Big Enclosure Heating Help

[dakski]

Ok so even though it’s a few months away I wanted to make sure I was prepared for heating my Animal Plastics enclosure.

Its 72L x 30W x 18H and I will have a 150 watt heat panel installed at the hot end. However it gets pretty cold in my house 65-70 is average. So I was planing on getting a large heat pad for the cooler end and just setting it to a lower temp than the heating panel.

Does this setup sound sound adequate for a boa? I’m hoping it’s enough to keep the large enclosure a safe and comfortable tempature. This is my first snake and I want to do everything as best as I can.


Current shopping list:
1 large heat pad with thermostat
1 150 watt radiant heat panel
1 thermostat for heat panel
1 thermometer/hygrometer
4 hides (one will be attached to the ceiling)
1 large branch
X bags of substrate

If there’s anything I’m missing please let me know!

Yes, looks good.

I have a Boa in a 4X2' and a Boa in a 6X2.' It can get 66F in the winter here in my basement, even with heat, without cranking it all winter.

For both tanks (Boaphile tanks - 4X2X1' and 6X2X1') I have an appropriate sized RHP (I would have to check wattage) and heat tape under it on the hot side. I also have smaller heat tape (medium size vs. large for the hot side) for the cool side.

On the big tank, I have a tower with multiple tanks using the same thermostat to keep the cool sides about 78-80F. Each tank has a different species and requirements, so I run the hot side for each tank of a thermostat that controls the large heat tape and the RHP together.

On the 4X2' tower I have, I run all 3 devices off one thermostat (RHP, heat tape hot side and medium heat tape cool side).

For my boa, in that tower, it keeps it 87-91F on the hot side depending on where you measure and where the thermostat is in it's cycle (I use on/off redundant thermostats). The cool side, running off the same thermostat, but smaller heat tape, and no RHP on the cool side, keeps it about 78-81F on the cool side. Ambient is about 82-84F.

IMO, heat tape is cheap. Put some heat tape under the RHP on the hot side and smaller heat tape on the cool side. In the summer, you might not run either, or just the hot side. In the winter though, you might run both. You can also unplug the in the summer and just use the RHP. I am a fan of belly heat, but both boas spend a lot of time not on it and in the ambient zone. However, they do tend to you use it when they digest.

I like to be over prepared and have redundancy. Redundant thermostats, redundant heating elements, etc. In the summer, my cool side heat tape on the bigger tanks virtually never run (74-75F in the basement), but in the winter, those heat tapes definitely run.

Just my two cents.

Please feel free to ask questions or for clarification.