Mentioning the new type of heating but not giving us info is just so mean lol. Seriously though I really gotta know. Looking forward to that.
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I was thinking the same! @randall_turner_jr would really like to hear about this new heating, don’t spare the details! Nice locks by the way!
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Okay, okay!!! LOL!!! I’ll tell ya’ll all about the heating setups, now that I have tons of data and pictures and proofs of what I found out today and over the past few weeks!! Let’s break this down on a budget by budget, equipment by equipment and a result by result basis…
ARBOREAL LOW BUDGET SET UP TESTS:
- First is for those starting out with arb’s, and you want to house GTP’s or Wht Lipps as an arboreal and not allow them to be too cold, but don’t have a huge budget.
We are getting 6 GTP’s set up first, and we have looked at all the videos and data we could from the big 5 breeders and also some individuals that aren’t that big.
Okay, so we chose to have the ability to set up with lighting for basking and heat for the first test.
So, zoo-med and other brands on Amazon have been 18 to 21 dollars for a four pack of 40w / 60w / 75w / 100w day and night type bulbs. Why mention all these??? We tested them all and gathered some helpful data!!
Enclosure used first is the Maximum Reptile 21" Tall x 16 Wide x 18 Deep.
TEST 1: We started with 40w day and night bulbs. We had probe positioned at 6.5 to 7 inches from top. We never measured a basking area temp higher than a degree or two more than Ambient. (And by ambient, I used our living room and not the insulated room). This was to keep test 1 as close to most home setups. 72 to 74 degrees ambient.
TEST 2: We did the 60w test and found our basking temp spot at the 74 to 79 degree range. Probe at the same spot.
TEST 3: We did the 75w bulb test and were at 82.1 to 88.8 range. Probe same as other 2 tests. This could work…
Test 4: We tried the 100w bulbs. We saw 88.5 to 93.1 temps. Probe was lowered to 7 inches to 8 inches and same!!!
So our advice here is the following:
75w bulbs are perfect for GTP’s and lower temp arboreals. Perches at 7 inches from top and another in middle and one more towards the lower 3rd of enclosure.
100w bulbs are perfect for smaller White Lipped or higher temp arboreals. Perches at 8 inches from top and another in middle and one more towards the lower 3rd of enclosure.
Next Post entry is the new heater type!!! I will try with a LED light bar and pulse setting on the heating element.
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And now for the “Flat Heater Element” that is used in Automation and Controls or Instrument and Electrical enclosures. I researched the radiant heaters from herp manufacturers and also the heat strips and heat tape and the heat cable.
All have their applications, and all are doing the same task relatively speaking. But I wanted to “science this” or really dive into it a bit.
So these are the choices of heaters I had that we commonly use in my field of work.
They are the same cost as the radiant panels from some of the brands known in herping… but WAY SMALLER AND ROBUST. Metal not plastic. And the cost is the same as the others. And there are countless ways to keep animals from contacting directly. More on that later…
So here are the tests I did.
I ran the 50-watt smaller unit on the top of the arboreal enclosure screen and then placed a piece of reflective metal on the screen mounting studs like a barrier. I used a simple exo-terra thermostat to start a basic test.
I used the probe from the light tests and also the built in.
I am shocked on what I saw!!!
95 set point and the settings for pulse.
The other probe saw 92.1 to 92.6. But alot of 92.4 readings. The exo kept reading 95/95.
But again, my final set ups are going to be something else!!!
Herpstat 6 for the six Arboreal Ambient temp probes powering the STEGO flat heaters. 50 watt units.
Then a single 12" LED fixture for lighting. LEDs are luke warm when running for a while. And the cages will have decor and perches. Once I get that data tonight I’ll update more.
But for now - here are some more photos of other setups for how I handled the Carpets. Carpets have a LED light and then a belly heat section on the bottom. I did it inside enclosure, and then used thermal tape for giving a gradient level. There is a layer of 80lb brown paper and then paper towels on top of that. I used a BNlink thermostat and ran the belly heat at 100 set point.
Hot end of cage:
Themal gun reading of paper towels:
Notice the humidity is 55%!!!
I am impressed so far with the EcoFlexes stacked and the IPOWER PADS.
Gonna get back on the room and do more updates on tonights stuff, and tomorrow’s efforts.
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Those heat panels seem to be very durable and efficient! Since they are metal, what is your preferred way to make them safe for in the enclosure application, similar to how you would mount a heat panel on the top of enclosure? Very interesting, especially if the price point is same as heat panels as you say.
@banereptiles, I am working on that as I type!! Lol. So far I have a few ideas on how to mount these within most enclosures now - using the exact same methods and hardware!!
More after I try some today and tonight on the eco flex’s and the Maximum Reptile enclosures.
But for now it seems they are SUPER, SUPER EFFICIENT ON HEATING AND MAINTAINING!!! Last 24 hours has seen very stable temps and less pulse cycles then the current 80w radiant I am comparing with and also the heat tapes and pads.
Im going to have to make some youtube videos on all of this this year!!!
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Hello MMC!!! Sorry I have gone silent on this post for a bit. We have had some issues with the room and needed to test some new set ups and also wait on some very long leadtimes with stuff we need to build it out.
But we did get our specialty enclosure designs items super. super fast!!! BIG SHOUT OUT TO DAVID B!!!
THE CUSTOM PERCHES ARE AWESOME. I NEED MORE NOW!!! LOL.
Anyway, bare with me for the next 3 weeks. I have to travel to North Dakota, then to Brisbane AU to get the inherited animals from Earl’s collection.
New GTP, Carpet and PIED and Ivory Ball python lines coming to the US!!!
About 86 specimens to be exact.
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Sounds great! Keep us posted!
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