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Tile with UTH?

D

dr_j

New member
Okay, since I'm building a viv, I need to think about heat. I'm building several stackable units, so ... I could use heat tape and run it along one side, in the back. Or ... I could use a UTH in each unit. I've read where some folks have routered out an area and inserted a glass plate to which a UTH is attached. I've also read about using a ceramic tile.

About the ceramic tile --- it this just set in the viv, buried under substrate? Or, is it fastened to the outside (underside) of the viv somehow?

BTW: the inner dimensions of the vivs I'm building are 18"x36", and 18" high. It's 3/4" birch laminated plywood (the inner surface will be lined with contact paper for easy cleanup). I'm considering putting in a divider, to make 2 18x18 pens while the corns are still small ....


Thanks!

j
 
Heat strip on the side isn't going to help digestion, belly heat is what's needed. I lay thin tiles on the bottom and put a thin layer of substrate on top cuz my snake likes to burrow and I didn't want it to come in direct contact with the glass right above the UTH. This helps prevent burning and especially when building a rack, not all of the cages are going to be the same temp. depending on how you are planning to regulate heat with a thermostat or rhetostat.
 
So ... outside?

So ... you mount the UTH on the underside of the viv, but place a tile to diffuse the heat on the inside of the viv. Makes sense, keeping the little guys off the glass directly.

How about when you have an all-wood bottom (3/4" plywood). I'm guessing thick enough not to worry about direct contact .... Maybe some mounting studs to get some airflow, and then mount the UTH directly to the wood? Shouldn't get hot enough to cause problems, right?

j
 
Trinity said:
Heat strip on the side isn't going to help digestion, belly heat is what's needed.
Click to expand...

I believe most of the people who use a rack systems use heat tape on the back of it. Some people who live in warm climates (right now I am included in this category) don't use extra heat at all.

I'm not sure about getting belly heat in a wooden floored viv, but if I was going to try it I would attach the UTH to the underside of a large tile and put it IN the viv, and I'd definitely have it on a thermostat.
 
extra belly heat is not required for proper digestion. I currently have a rack, and the only heat in the rack is running along the backside of the containers. This means, there is no belly heat provided. Right now, I do not have the heat turned on as it is warm enough and the bins stay about 83 to 85 degrees during the day and down to about 78 at night.


As for heating a wooden enclosure, you can make a "window" so that you can attach the UTh to the outside of the viv, or you can put it under a Ceramic tile, and place inside the viv. But, make sure that you are able to control the heat with either a thermostat or a rheostat. Even with the tile there to distribute the heat, it can get hot enough to burn the snake. And you don't want this. The other thing that you can do, is get 11" Flexwatt and place it on the bottom of the enclosure, and place the tile on top of this. This is usually a little cheaper than a UTH, and easier to replace/repair if something goes wrong with it.
 
Thanks ...

I'm in Dallas ... so right now, we probably don't need added heat (I keep my house at 78 - 80, so added heat isn't necessary). Need heat for these guys over the winter, though (house down to 70 - 72 or so).

Placing the UTH on a tile, and making sure they get get under it, would be very doable. Saves me routering some window into the box, too. Maybe building a little insert in the cage.... Hmmm... Also, definitely a thermostat.

I have some experimenting to do!

j
 
dr_j said:
I'm in Dallas ... so right now, we probably don't need added heat (I keep my house at 78 - 80, so added heat isn't necessary). Need heat for these guys over the winter, though (house down to 70 - 72 or so).

Placing the UTH on a tile, and making sure they get get under it, would be very doable. Saves me routering some window into the box, too. Maybe building a little insert in the cage.... Hmmm... Also, definitely a thermostat.

I have some experimenting to do!

j
Click to expand...

You might want to go ahead and make a recessed area where the UTH will sit...When you read the directions for use on a UTH, they tell you that you need to provide space for air flow below the UTH. They bottom of the UTH gets just as hot as the top and can casue fires too. kept at constant temps by a Therm, will help to prevent this, but I am sure that you don't want to take any chances.
 
If your using a UTH that is made for incage use (kane, cobra) than you will not need to do anything to it. You can use the flexwatt(heattape) in the cage as well as long as it is sealed.. Using a prefab will probably be less work for your application though:)
 
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