Warm rooms?

[Rachel]

Hey,

Just wondering if anyone that keeps their snakes in a 'warm room' could give me some tips on how I would go about setting one up myself?

I take it that it would have to be a room with no/small windows to prevent heat loss (it gets v cold where I live) but decent circulation? What kind of heating device would you recommend? We have wall rradiators here but I'm *assuming* that these would not be appropriate.

It's just an idea just now, hopefully put into action when I move house (that's why I'm insisting on that 3rd bedroom lol! )

Also, if you keep in a warm room, how would you achieve a temp gradient? Or would you just have an ambiant temp??

Any suggestions welcome!

 

[KaioSama]

I live on the 2nd floor in the hottest room in the house. The AC seems to just pass my room over . So i simply have my corns' lights at just that, lights,barely a heat source. My room even at night is really really warm. The temps in their cages drop to about 70-75 without a light a night, during the day its naturally 80-90 on the warm side. I had to actually setup a vacuum system to get cool air in. I have my window open, a fan blowing from the other side of the room towards the window (and my bed), and my door open,which is to the left of the fan. I'm not sure how it works but it get the air circulating. I'll have to take a picture of my room to explain it better. But it definitely works if you have a warm room and still need to cool it down for your corns. I know im gonna have a problem when i decide to breed mine lol and get the temps way down in the winter. Gonna have to probably sleep with lots of blankets and open windows lol.



Adam

 

[mattsnake]

I THINK that radiators can realy dry out the room. So you would probably have to mist the cages once a day or so.

 

[Rachel]

Yeah that's what I was thinking, so I thought that there might be some sort of special heater. I'll have to ask someone over here I think...doesn't sound like anyone here uses a 'warm room' (guess you wouldn't need to if you live somewhere hot!) Cheers anyway,

Rach

 

[bmm]

My reptile room is heated up to a certain temp and no supplemental heat is provided. But its a bit different than what you are thinking of I think...


I have one spare bedroom. Inside is one green iguana cage (big big heat lamps) a colubrid rack system (with seperate, timed and controlled heating) a ball python with heating pad, a gecko cage with heat lamp as well as a few other cages/heat sources. Basically all cage heating elements in my room are on for 5 hours per day. They go on at around 8 a.m. but around 1-2 p.m. in the afternoon all the heating sources and the natural house heat (upstairs room) has the entire room at around 82. So all the timers switch off the heat for the hot part of the day and at night the temp goes to 75. No lower. thats how I have my stuff set up.

bmm

 

[Rachel]

Thanks everyone,

I think I'll have to do a bit more investigating before I convert any rooms!

 

[Missymonkey]

I have a larger walk-in closet that I keep my herps in. They are up on shelving with a space heater on the floor on a board (so as not to burn the carpet). I placed a metal pot with water in it infront of the heater to keep the humidity at a decent level. I also bought a little air filter that has a little fan on it and put that near the heater so it kind of helps to circulate the warmer air. It's a little cooler on the top shelves and a little warmer on the bottom shelves so I arrange my animals accordingly. I don't have much of a temp. gradient in the cages but no one has complained much. It is a bit cooler under the water dishes where everyone hides though.

You could probably do something similar in a larger room, just be aware of the temp in the different areas of the room so that no one is stuck in a cold spot that likes warmer conditions. And be mindful of the humidity. You can always set up fans or humidifiers or airconditioners if needed.

I like warming the room instead of using under tank heaters because there is little chance of herps getting burned from defective heaters.

 

[carl3]

space heaters

I am in a similar situation. I tried keeping my snakes in finished basement but had way too much trouble regulating the temps. I moved them back into a spare bedroom where I sometimes leave windows open to add extra heat. I was always afraid of using space heaters due to the risk of fire. I use heat pads for most of my snakes and I just monitor their temps which stay pretty constant (just a bit higher though, when i leave windows open on a hot day). Otherwise, with the door closed and a/c vents closed & windows open, its as if they are outside so its nice unless its too hot out. I also hate using heat lamps (unless absolutely necessary) b/c I had one fall off a tank once and it left a burn mark on the floor...it was only a 60watt bulb but it got really hot.

 

[KaioSama]

Ah, sorry. I guess i misread what you were asking about and pretty much posted about the opposite of what you were looking for. Sorry.



Adam

 

[CowBoyWay]

Burning down the house...(it's a bad thing)

I also hate using heat lamps (unless absolutely necessary) b/c I had one fall off a tank once and it left a burn mark on the floor...it was only a 60watt bulb but it got really hot.

I have had a similar experiences with heat lamps. Darn Cats... (still have cats, i just don't use heat lamps anymore.)
Expect the unexpected when setting things up.

A smoke detector is a very good common sense idea in any room with plug-in heating devices in operation...


Space Heaters...
If one is using an elecitric space heater, one should test it by walking over and kicking/ knocking it over (gently) and see if it turns itself off.
If it doesn't, unplug it and after allowing it to cool, toss it in the trash (dispose of properly).

"if woman don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy" ~Red Green~

And depending on how handy one is...one could build a suitably sized, walk-in style, temperature regulated snake room in the extra corner/ part of a spare room
a "Styrofoam walled, walk-in snake room", if you will..
By using those big, 2 to 4 inch (50 to 100? mm) thick or so, 4' by 8' foot sized sheets of the fire resistant, insulating styrofoam panels, available at just about everybodies local building center, by adding a bottle of white glue, a electric knife and a little imagine one could build ones own personal walk-in styrofoam walled "super-insulated snake room" ready to be heated up or cooled down..


"Atmospheric Temperature and Humidity Controllers"...

are commonly used by indoor "tomato" growers to control there growing environment and work very well for controlling the atmosphere of a room, independent of the rest of ones house.
http://www.wormsway.com/detail.asp?sku=ATC601
Fail Safe...
This type of unit could also be used as part of a fail-safe system to either exhaust heat build-up or turn on a window air conditioner, if for instance, a space heaters thermostat were to fail and stick in the on, "full tilt boogie", bake that snake position.
imho.

 

[Rachel]

Cheers for the info everyone! I have actually been thinking of converting our washing room. It's a smallish room that houses the water heater tank (so is warm) and has shelving for towels and laundrey. I haven't tested the ambient temp yet but I reckon it would be a happy medium for my corns (don't worry I will make sure first!). The only thing is, is that it doesn't have any windows. I could easily control the temps from any of the methods mentioned above (or open the door and allow fresh cool air to circulate but that isn't very 'exact') but my main concern is lighting. Obviously there would be no natural light so I would have to install some lighting device which wouldn't be a problem but what kind of timer should it be on? I mean could I simply turn the light on in the morning and off in the evening or would I have to fit a timer so as to control photoperiod? Also, would I have to adjust such a timer to allow for long/short daylengths??

Sorry for all the qus but want to get this 100% right before I move them about!

 

[bmm]

Rachel- Yes you could simply turn the light on and off. A timer would work as well and they are cheap and easy to install. For me, I have a window so if I sleep in and don't get the overhead light on its no biggie. But a timer would work well for your normal overhead light. Then you wouldn't have too worry about it.

bmm