Enclosure for Boa

[dakski]

Ok I took the temps with the gun almost touching the substrate. I wrote on the pic below the temps that I got. It seems to be 75 on the log but in the front against the glass it is like 73ish And of course he's in the water bowl.. his new favorite place after I made him discover water lol.




Will I have to keep a CHE when I get a cage like the Animal Plastics one? or would just a UTH be enough?

Better, but still not there. 88 is fine on the hot side. You might want to consider moving his water dish closer to the middle or the cooler side. Make sure he can get his entire body on the hot spot - 88F. If it's only that little section on the top left, it's probably not enough. How big is the UTH? Is the water bowl over it?

77F in the middle is minimum.

75 and 73 are too low.

Increase power to CHE via dimmer and/or move closer to tank.

If you get an AP tank, etc. (I have Boaphile tanks), and your room is under 75-78F, then a UTH will not be enough. You will also need a radiant heat panel (RHP) and a UTH for belly heat and probably a UTH for the cool side, depending on the size of the tank.

My 6X2X1' enclosure has an RHP and Flexwatt heat tape (like a UTH) on the left side (hot side) on one thermostat for both. It's 87-91 on the left side, averaging about 88, about 81F ambient, and the cool side has a smaller flexwatt and a separate thermostat for that side. It maintains 78-80F.

The better enclosed the tank, the better heat stays in and humidity stays in. Getting a good tank with good thermostats and proper heating elements built in is ideal. You will spend less on electricity and temps will be much easier to regulate.

I went with Boaphile Plastics because a) Jeff Ronne put up with about 100 calls from me asking questions about all my animals needs (I had never had an all inclusive setup before - I had different tanks with different makeshift heating elements, etc.) and I love the tanks and b) he breeds boas, so he knows well what they will need.

AP may be the same way, I have no idea, but you want someone who will answer questions and help you design a proper setup that is probably overkill. My RHP and UTH on the hot side barely run to maintain proper temps in the summer, and a little harder in the winter, but I would rather have them barely run, then one run all the time and not be enough.

Finally, you can be a few inches from the substrate, but by 2-3 FT, or through a screen for sure, the reading will likely be off.