Overwhelmed with caging options... help please!

[Blitzjg]

What are RHPs?

Do T8's hold heat well also? There was quite a price jump from what I saw beyond the 221 to the next viable size which I'm not sure I can afford atm, assuming that would be the 332, which is 150 more

[AlexisFitzy]

What are RHPs?

Do T8's hold heat well also? There was quite a price jump from what I saw beyond the 221 to the next viable size which I'm not sure I can afford atm, assuming that would be the 332, which is 150 more

An RHP is a radiant heat panel that you can use to heat a terrarium. I have one in my Pro line cage and they work great. You can get them from Reptile Basics or from Pro Products.

[jclaiborne]

What are RHPs?

Do T8's hold heat well also? There was quite a price jump from what I saw beyond the 221 to the next viable size which I'm not sure I can afford atm, assuming that would be the 332, which is 150 more

Plastic cages in general hold heat really well. I build my own cages now, but when I still use the visions I purchased previously. I like them because they are light weight, one solid piece, and I can go buy them locally and don't need to pay for shipping. My advice is save up for the RIGHT cage, don't just settle for one now. Buying the animal is generally the cheapest part on owning them, do some research on different cages, determine what size you want to go with, how you want to heat it, what TSTAT you are going to use, etc. Then save up for it.

[Blitzjg]

Well my snake is a bit big for his current cage so it's becoming somewhat urgent. So both the T8 or the 332 should be ok for him as a permanent home? What are, if any, valuable options to add on to the T8 from AP?

[michaelt]

When I ordered my t8 i ordered the flexwatt and divider with slidding glass doors with a lock.. Plan on having 2 adult Bps in it so each one gets a 2x2x1 area. I have a RBI 40w heat panel in each side and use cryon led under cabinet lighting for them they hold temp good I still have to run a space heater in the room because temps can get as low as 58 degrees and that day it got down to 73 on my cooler side so that same day I went to get a space heater but doesn't help it's been in the negatives..

[Blitzjg]

When I ordered my t8 i ordered the flexwatt and divider with slidding glass doors with a lock.. Plan on having 2 adult Bps in it so each one gets a 2x2x1 area. I have a RBI 40w heat panel in each side and use cryon led under cabinet lighting for them they hold temp good I still have to run a space heater in the room because temps can get as low as 58 degrees and that day it got down to 73 on my cooler side so that same day I went to get a space heater but doesn't help it's been in the negatives..

What exactly is the flexwatt? I have an UTH with thermostat, would the flexwatt be worth getting in that case? Is the lock just an added precaution to the snake sneaking out?

[Sauzo]

I use a Pro-Line 48x23x14 with a PH3 RHP from Pro Products on a Herpstat 1 and it keeps the cage plenty warm. Plus I just keep a large water bowl in the center of the cage and that keeps humidity around 60% all the time. The Pro-Lines work pretty good although I have heard good things about AP cages and I think I might try a T8 or T10 for my baby snake when she gets older so I can judge both of them for myself........or I might just go with another Pro-Line.....thank god I got a year or so to make up my mind

[Sauzo]

What exactly is the flexwatt? I have an UTH with thermostat, would the flexwatt be worth getting in that case? Is the lock just an added precaution to the snake sneaking out?

Flexwatt is just a UTH. There are a few types, ones like Flexwatt, THG, Ultratherm and Flukers are heaters encased between a couple sheets of plastic material. Ones like Zoo Med are encased in a plastic/rubber type stuff and Kane heat mats are sealed in some kind of thick all weather rubber stuff which can be used inside cages. The other ones are designed for under the cages on the outside. Flexwatt is pretty cheap so it wont hurt to get it but if your house gets cold in the winter, a UTH is probably not going to be enough as UTH don't heat air. You will need a RHP which does heat the air and anything directly under it. I personally just use a RHP in my Pro-Line cage with a flat rock under it and this keeps the hot side(the rock) 92f and the cool side is 82f. So again, if you are going for a pvc or hdpe cage, my advice is get a RHP for sure if your house gets under 75f in the winter and if not, then you might be able to get away with just a UTH but I still advise get a RHP as snakes don't NEED a UTH as long as their ambient temps are warm enough.

[Blitzjg]

So I decided to go with the T8 and got the Flexwatt and overhead lighting add-ons. What size RHP should I be looking for?

[jclaiborne]

So I decided to go with the T8 and got the Flexwatt and overhead lighting add-ons. What size RHP should I be looking for?

It depends on what your ambient Temps are in the room you are keeping it. If you are using flexwatt you may not need a RHP