Large custom melamine enclosures.

[dylan815]

I just finished making a custom 6 foot by 3 foot by 2 foot tall melamine enclosure. I am now unsure of how to make a heating pad work with the 3/4 inch melamine board. How do most people like to heat big tanks using a heating pad and a thermostat? Thanks!


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[BPGator]

I would go with an RHP. I think heat tape would need to run fairly hot to get through all that material. Is this for a BP?


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[dylan815]

It's going to be for my large boa for a while untill my retic surpasses him in size.


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[redshepherd]

I just have a portion of the heat pad sticking out to put the probe on, and I have a tub (but you can use anything heavy/maintains temperature) sitting over the probe. And adjust the thermostat until the heat gun tells me the right temps on the interior surface.

eta: I have my thermostat set to 83 in this method, and it gives me about 86~87 on the inside surface. I assume since the melamine sits tight on the heat pad, the heat gets through pretty easily.

But an RHP or CHE would technically be better LOL, this isn't an ideal looking setup.

[dylan815]

I currently have a under tank heater for my boa but I'm worried it won't get through the 3/4 inch melamine board


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[Aedryan Methyus]

I will soon be facing this dilemma as well... I will most likely be using pvc board when I build them, but my plan is to come up with a way to use some sort of rust/corrosion resistant sheet metal, which would be placed over 12" THG heat tape inside of the enclosure. Does anyone happen to know what type of sheet metal would be best for that? Galvanized steel, perhaps? I know aluminum sheet metal wouldn't rust, but I believe it could corrode, right? I doubt if that would really be a problem for my Boa enclosures since the humidity and moisture wouldn't be very high, but I don't know about for my Blood/Short Tail enclosures...

[dylan815]

I just have a portion of the heat pad sticking out to put the probe on, and I have a tub (but you can use anything heavy/maintains temperature) sitting over the probe. And adjust the thermostat until the heat gun tells me the right temps on the interior surface.

eta: I have my thermostat set to 83 in this method, and it gives me about 86~87 on the inside surface. I assume since the melamine sits tight on the heat pad, the heat gets through pretty easily.

But an RHP or CHE would technically be better LOL, this isn't an ideal looking setup.

I'm worried that the hot spot won't get hot enough going through that thick melamine.


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[PitOnTheProwl]

Your only options are a caged CHE or a radient heat panel.

[hollowlaughter]

The only other thing I've seen is like so...

Make the melamine floor as usual. Then cut a hole in it the size of the UTH you want to use, 11"x11" or whatever will be providing the snake with its hotspot. Then find a material safe for use with a UTH such as plexiglass. Cut it to the interior bottom size, put it in the bottom of the enclosure. Secure the UTH in the open vented area on the bottom with aluminum tape.

Sorry for bad MS paint diagram. Tablet wasn't wanting to work for some reason.

[dylan815]

Wow. That's a lot of stuff. Does anyone have any good links to really good heat sources I could use for the tank with a thermostat?


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