How to set up a PVC cage (AP T8) With Pictures!

[BPGuy]

First off when would a rat have a chance to chew through a cord inside your snakes cage? A live rodent shouldn't ever be left in a cage long enough for that to happen. Live rodents shouldn't be left unattended with a snake for any reason. I've seen too many snakes be killed by unattended rats already.

As for probe placement you have a few options. I personally don't recommend using a single thermostat for more than one heat source, but it can be done. You are going to have to carefully monitor your temps as there won't be anything to prevent disaster on the RHP that isn't being directly monitored by a thermostat.

You want your probe to be placed to that it is centered on the lens of the RHP:



1. You can use hot glue to attach it directly to the lens
2. You can suspend the probe so that it is hanging under the lens
3. You can use hot glue to attach the probe to the bottom of the cage directly under the lens.

Thanks, Aaron. I went ahead and mounted the probe on the bottom of the T8, along the center divider, using hot glue. I put the wire in a 1/4" PVC pipe to keep it from being chewed on, but the probe is sticking out of the PVC pipe.

Because the temps in the two sides of the T8 seemed to be a few degrees off and because I want to be able to control each side independently, today I ordered a Herpstat 4. It should arrive in about a week. Once I receive it, I'll run each RHP on its own channel of the Herpstat 4 (I'm going to use a third channel to run a UTH that is heating a tub that sits on top of the T8).

As your question about how the rats were able to chew through the thermometer cords, you really don't want to know. I've done a few stupid things as a result of my snakes' winter hunger strikes. Luckily, the rats didn't hurt the snakes at all. I'm hoping that the cooler winter temps in the T8 caused the hunger strike and that the RHPs will keep the T8 temp constant year-round. In fact, today (I installed the RHPs yesterday) one of the two hunger striking BPs actually ate! :-) In any event, I'm not leaving things to chance any more. I'll be keeping a closer eye on the rats and won't be leaving them in the T8 nearly as long as I had been.

- - - Updated - - -

First off when would a rat have a chance to chew through a cord inside your snakes cage? A live rodent shouldn't ever be left in a cage long enough for that to happen. Live rodents shouldn't be left unattended with a snake for any reason. I've seen too many snakes be killed by unattended rats already.

As for probe placement you have a few options. I personally don't recommend using a single thermostat for more than one heat source, but it can be done. You are going to have to carefully monitor your temps as there won't be anything to prevent disaster on the RHP that isn't being directly monitored by a thermostat.

You want your probe to be placed to that it is centered on the lens of the RHP:



1. You can use hot glue to attach it directly to the lens
2. You can suspend the probe so that it is hanging under the lens
3. You can use hot glue to attach the probe to the bottom of the cage directly under the lens.

Thanks, Aaron. I went ahead and mounted the probe on the bottom of the T8, along the center divider, using hot glue. I put the wire in a 1/4" PVC pipe to keep it from being chewed on, but the probe is sticking out of the PVC pipe.

Because the temps in the two sides of the T8 seemed to be a few degrees off and because I want to be able to control each side independently, today I ordered a Herpstat 4. It should arrive in about a week. Once I receive it, I'll run each RHP on its own channel of the Herpstat 4 (I'm going to use a third channel to run a UTH that is heating a tub that sits on top of the T8).

As your question about how the rats were able to chew through the thermometer cords, you really don't want to know. I've done a few stupid things as a result of my snakes' winter hunger strikes. Luckily, the rats didn't hurt the snakes at all. I'm hoping that the cooler winter temps in the T8 caused the hunger strike and that the RHPs will keep the T8 temp constant year-round. In fact, today (I installed the RHPs yesterday) one of the two hunger striking BPs actually ate! :-) In any event, I'm not leaving things to chance any more. I'll be keeping a closer eye on the rats and won't be leaving them in the T8 nearly as long as I had been.