonable level of humidity. I might also suggest a PVC bottom it is easier to clean and more efficient to heat through eliminating the RHP unless you use it for ambient air temps.
I would never recommend having any heat source the animal has access to hotter than 95ºF ever!!!
So are you saying that RHP's are unsafe??? I'm pretty sure the manufacturers of them would disagree. A lot of people use them and I have never heard of one snake getting burnt from one.
That is how radiant heat panels work. They are hotter on the surface so they can project the heat down to the bottom of the cage...therefore raising ambient temps. They are safe because they are basically flush with the top of the enclosure and the animal cannot rest its body on it.
I do agree that PVC would be easier to clean if you can find some to use on your cage. It can be somewhat hard to come by and kinda pricey though.
Last edited by Exotic Ectotherms; 11-30-2011 at 05:27 PM.
1.0 Mojave 100% Het VPI Axanthic "Pleepleus"
1.2 Albino Common Snapping Turtles "Beavis, Patty & Selma"
No but RHP are not designed for terrestrial use usually they are used with arboreal where the gradient is vertical not horizontal and the face of the panel is not hotter than the hottest of the safe range. 120 inside where a snake has direct access is not advised by anyone I have ever seen or heard of.
Gotcha...I can certainly see your concern, but I imagine that Rich at Reptile Basics would have said something when I explained to him how I intended on using the RHP.
1.0 Mojave 100% Het VPI Axanthic "Pleepleus"
1.2 Albino Common Snapping Turtles "Beavis, Patty & Selma"
Here are some pics of one i just built not to long ago.I can`t tell you how it works yet because i am still working on it and getting things i need to get it perfect.I`ve still got some kinks to work out like heating and humidity, but it came out pretty good.
The ceramic tile idea is good i think i`m gonna try that for the floor.I just have bare plywood right now.