Need advice about heating a 4' wide tank

[satomi325]

I have a divided 75g tank/vivarium to heat. The bottom is glass and 18"x48". I'm buying 2' of 11" flex watt and putting this in the center of the tank. Will likely need to be cut down to 16" to make it 1/3 the length of the tank. But I want to test it at a full 2' length first because the tank is going to be directly under an AC vent (altho the vent not pointed at the tank).

Anyway, I know I'm going to need two misters (one for each side) because maintaining humidity isn't going to be easy.

So here's my questions.

I was originally going to put the single piece of flexwatt in the middle (under the tank) and control it with a single thermostat for both halves, but since the tank will be split in half (with plexiglass) should I split the flexwatt and control them separately?

And knowing the above, what thermostat/humidistat would be the best to handle all of this? (two heaters, two misters)

I've looked at hygrotherm and herpstat 2 & 4. Two hygrotherms would be cheaper than a single herpstat4. But is there some advantage over getting a herpstat4 that's worth the $250 difference? I do want a solution that will last for many years. Are they both as good quality?

How far away from a wooden stand should the tank be to prevent this from becoming a fire hazard? I've read about someone taping styrofoam against the flexwatt underneath. Is that not dangerous??

Aaand finally. Is there something I can put between the tank and wooden stand to fireproof the stand?

Thanks!!


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It's do-able, but putting all the elements of heating and humidity is going to be hard work.

1) Misters are bad. They seem to put out too much moisture at a given time. Most of the time everything becomes soaked or turned into a 'rain forest' type of environment. Definitely not for an African native snake. Also, the huge amounts of moisture tends to promote scale rot.

2)flexwatt in the middle will work for belly heat. You can probably use one thermostat this way. Just make sure to get a thermometer for each side of the divider.(Not the stick on dial kind. Digital is the best)

However, like everyone else said, depending on what temperature your ambient temp is, the rest of the tank is most likely going to be too cold unless you have a Heat Emitter or Lamp. Anything under 75 has the potential to give a snake Respiratory Infection.

3) Hygrotherm is not as precise, accurate, or reliable as a Herpstat or other higher end brands. The risk of failing is much higher. A good quality thermostat is THE most important piece of equipment for your set up. It's what keeps your snake alive by regulating it's heat source. Plus a high quality thermostat will have a longer running life than cheaper brands. It's a good investment that will last you years.

4) Styrofoam is bad because it traps and retains heat. By trapping heat, the thermostat reader is most likely not going to run accurately as it is reading the incorrect temperature. This will keep the flexwatt cooler than what it's suppose to be because the thermostat is thinking it's hot.

5) You need a space between the tank and stand. I think wooden blocks or spacers will work fine. (like 2 pieces of wood running across 2 sides under the tank or something. That way there is enough air flow)

But I agree with everyone that maintaining such a great tank will be difficult.
You have better luck with a pre-made vivarium.

Check this Animal Plastics Cage set up Thread:
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...l+plastic+cage

It has the aesthetics of a tank. There is no screen top so no lost humidity. It's made out of PVC so it holds humidity and heat really well. It comes with a SOLID divider. You can use flexwatt down the middle like you wanted to. And it's low(T8 model). No wasted head space. Balls don't need a lot of height space as they are a terrestrial snake. If I had more space in my room and didn't have a rack, I would buy this cage for my snakes. Glass tanks are just too much work to clean. I had a 20 gallon tank before and I just had the hardest time lifting it (Empty!)

The radiant heat panel is an option that will benefit if your house is too cold.

I would PM The Serpent Merchant if you have any questions about Animal Plastics Cages.