T10 or T11... and Several Other Questions!

[thejennabird]

Hey everyone! I'm about to bite the bullet on Gloria's "forever home" and thought I'd ask a few questions first. (I'm sure the answers are buried somewhere, but I had trouble finding them with the search bar )

The Future Set-up: Animal Plastics T10 or T11 with 12" THG tape and RHP on a Herpstat 2, LED light strip

The Questions:

1. T10 or T11, which one? Gloria is an active roamer and I'd like to give her room to climb on branches/etc. I'm worried that will bring her too close to the RHP on the ceiling in a T10. But a T11 is much MUCH more expensive for only an extra 3". Will a T10 be sufficient, or does the 15" pretty much limit roaming potential?
2. My plan was to purchase a 40 watt RHP. Will this be enough, or should I consider a higher wattage? (The RHP is necessary because my apartment is rarely above 65 in the winter.)
3. True or False: Because I won't be using a divider, I should install the RHP in the center of the enclosure.
4. Given that the AP cages have an inset for the UTH, can the cage sit flush on a wooden/melamine, or does it still need to be raised up to prevent the UTH from overheating? (Only one cage, so sitting on top of another PVC enclosure isn't applicable)

Additionally, I'm not opposed to purchasing a used enclosure, thermostat, or RHP to save money. However, I haven't been able to find many online. Probably because they're in high demand! Outside of kingsnake, faunaclassifieds, and here, do you have any other recommendations for places to purchase a used set-up? (If you're selling, contact me directly!)

Many thanks in advance for all the answers! Can't wait to get Gloria an awesome home I'm sure she'll love.

[Mr. Misha]

I guess we'll start with the first question. Personally, I'd go with the T10. It's actually perfect height with the Reptile Basics RHP (if you need photos, let me know. I have a T10 set up with the RHP).

In regards to the RHP, I have a 40 watt but I have the T10 split so I'd suggest going with the 80 watt. The price difference is really not that big anyways, so you might as well splurge a little. When you install the RHP, I'd put it to either one side or the other. That way it creates a little bit of a temperature gradience. Ultimately, it's really up to you though.

If I were you I wouldn't even worry about the UTH. As long as you provide ambient temps around 80-82 F you should be just fine without the UTH. Most breeders just heat the whole room to about the same temps and call it a day. However, if you decide to do a UTH, I'd go to any hardware store and get furniture coasters and that should be more than enough for airflow.

Finally, I got both of my Herpstat 4s used (I have 3 AP enclosures). I got lucky with someone trying to sell one on here and the other I put a wanted ad on and what I was willing to pay on Fauna. I got a reply back pretty quickly. I had a great experience both times and they work perfectly to this day.

[Sauzo]

T10 will work fine. RHPs don't get hot enough to instantly burn like a CHE does. I use a Pro-Line 48x23x14 for my 6ft red tail boa and she can easily reach the RHP but I've only seen her 2 or 3 times standing up flicking her tongue at it but since they are on the top of the cage and have no lips, the snakes cant actually sit on them.

A 40 watt RHP will probably not be enough. I use a PH3 ProProducts RHP which is the 65 watt one and that's in a 75f room. I would get the 80 watt RBI RHP since you will have it on a T-stat anyways and having more when you do need it is better than not having enough when you need it and then having to order a higher wattage RHP, wait for it and then remove the old one and install the new one.

The way I do it in my cage is the RHP is on one side. The Herpstat probe is hung in the corner of the hot side about 3 inches to the side of the RHP and about 1-2 inches from the floor. You want the probe high enough off the ground so your snake cant wrap or sit on it thus giving a false reading. Then I set it at something like 85f and then check the hot spot under the RHP with my temp gun and adjust as needed to get around 90f.

Cant speak about the UTH but as long as it is regulated, it shouldn't get hotter than 90f regardless. I actually don't use a UTH in my HDPE cage as the RHP alone keeps it plenty warm.

[thejennabird]

Wow! So what I'm hearing is that if you have a RHP over the hot side keeping it around 90, you don't need belly heat? I've always assumed I'd need belly heat regardless... Any other T10 owners find the same thing?

And thanks for settling my mind about the T10 guys!

[Bayonet]

For a ball python I would actually recommend the T8. 4x2x1. I have one for my two snakes with a divider, and it's perfect. It's also only 150 and it's a quick ship item, meaning it'll be sent out within ten business days. Whichever way you choose, AP is awesome. Significant improvement on humidity over a glass tank The room that my snakes are in ranges between 65-70 degrees, and their fluorescent lighting + flexwatt brings the cage up to ambients at 80. If that doesn't work out, you can always get a cheap personal heater for 30 bucks and keep it near the cage. In my opinion, beats paying over a hundred for a RHP. Then again I am pretty cheap. But it does work for me.. The cages are very well insulated.

[Mr. Misha]

So what I'm hearing is that if you have a RHP over the hot side keeping it around 90, you don't need belly heat?

Not quite. You RHP isn't there to provide a hot spot. It's there to make sure that your ambient temperatures stay at what you set them. I have the thermostat set at 80F so if my cage is cooler then the RHP kicks on. Once it reaches the set temperature, it turns off (the Herpstat controls the temps).

If the RHP was at 90F degrees at all time then your whole enclosure will heat up to 90F.

Some people think that you need belly heat of 90 for digestion, but that's not true. As long as you provide 80-84 ambient temps, you'll do just fine.

[thejennabird]

Ah, gotcha. Thanks for the info!

[Sauzo]

Pretty much what Mr misha said. I never have used belly heat for my red tail boa, just the RHP and in 2 years. she has been fine. You can sorta add belly heat though by using a flat rock under the RHP. RHPs will heat anything under them thus how they heat the air mainly be it the substrate or a flat rock or the top of a hide. The T8 is nice and I'm sure works but I like the extra 2" from the T10 since RBI recommends not having anything closer than 6" under the RHP. So for me who use about an inch or 2 of aspen plus if you put say a 3" high hide under the RHP and then factor in 1" for RHP height, you are at the minimum 6" limit. For my red tail boa who uses 4" tall hides with 2" of aspen, the top of the hide under the RHP got pretty warm and that's in a 14" tall cage.