After reading through this thread I am sickened by the way members on this site handled the OP questions. people lets remember whats at stake here , its nos not pride but an animals well being. we ALL should have a common goal to help new members create the best environments possible. The thing I find sad is that the 2 members arguing were both right and wrong in their statements at the same time. I deal in wooden cages so here are some facts that should help the OP. Wooden cages made out of 3/4 " material hold heat and humidity better than glass cages. Heat tape DOES NOT raise ambient air temps, but rather it heats objects such as cage material, substrate , rocks or anything else placed on top of it. This in turn will raise air temps a few degrees ( max 5-10 degrees) Room temp. also plays a large part of it. If your room temp is 65 deg. then heat tape alone will not be able to create optimal conditions. While arguing who is right and wrong both members failed to touch on the more important topic in wooden cages , floor thickness. Heat tape will be ineffective to heat 3/4" material properly. You will need to install some sort of an inlay into the floor of the cage. Some members have used glass, plexi or tile. All will work ok , just make sure its at least 1/4" thick. attach the heat tape to the inlay. I also want to add a word of caution. Melamine board is water resistant not water proof. It contains harsh chemicals such as formaldehyde that can leech out if subjected to moist conditions for long periods of time. My suggestion would be to either use another type of material for the floor or cover the melamine floor with either clear acrylic (plexi glass) or linoleum tile, etc. Melamine is fine for the walls and top. Hope this helps.
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