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Using Plastic Containers

EsotericForest

EsotericForest

Night Shadow
I notice many of you that have a large quantity of snakes use plastic containers to keep them in, and especially the young ones. What I'm wondering is primarily how you keep them heated to the correct temperature.
 
I use flexwatt heat tape on a thermostat along the back side of the rack that holds all my containers. I'll snag a pic if you like.
 
I got distracted but just got it. I use towels to insulate, I also used the insulation sent in a rodentpro order to put behind the heat tape. Keeps the rack at around 84-85
 

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This was just my method. Some people buy pre-made racks that have the heat tape built in etc. I just bought a metal rack from HD or lowes, can't remember which. When collections grow to be more than just a handful of snakes, this is the most commonly used method of housing due to the cost efficiency.
 
I was wondering how some people can afford to heat so many snakes. Is the heat tape more efficient then the standard heaters you find in pet stores? Sorry for all the questions...I would just like to get into breeding eventually and am curious as to how to go about a proper setup. I like to do a lot of research before I jump into things ;). Unfortunately for you that means a host of questions haha.
 
EsotericForest said:
I was wondering how some people can afford to heat so many snakes. Is the heat tape more efficient then the standard heaters you find in pet stores? Sorry for all the questions...I would just like to get into breeding eventually and am curious as to how to go about a proper setup. I like to do a lot of research before I jump into things ;). Unfortunately for you that means a host of questions haha.
Click to expand...

Using heat tape is much more efficient than buying those terribly overpriced UTH's found at pet stores. The heat tape I have is 17inch that cost $5 per foot where I bought it, and a couple feet can heat dozens of enclosures. A single $20-30 UTH can only heat 1. And the smaller the size heat tape you buy, it can go as low to $2 a foot I think, not sure.
 
Wow that's quite a big difference. Is it regulated with a thermostat? Do you find the heat tape at a hardware store, or is there a better place to look?
 
You can't find that stuff at the hardware store. And it has to be wired. You either have to pay to have it wired or wire it yourself. Someone has a nice thread around here on how to wire it easily and cheaply. Can't remember who, now.
 
www.reptilebasics.com has a good selection of heat tape, and he will wire it for you. I've placed a bunch of orders with them and they've always been fantastic to me.

Since I only have a few snakes, I do have a UTH for each bin right now. If the collection grows much more, I'll be switching to heat tape as well. :)
 
Heat tape wired by reptile basics! I really only use that under the ball pythons now... I just plain run a heater in my snake room since I have so many. :D
 
Memphios said:
I got distracted but just got it. I use towels to insulate, I also used the insulation sent in a rodentpro order to put behind the heat tape. Keeps the rack at around 84-85
Click to expand...
That's a great use for the RodentPro insulation!
wax32 said:
Heat tape wired by reptile basics! I really only use that under the ball pythons now... I just plain run a heater in my snake room since I have so many. :D
Click to expand...

This is what I do. I have a small-ish room that was my sewing room/office, that got converted into my serpent room, & I just heat the whole room.
 
I've been noticing more and more how many people just use a heater in their reptile room. It makes since though, in opposed to having all those wires. I wonder if it's more cost effective to just have some kind of space heater running, in opposed to having say, 20 tanks, with heat tape on them.
 
But it seems like a space heater wouldn't offer a heat gradient...

And I'm curious: Back heat vs. floor heat? are there cons to back heat? because it seems like it would be more efficient to wire it that way. we have floor heat (flexwatt) now but are looking to build a hatchling rack.
 
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