Just UTH or with CHE?

[BallPythonWannaBe]

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...with-pictures)
An awesome write up on how to modify a tub for a CHE.

[Coluber42]

First question: People do safely use CHE's with plastic tubs by doing what you describe - cut a hole and cover it with screen.

That said, you actually can put a baby snake right into the enclosure it will live in as an adult. The key thing is to make sure that all that space is filled up with lots of appropriately-sized hides, foliage (real or fake), tubes, branches, solid objects, etc. You'll have to adjust the hides and decor as the snake grows.

Most likely, a baby you get will have started its life in a small plastic tub, and the transition to the bigger cage with all that stuff in it can be intimidating. You can make the transition easier by getting a small plastic tub and cutting a hole in the lid, and putting the whole thing into the larger cage. Then the snake can get used to the bigger space on its own terms.

In the US it's common to use radiant heat panels for the kind of vivarium that's made of wood or PVC and has sliding doors in front. In the UK (and maybe where you are too, I don't know) it's more common to use a CHE mounted inside the cage, and protected by a mesh guard so the animal can't touch it and get burned. Those cage-type guards should be fairly easy to find if that's what people typically use where you live.
If not, you can also do the same thing with a vivarium that you were talking about with the plastic tub: Cut a hole in the top, cover it with screen, and put the fixture for your CHE pointing through it.

[Michelle-07]

Wow, you are amazing! Thanks for great thread to look at and those advices for terrarium setup available in my country... Yeah I searched now and it looks like the most used method is the one one with using CHE in the enclosure, protected by some mesh... Thanks a lot! I'm gonna go for a modified tub with the CHE and after Christmas (you know, a lot of money for student to pay for xd) I'll be looking after some big viv where it would be ok to use on of those two methods you've mentioned.

I'm very happy to finally be sure about getting the right setup. Thanks!xx

[Michelle-07]

I hope that someone still reads this thread now.. I have one more question - could you please send me some example of CHE with ceramic dome you are using? Like Link on Amazon or some shop of this sort... I'm having trouble to find a proper dome for CHE in my country, looks like we have only CHEs, so I may order both online and get them shipped in here, could be cheaper (sometimes more expensive orders get free shipping in here). Wattage like 75W up to 150W would be nice, anything between those, since I'm starting with a smaller but then moving into a big enclosure, so I guess it would be nice to have a bigger wattage.

Thank you all!

[Mr. Misha]

Any zoo med will work. Just make sure the it can support the wattage of the CHE. This one is good for 150w.

[Michelle-07]

Any zoo med will work. Just make sure the it can support the wattage of the CHE. This one is good for 150w.

Thank you! I'll be going for their one.