*Try this at your own risk! I take full responsibility for the safety of this setup for myself, but cannot recommend anyone copy what I have done unless you are willing to do the same. Thermostat MUST be used. ALSO- I have drastically changed my views on how to heat reptiles! RHP have their place in the hobby but they should not be your only heat source as they lack Infrared A and B wavelengths (as do heat mats and heat tape) please watch this video for more info:* ruclips.net/video/fYBPrtIjdwA/видео.html
Awesome idea. I rescued a ball python today who was extremely dehydrated and poorly cared for. I don't have the money rn to buy another 4x2x2 AND another pro products heat panel so I'm going to get just the enclosure and try this. Thanks for posting
Hey if you ever have time could you do a update video 😅I’m having trouble, what holds the heat rope to the pegboard? Im having trouble figuring out how you get everything as one.
I actually just decommissioned these a couple of months ago, they were still working perfectly fine, but I changed enclosures and no longer needed them. The heat rope itself is taped to the Styrofoam, the pegboard is then placed over top of the heat rope, and then taped to the Styrofoam itself. Hopefully that makes sense!
excellent job!!!! I found your video through researching about radiant heat panels. I have always used ceramic heat emitters from the top with an UTH. I am in the process of re-purposing a tv console I bought a few months back that I will be using for my Nicaraguan Central Sharp Sunglow Boa. Sent you a message and hope to hear from you . Thanks for the build video's
Awesome video dude. I'm planning on making 3 snake enclosures this week. I am limited on space so I was either going to do heat tape or radiant heat. The radiant heat pads to attach to the top of the cage cost like $50 each. I am so glad I found this video. I could pretty much build my own, exactly the size I want, for half the cost!! The only thing I am concerned about could be the heat rope getting too hot and melting either the styrofoam or shorting out. 1. How long have you had this custom rig going? 2. Did you find that having a thermostat to regulate the temperature is a necessity? 3. If this is the only source of heat for an all wooden enclosure would that suffice?
Thank you for watching! 1. I have been running these panels since Sept 2017, although I do run them on a timer (on during the day, off at night), not sure if I mention that in the video. The melting point of styrofoam is very high so the thermostat would turn the heat cable off well before anything melts. 2. The thermostat I have is purely a fail safe in case something shorts/over heats. So the thermostat doesn't regulate the heat at all i.e. the panels are always running fully on and the thermostat is set at a high enough temp that it will only kill the panels if as I said something goes wrong. Having said that I definitely recommend using one, the one I use in this video is cheap and works well: ruclips.net/video/ug4uwTj5D8I/видео.html Also I only use one thermostat, I put the probe in my top enclosure. My thinking there is that if something goes wrong with the panel below it will eventually heat the probe in the top enclosure enough to turn them off (the thermostat is set to turn off at 90°F) 3. In short, the answer is no. I do run UTH's in both enclosures as well, watch this video for explanation: ruclips.net/video/L5fnNZDVCT8/видео.htmlm40s It all depends on the height of your enclosures. Mine are 20" and the heat panels where not powerful enough to create a hotspot in the hide (hence the extra heat mat), but the top of my hides (about 18" from the panel) has a surface temperature of 84°F so a fair amount of heat makes its way down there. If you aren't making tall enclosures the panels alone may be enough... I am also considering adding a shelf maybe 8-10" under the panels, I think that might be close enough to produce a sufficient hot spot inside the hides. I hope some of that makes sense! Let me know if you have any other questions, good luck on the build!
This is great! Exactly what I was hoping to find out there. Thank you! A couple questions... Any concerns around electrical shorts having the cable pressed against a metal surface? (don’t know if those cables are insulated against that somehow). Also, do you think it would work well to substitute a thin sheet of PVC with pegboard-spaced holes in place of the pegboard? I’m building mine for an enclosure with high humidity and worry about the moisture rotting the pegboard.
Thanks for watching! The cables are insulated with a rubber cover so I’m not worried about a short. I think PVC would work just fine, just make sure you have a thermostat controlling the temperatures!
Any update on how this held up? does the cost of this compare with conventional RHPs? - did your thermostat kick in if overnight/early a.m. temps dropped below species-ideal temps?
They held up fine, I no longer use them because I moved to using halogen for heat. But I did not have any issues with them at all. Not sure if they were more expensive or not compared to conventional radiant heat panels.
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast Thanks! this would seem ideal for situations like homes in regions that don't see a lot of strong temperature fluctuations, and as well where the species enclosure doesn't need >20F degrees sustained greater than the human space around it; more of 'augmented' heating vs absolutely necessary sustaining temps. due to one instance I had where we had unseasonable temp drop in a poorly insulated space, my tropical python's glass tank dropped to 60F; he started slowing down & scared the crap out of me. -moved everything to a smaller, better insulated room, jacked a space heater to 74F plus his tank heaters to acclimate him back to his requirements. The first common basic minimum of glass tank, pad heating, and maybe a top-dome light should really be discouraged, IMO, unless the snake/reptile you're keeping is also living the same temperate zone. also changed my snake wish-list, and minimum space requirements, to better spaces and proper enclosures for the animals primary benefit ahead of my desire to have a specific animal fit in limited space. Your experiment did list your own concerns and caveats; -that's more responsible than many putting content out there --thank you.
Yep totally agree with your “augmented heat” source observation. I’m in Canada so our homes are very well insulated due to our cold winters so inside temps are very stable. Also couldn’t agree more about your “snake wish list”. I’ve been promoting the importance of keeping small species as they are much easier to provide for
Would you ever recommend installing these on the inner SIDE of a large arboreal enclosure? I have heat lamps at the top of the enclosure, but they're not heating the whole thing down to the bottom enough, and I think just the radiant heat panel at the top wouldn't do enough either. I just wonder if my snake might climb on it if it was installed on the side of the enclosure and end up burning himself. This is great tho- I've been unable to find a panel to buy, and I could totally make one of these.
Hmm… i’m not 100% sure if I would do that. The surface does get quite hot, well beyond 100°F. You could always give it a shot under supervision, definitely use a thermostat. Or just use a heat pad on an external wall, that would probably be safer. I do that all the time.
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast I tested the heat pad on external wall (enclosure is 1/2” thick pvc), and it warms the pvc but doesn’t change the ambient temperature. It’s a very large enclosure and I’m not sure how to get the temps right without something that radiates heat better. All the pre-made radiant heat panels that I’ve seen online are sold out. They say they are cool to the touch tho, which is what I wanted.
For reference, this is for a Dominican Red Mountain Boa. They need temps from 80-88 ideally. I have 250 watt and 150watt ceramic heat emitters at the top of the enclosure but it’s 4’ x 2’ x 4’ and they didn’t even get temps up high enough at the higher end of the enclosure, let alone the bottom.
@@Snake_Therapy hmmm… first off, sounds like you have an awesome enclosure! And I love that species. I think you might be challenged at warming the enclosure, though, warming the greater room might be your best option. Even though radiant heat panel companies say they are cool to the touch, they are still over 100°F surface temperature (probably 120-130ish). I would try using a halogen bulb instead of a ceramic heat emitter (during the day). The halogen bulb will penetrate far deeper into the enclosure. You could also try using a deep heat projector at night as they do not emit light. However, in my opinion, as long as the top, third or so of the enclosure is at the ideal temperature, I wouldn’t worry so much about the bottom half. I think in general, we keep our reptiles too warm, and it can be very beneficial to have a large temperature gradient
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast thank you!! I designed and assembled the enclosure and was super excited about it until this little hiccup. And that’s great advice… I’ll try out a few more things including a halogen bulb. Our house unfortunately is very old and does not hold heat well in the winter. Even though we are in LA, I have trouble keeping temps up in any room in the winter, especially at night. My boy has made it this far, but his enclosure rarely has had a temp below 77… being smaller, it hasn’t been so hard to maintain. Now I’ve got a challenge. you know, just want to make sure I’m doing the best I can for him!
I might try this, but can you explain the physics of having it in between the pegboard and styrofoam, i was thinking something like this, but just using the same coil design but with the cable exposed and some time of guard using hardware cloth to prevent the snake from touching it directly.
The purpose of the styrofoam was to prevent as much vertical heat loss as possible. I.e. I was trying to limit the heat travelling up through the top of the enclosure. The styrofoam combined with the reflective tape does a pretty good job (although not perfect) of directing most of the heat down into the enclosure rather than letting it escape upwards. The pegboard just acts as a barrier so the snakes don't touch the heat cable directly. Let me know if that answers your question!
So am I correct in thinking the layer setup, from top to bottom, looks like: -Styrofoam, completely aluminum taped on its TOP surface, -Heat Cable, arranged around pegboard holes as shown in drawing, -Pegboard on bottom, ...with aluminum tape also around the perimeter of the heat panel, sealing the layers together?
Thank you, that wasn't what I meant but I am glad you clarified! I have one other question: I bought a 15ft, 25w heat cable, but it seems like not all of that heat cable will be needed. I may have misunderstood something in the video, but what do you do with the excess? Or do you really use the whole thing in a 1ft x 1ft RHP?
That's a good question... and literally had to go check to see what I did (I couldn't remember if I used the whole thing) and it turns out that I did use up the entire 15"ft (actually the cable is only 14.5" I'm sure yours is as well). I think I made about 11 passes up and down the pegboard with the cable, that right there used up 11". The other 3.5" is used up by "looping" the cable... i.e. changing direction (I hope that makes sense). Just remember not to overlap any of the cable and use a thermostat!
I got to the point in my project where I could make a radiant heat panel finally. I can't attach photos apparently, but believe me that it looks identical to yours, down to the bolts through the ceiling. Problem is, it doesn't seem to be getting as hot as it needs to, at least not for how long I have had it on (longest about 3 hours), at which point it seems to plateau. The heat reader reads 110 F on the hottest part of the pegboard, but the space underneath isn't very hot. Do you know what could account for the difference?
Hey I am new to the channel and loving your diy stuff and the podcast! I am planning on making one of these radient hear emitters for my ball python to just up the heat alittle bit. How are they holding since when you originally made them?
Thank you very much! Yes, they are definitely holding heat nicely... especially since I added a shelf in about 10" below the panel. The shelf below the panel stays at around 85°F during the day and I keep my reptile room quite cool (72-75°F) plus the enclosure is fairly large compared to what you might have a BP in. Just remember a thermostat! (I know you probably know that... I just feel like I have to say it every time just in case)!
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast yea no worries. And yea. The room my ball python is in is starting to drop to around 73 degrees for the winter time. So I just need something to increase the ambient temperature by 5 or 10 degrees or so. Thanks for the feedback.
I plan on using something like this in a bio active setup, the drainage layer will prevent the ability to use uth. If I bumped up to a higher wattage do you think I could get my hot side to a temperature fitting? Or would I need an additional heat source to do this? I have a 90gal 4x1.5x2 glass tank I’m setting up for a rainbow boa, so hoping to stay away from ceramic due to the humidity loss. I have a couple months I’ll be keeping it in quarantine to set this up so I’m really trying to get it perfect. I’ve read that the necessity of underbelly heat for digestion is potentially a myth and I’m prone to agree because other then basking rocks most wild animals don’t have access to underbelly heat necessarily. I really appreciate your feedback and the diy vids have been thoroughly enjoyable and helpful. Cheers man
You should be good with a higher wattage, belly heat is definitely not needed if you’re able to generate enough heat else where. Luckily rainbow boas don’t require too much heat so it should work. I’m not sure how well this diy heat panel will work in the high humidity though? Might be something to consider
I know this is an old video but I'm hoping to still get an answer . I am planning to create a leopard gecko enclosure from a wooden bookcase by making each shelf unit a separate enclosure. If I were to purchase the longer heat cables could I run the excess cable down the back outside of my bookcase and into the heat panel below it? Rather than using one cable per panel , use one cable per 2 or so panels depending on cable length? Hope that makes sense...
Thank you! My ambient temp in the room is between 70-74ºF normally, so the panel gets my warm side to roughly 80-82ºF depending where my ambient is at. (I tend to keep my boas slightly cooler than the average person it seems, so 82ºF is perfect for my needs). Thanks for watching!
What're your thoughts on just using these without UTH for boas? Wouldn't that be more naturalistic and make them actually chill on the branches like in the wild?
I do actually have UTH's running as well, if you watch Part 3 of my DIY Snake Cage, ruclips.net/video/KP7ummXnOPM/видео.html, I think I explain it there. BUT I am only using the UTH because the RHP isn't quite strong enough to create a hot spot of 86-90°F. I have read RHP are a better source of heat for the animals, whether or not that is true I am not sure. My boa's definitely do come out in the evenings and perch themselves on the warm branches though :)
Nope! All is well, but keep in mind I do have it operating on a thermostat now. Yep I would say it would work fine in a 12" enclosure, but definitely use a thermostat
We have converted the under stairs closet to our Red Tails enclosures. Wondering if making a larger version of your heater wth a higher wattage cable would give off more heat. Would like his warm side to be in the recommended mid 90s range but having a hard time hearing such a large enclosure to that temp. What’s the max temp you would recommended your heater be set at?
Sounds like a cool project! I would say making a larger panel with more wattage would definitely help. Although I would say the temps you’re trying to achieve are a little too high. In my opinion boas should be kept cooler. In the summer, my ambient warm side sits around 82-84, with a 88-90 degree hotspot, cool side is usually around 75. In the winter the temps drop even a little lower. So if you are using a heat mat/tape to create a hot spot you probably won’t need the radiant heat panel to produce as much heat as your thinking.
I´m wondering about the economic advantages over other heating methods. Besides the initial cost in saving over a factory made device, do you find running this to be in any way cheaper than regular radiant panels or even heat lamps or heat tape?
Really good question! And I actually don’t know the answer, definitely something to consider though. Currently I rent, and electricity is included so I never actually see my usage cost. Although I would guess you can use the wattage of the device you are using to compare how much power they using? However that wouldn’t answer questions about efficiency... store bought panels are far more efficient than these DIY ones
Ceramic heat emitters use the most wattage for usable heat (least efficient.) Heat pads and radiant heat panels are more efficient and are similar to each other in watt density. The new Arcadia Deep Heat Projector is pretty darn awesome. The 50 watt model can heat a surprisingly nice area with very usable heat. I have been trying one out for the Winter, and it has worked nicely but I do not know its useful life in hours. I use a dimming proportional controller for longest life. You should not worry about wattage - use a dimming temperature controller for best results and optimum heater life and best use of wattage.
I just read somewhere today that the traditional on/off thermostats are considered unsafe in the hobby now. And I’m trying to find what other thermostat options there are. Do you have an idea? If I took my CHE and heat mats off this type of thermostat they’d be unregulated and way too hot so I’m kind of confused.. there was no explanation provided other than these thermostats are a fire hazard
The other type of thermostat is called a "proportional thermostat", instead of turning your heat source on and off, a proportional thermostat adjusts the amount of power going to the heat source and smoothly turns it up and down accordingly. Technically this is safer than the On/Off thermostats because eventually the on/off switch will wear out and stop working. An On/Off thermostat is not in itself a fire hazard... I assume what you read was implying the thermostat could eventually stop working which could lead to a fire from an unregulated heat source. Personally, I am comfortable using my On/Off thermostats, but to each their own. In your case, I would continue using what you have and eventually if you want to upgrade to a proportional thermostat you can.
Animals at Home through my research, I agree with you. I kind of just freaked out. She offered no explanation but I’m assuming she meant when they wear out? Not sure. I monitor my temps continuously through the day with separate thermometers so I’m going to stick with the on/off for now. Ay yi yi lol
Hey! Really nice video, I just have a little question, I wanted to make these heat panels for two tropical terrariums, one for my giant day gecko and other one for my created gecko, but I'm a lil worried about them stepping or laying on the panel and burning themselves, I mean, they are arboreal species and can stick to the terrarium ceiling easily... Maybe it's a dumb question but I'm really concerned and idk, is out there another way to keep the terrariums warm during night? (I can't use heat pads since they are, well, arboreal)
I would actually not recommend using this for your geckos for the exact reason you worry about (I would worry that they'll burn themselves as well). As long as you can keep you room above 68°F / 20°C at night, I wouldn't add any supplemental heat for nighttime. A temperature drop at night is healthy and natural for both those species. I own both a giant day gecko and a crested gecko and do not provide night heat for either.
You bet I am! No complaints so far. It doesn't get as warm as a real RHP but it brings my warm ambient to about 81-83°F which is right where I want them. It may not be as effective for a species needing warmer temps (I am using them for my boas).
You might want to use the higher wattage (25W) heat cable, But I think it would work fine. Especially since your probably using an enclosure/tub with less height than my enclosure in the video (20" tall)
Yep, I believe that would also work.... typically you want to give heat mats some breathing space so it might be best to design it in a way that the UTH is not directly sandwiched between the materials (provide a small air gap).
The panels keep the ambients at about 80-85 F. I have them on a timer so they turn off at night. And yep I have no issues having heat Mets heat through wood, although I have recently changed the heat mats to heat tape but still works just fine (hot spot 88-90)
What temperature is your heat tape set to to heat through the wood. I thought this would be a problem so I cut a hole in the wood and put in a piece of tile because I thought the heat would travel through better but I'm having trouble getting a 88-90 degree hot spot.
I'm not sure if I mention in the video (made this a while ago), but I still use heat tape in these enclosures to produce an 88° hot spot, you can see that here: ruclips.net/video/wrKUw6NPTUc/видео.html However! I have very much changed my opinion on how to heat reptiles properly, for more on that: ruclips.net/video/fYBPrtIjdwA/видео.html
Someone told me the heat ropes don't radiate heat so putting them on the top is pointless. Does it actually heat the air within the enclosure from up there?
I saw that comment on the FB group as well. I was also told that about heat rope BUT I can tell you that it certainly does radiate heat! Or at least it does in the way I have it set up i.e. in the radiant heat panel. I am guessing it is not as effective as an actual radiant heat panel but it brings the warm side of my enclosures up to about 80-82f (the room temperature is usually 73-75), And by temperature I mean ambient air temperature
It wouldn't be able to get to 95°F the way I have it set up... the branch that is about 10 " below the panel gets to about 85°F. So potenially if you had your hot spot closer to the panel itself it would warm to close to 95°. I would probably use the 50W heat cable as well.
It was not a video I planned on making, however I briefly showed these homemade radiant heat panels in the video previous and I had a bunch of people message and ask if I could explain how I made them. I.e. it’s still a diy instructional video... I just happened to already have the panel built
Awe......i see, well in that case any chance u will do an actual video making one? Im interested because im considering putting one in my tegu enclosure.
I may need to make another one a some point so if I do, I’ll make an actual video of it. If you get out the link to my website in the description you’ll see the article I wrote as well. It may answer some questions you have. And if you have any other questions about it, feel free to ask!
*Try this at your own risk! I take full responsibility for the safety of this setup for myself, but cannot recommend anyone copy what I have done unless you are willing to do the same. Thermostat MUST be used. ALSO- I have drastically changed my views on how to heat reptiles! RHP have their place in the hobby but they should not be your only heat source as they lack Infrared A and B wavelengths (as do heat mats and heat tape) please watch this video for more info:* ruclips.net/video/fYBPrtIjdwA/видео.html
Awesome idea. I rescued a ball python today who was extremely dehydrated and poorly cared for. I don't have the money rn to buy another 4x2x2 AND another pro products heat panel so I'm going to get just the enclosure and try this. Thanks for posting
Good luck!
Genius!! I have 8 enclosures I need to make and this will save my butt!! Thank you!!
Thanks so much for sharing your creativity with us brother. Stay awesome out there! 😊🌎✨
Thanks for watching! Glad you like the video
Hey if you ever have time could you do a update video 😅I’m having trouble, what holds the heat rope to the pegboard? Im having trouble figuring out how you get everything as one.
I actually just decommissioned these a couple of months ago, they were still working perfectly fine, but I changed enclosures and no longer needed them. The heat rope itself is taped to the Styrofoam, the pegboard is then placed over top of the heat rope, and then taped to the Styrofoam itself. Hopefully that makes sense!
How was it hanging up there?
@@jameswilliams-rg4fg just a long bolt drilled through the roof of the enclosure and through the foam/pegboard and wing nut holding it in place
Totally going to try this, thanks!
No problem! Thanks for watching!
excellent job!!!! I found your video through researching about radiant heat panels. I have always used ceramic heat emitters from the top with an UTH. I am in the process of re-purposing a tv console I bought a few months back that I will be using for my Nicaraguan Central Sharp Sunglow Boa. Sent you a message and hope to hear from you . Thanks for the build video's
Thanks for watching the video! Glad you found it helpful 👍🏼
Can you just connect a heat mat to the ceiling of the enclosure?
Yes, that would be fine. Just make sure it’s on a thermostat.
This is super helpful, thank you so much! ☺️🙏🏼
No problem, thanks for watching!
Awesome video dude. I'm planning on making 3 snake enclosures this week. I am limited on space so I was either going to do heat tape or radiant heat. The radiant heat pads to attach to the top of the cage cost like $50 each. I am so glad I found this video. I could pretty much build my own, exactly the size I want, for half the cost!! The only thing I am concerned about could be the heat rope getting too hot and melting either the styrofoam or shorting out.
1. How long have you had this custom rig going?
2. Did you find that having a thermostat to regulate the temperature is a necessity?
3. If this is the only source of heat for an all wooden enclosure would that suffice?
Thank you for watching!
1. I have been running these panels since Sept 2017, although I do run them on a timer (on during the day, off at night), not sure if I mention that in the video. The melting point of styrofoam is very high so the thermostat would turn the heat cable off well before anything melts.
2. The thermostat I have is purely a fail safe in case something shorts/over heats. So the thermostat doesn't regulate the heat at all i.e. the panels are always running fully on and the thermostat is set at a high enough temp that it will only kill the panels if as I said something goes wrong. Having said that I definitely recommend using one, the one I use in this video is cheap and works well: ruclips.net/video/ug4uwTj5D8I/видео.html
Also I only use one thermostat, I put the probe in my top enclosure. My thinking there is that if something goes wrong with the panel below it will eventually heat the probe in the top enclosure enough to turn them off (the thermostat is set to turn off at 90°F)
3. In short, the answer is no. I do run UTH's in both enclosures as well, watch this video for explanation: ruclips.net/video/L5fnNZDVCT8/видео.htmlm40s
It all depends on the height of your enclosures. Mine are 20" and the heat panels where not powerful enough to create a hotspot in the hide (hence the extra heat mat), but the top of my hides (about 18" from the panel) has a surface temperature of 84°F so a fair amount of heat makes its way down there. If you aren't making tall enclosures the panels alone may be enough... I am also considering adding a shelf maybe 8-10" under the panels, I think that might be close enough to produce a sufficient hot spot inside the hides.
I hope some of that makes sense! Let me know if you have any other questions, good luck on the build!
Nice video, very interesting.
I think, I might consider doing this for my next enclosure which will house an African house snake.
Thank you! Awesome :D
This is great! Exactly what I was hoping to find out there. Thank you! A couple questions... Any concerns around electrical shorts having the cable pressed against a metal surface? (don’t know if those cables are insulated against that somehow). Also, do you think it would work well to substitute a thin sheet of PVC with pegboard-spaced holes in place of the pegboard? I’m building mine for an enclosure with high humidity and worry about the moisture rotting the pegboard.
Thanks for watching! The cables are insulated with a rubber cover so I’m not worried about a short. I think PVC would work just fine, just make sure you have a thermostat controlling the temperatures!
Any update on how this held up? does the cost of this compare with conventional RHPs?
- did your thermostat kick in if overnight/early a.m. temps dropped below species-ideal temps?
They held up fine, I no longer use them because I moved to using halogen for heat. But I did not have any issues with them at all. Not sure if they were more expensive or not compared to conventional radiant heat panels.
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast Thanks! this would seem ideal for situations like homes in regions that don't see a lot of strong temperature fluctuations, and as well where the species enclosure doesn't need >20F degrees sustained greater than the human space around it; more of 'augmented' heating vs absolutely necessary sustaining temps.
due to one instance I had where we had unseasonable temp drop in a poorly insulated space, my tropical python's glass tank dropped to 60F; he started slowing down & scared the crap out of me. -moved everything to a smaller, better insulated room, jacked a space heater to 74F plus his tank heaters to acclimate him back to his requirements.
The first common basic minimum of glass tank, pad heating, and maybe a top-dome light should really be discouraged, IMO, unless the snake/reptile you're keeping is also living the same temperate zone.
also changed my snake wish-list, and minimum space requirements, to better spaces and proper enclosures for the animals primary benefit ahead of my desire to have a specific animal fit in limited space.
Your experiment did list your own concerns and caveats; -that's more responsible than many putting content out there --thank you.
Yep totally agree with your “augmented heat” source observation. I’m in Canada so our homes are very well insulated due to our cold winters so inside temps are very stable. Also couldn’t agree more about your “snake wish list”. I’ve been promoting the importance of keeping small species as they are much easier to provide for
Would you ever recommend installing these on the inner SIDE of a large arboreal enclosure? I have heat lamps at the top of the enclosure, but they're not heating the whole thing down to the bottom enough, and I think just the radiant heat panel at the top wouldn't do enough either. I just wonder if my snake might climb on it if it was installed on the side of the enclosure and end up burning himself. This is great tho- I've been unable to find a panel to buy, and I could totally make one of these.
Hmm… i’m not 100% sure if I would do that. The surface does get quite hot, well beyond 100°F. You could always give it a shot under supervision, definitely use a thermostat. Or just use a heat pad on an external wall, that would probably be safer. I do that all the time.
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast I tested the heat pad on external wall (enclosure is 1/2” thick pvc), and it warms the pvc but doesn’t change the ambient temperature. It’s a very large enclosure and I’m not sure how to get the temps right without something that radiates heat better. All the pre-made radiant heat panels that I’ve seen online are sold out. They say they are cool to the touch tho, which is what I wanted.
For reference, this is for a Dominican Red Mountain Boa. They need temps from 80-88 ideally. I have 250 watt and 150watt ceramic heat emitters at the top of the enclosure but it’s 4’ x 2’ x 4’ and they didn’t even get temps up high enough at the higher end of the enclosure, let alone the bottom.
@@Snake_Therapy hmmm… first off, sounds like you have an awesome enclosure! And I love that species. I think you might be challenged at warming the enclosure, though, warming the greater room might be your best option. Even though radiant heat panel companies say they are cool to the touch, they are still over 100°F surface temperature (probably 120-130ish).
I would try using a halogen bulb instead of a ceramic heat emitter (during the day). The halogen bulb will penetrate far deeper into the enclosure. You could also try using a deep heat projector at night as they do not emit light.
However, in my opinion, as long as the top, third or so of the enclosure is at the ideal temperature, I wouldn’t worry so much about the bottom half. I think in general, we keep our reptiles too warm, and it can be very beneficial to have a large temperature gradient
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast thank you!! I designed and assembled the enclosure and was super excited about it until this little hiccup. And that’s great advice… I’ll try out a few more things including a halogen bulb. Our house unfortunately is very old and does not hold heat well in the winter. Even though we are in LA, I have trouble keeping temps up in any room in the winter, especially at night. My boy has made it this far, but his enclosure rarely has had a temp below 77… being smaller, it hasn’t been so hard to maintain. Now I’ve got a challenge. you know, just want to make sure I’m doing the best I can for him!
I might try this, but can you explain the physics of having it in between the pegboard and styrofoam, i was thinking something like this, but just using the same coil design but with the cable exposed and some time of guard using hardware cloth to prevent the snake from touching it directly.
The purpose of the styrofoam was to prevent as much vertical heat loss as possible. I.e. I was trying to limit the heat travelling up through the top of the enclosure. The styrofoam combined with the reflective tape does a pretty good job (although not perfect) of directing most of the heat down into the enclosure rather than letting it escape upwards. The pegboard just acts as a barrier so the snakes don't touch the heat cable directly. Let me know if that answers your question!
Never thought about making one this way. Thanks for the insight !
So am I correct in thinking the layer setup, from top to bottom, looks like:
-Styrofoam, completely aluminum taped on its TOP surface,
-Heat Cable, arranged around pegboard holes as shown in drawing,
-Pegboard on bottom,
...with aluminum tape also around the perimeter of the heat panel, sealing the layers together?
Yep, that is correct! If by "top" you mean the surface of the styrofoam that is in contact with the heat cable
Thank you, that wasn't what I meant but I am glad you clarified! I have one other question: I bought a 15ft, 25w heat cable, but it seems like not all of that heat cable will be needed. I may have misunderstood something in the video, but what do you do with the excess? Or do you really use the whole thing in a 1ft x 1ft RHP?
That's a good question... and literally had to go check to see what I did (I couldn't remember if I used the whole thing) and it turns out that I did use up the entire 15"ft (actually the cable is only 14.5" I'm sure yours is as well). I think I made about 11 passes up and down the pegboard with the cable, that right there used up 11". The other 3.5" is used up by "looping" the cable... i.e. changing direction (I hope that makes sense). Just remember not to overlap any of the cable and use a thermostat!
I will, thank you very much for the information!
I got to the point in my project where I could make a radiant heat panel finally. I can't attach photos apparently, but believe me that it looks identical to yours, down to the bolts through the ceiling.
Problem is, it doesn't seem to be getting as hot as it needs to, at least not for how long I have had it on (longest about 3 hours), at which point it seems to plateau. The heat reader reads 110 F on the hottest part of the pegboard, but the space underneath isn't very hot. Do you know what could account for the difference?
Hey I am new to the channel and loving your diy stuff and the podcast! I am planning on making one of these radient hear emitters for my ball python to just up the heat alittle bit. How are they holding since when you originally made them?
Thank you very much! Yes, they are definitely holding heat nicely... especially since I added a shelf in about 10" below the panel. The shelf below the panel stays at around 85°F during the day and I keep my reptile room quite cool (72-75°F) plus the enclosure is fairly large compared to what you might have a BP in. Just remember a thermostat! (I know you probably know that... I just feel like I have to say it every time just in case)!
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast yea no worries. And yea. The room my ball python is in is starting to drop to around 73 degrees for the winter time. So I just need something to increase the ambient temperature by 5 or 10 degrees or so. Thanks for the feedback.
I plan on using something like this in a bio active setup, the drainage layer will prevent the ability to use uth. If I bumped up to a higher wattage do you think I could get my hot side to a temperature fitting? Or would I need an additional heat source to do this? I have a 90gal 4x1.5x2 glass tank I’m setting up for a rainbow boa, so hoping to stay away from ceramic due to the humidity loss. I have a couple months I’ll be keeping it in quarantine to set this up so I’m really trying to get it perfect. I’ve read that the necessity of underbelly heat for digestion is potentially a myth and I’m prone to agree because other then basking rocks most wild animals don’t have access to underbelly heat necessarily. I really appreciate your feedback and the diy vids have been thoroughly enjoyable and helpful. Cheers man
You should be good with a higher wattage, belly heat is definitely not needed if you’re able to generate enough heat else where. Luckily rainbow boas don’t require too much heat so it should work. I’m not sure how well this diy heat panel will work in the high humidity though? Might be something to consider
Are you still using this today?
I finally stopped using them last summer. Not because they stopped working, but because I changed enclosures and no longer needed them
Hey bro would adding a thermostat help make the hot spot a hot spot?
Yep, I recommend using a thermostat to control the temps
I know this is an old video but I'm hoping to still get an answer . I am planning to create a leopard gecko enclosure from a wooden bookcase by making each shelf unit a separate enclosure. If I were to purchase the longer heat cables could I run the excess cable down the back outside of my bookcase and into the heat panel below it? Rather than using one cable per panel , use one cable per 2 or so panels depending on cable length? Hope that makes sense...
I think that should work fine, just make sure everything is connected to a thermostat!
Awesome vid!!! So what is the room ambient? I'm curious how much you're gaining by using these.
Thank you! My ambient temp in the room is between 70-74ºF normally, so the panel gets my warm side to roughly 80-82ºF depending where my ambient is at. (I tend to keep my boas slightly cooler than the average person it seems, so 82ºF is perfect for my needs). Thanks for watching!
That's exactly what I wanted to hear. Awesome! Thanks for your reply.
No worries!
What're your thoughts on just using these without UTH for boas? Wouldn't that be more naturalistic and make them actually chill on the branches like in the wild?
I do actually have UTH's running as well, if you watch Part 3 of my DIY Snake Cage, ruclips.net/video/KP7ummXnOPM/видео.html, I think I explain it there. BUT I am only using the UTH because the RHP isn't quite strong enough to create a hot spot of 86-90°F. I have read RHP are a better source of heat for the animals, whether or not that is true I am not sure. My boa's definitely do come out in the evenings and perch themselves on the warm branches though :)
Just curious what UTH you would recommend for a similar setup and exactly how you have them installed in this setup? (Newbie here)
No issues with fire type situations ? And would this work with a 12 inch high enclosure?
Nope! All is well, but keep in mind I do have it operating on a thermostat now. Yep I would say it would work fine in a 12" enclosure, but definitely use a thermostat
Instructions unclear, boa constrictor impregnated my waffle maker.
😂 that should not have happened...
What is the ambient temp of your room?
Usually between 72-75
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast not sure if this will work for me. The temps can range from low 60s to mid 70s in my house depending on time of year
We have converted the under stairs closet to our Red Tails enclosures. Wondering if making a larger version of your heater wth a higher wattage cable would give off more heat. Would like his warm side to be in the recommended mid 90s range but having a hard time hearing such a large enclosure to that temp. What’s the max temp you would recommended your heater be set at?
Sounds like a cool project! I would say making a larger panel with more wattage would definitely help. Although I would say the temps you’re trying to achieve are a little too high. In my opinion boas should be kept cooler. In the summer, my ambient warm side sits around 82-84, with a 88-90 degree hotspot, cool side is usually around 75. In the winter the temps drop even a little lower. So if you are using a heat mat/tape to create a hot spot you probably won’t need the radiant heat panel to produce as much heat as your thinking.
Could this be used in the winter during the night so my reptiles don’t get cold?
I would say, yes!
I´m wondering about the economic advantages over other heating methods. Besides the initial cost in saving over a factory made device, do you find running this to be in any way cheaper than regular radiant panels or even heat lamps or heat tape?
Really good question! And I actually don’t know the answer, definitely something to consider though. Currently I rent, and electricity is included so I never actually see my usage cost. Although I would guess you can use the wattage of the device you are using to compare how much power they using? However that wouldn’t answer questions about efficiency... store bought panels are far more efficient than these DIY ones
Ceramic heat emitters use the most wattage for usable heat (least efficient.) Heat pads and radiant heat panels are more efficient and are similar to each other in watt density. The new Arcadia Deep Heat Projector is pretty darn awesome. The 50 watt model can heat a surprisingly nice area with very usable heat. I have been trying one out for the Winter, and it has worked nicely but I do not know its useful life in hours. I use a dimming proportional controller for longest life. You should not worry about wattage - use a dimming temperature controller for best results and optimum heater life and best use of wattage.
I just read somewhere today that the traditional on/off thermostats are considered unsafe in the hobby now. And I’m trying to find what other thermostat options there are. Do you have an idea? If I took my CHE and heat mats off this type of thermostat they’d be unregulated and way too hot so I’m kind of confused.. there was no explanation provided other than these thermostats are a fire hazard
The other type of thermostat is called a "proportional thermostat", instead of turning your heat source on and off, a proportional thermostat adjusts the amount of power going to the heat source and smoothly turns it up and down accordingly. Technically this is safer than the On/Off thermostats because eventually the on/off switch will wear out and stop working. An On/Off thermostat is not in itself a fire hazard... I assume what you read was implying the thermostat could eventually stop working which could lead to a fire from an unregulated heat source. Personally, I am comfortable using my On/Off thermostats, but to each their own. In your case, I would continue using what you have and eventually if you want to upgrade to a proportional thermostat you can.
Animals at Home through my research, I agree with you. I kind of just freaked out. She offered no explanation but I’m assuming she meant when they wear out? Not sure. I monitor my temps continuously through the day with separate thermometers so I’m going to stick with the on/off for now. Ay yi yi lol
Hey! Really nice video, I just have a little question, I wanted to make these heat panels for two tropical terrariums, one for my giant day gecko and other one for my created gecko, but I'm a lil worried about them stepping or laying on the panel and burning themselves, I mean, they are arboreal species and can stick to the terrarium ceiling easily... Maybe it's a dumb question but I'm really concerned and idk, is out there another way to keep the terrariums warm during night? (I can't use heat pads since they are, well, arboreal)
I would actually not recommend using this for your geckos for the exact reason you worry about (I would worry that they'll burn themselves as well). As long as you can keep you room above 68°F / 20°C at night, I wouldn't add any supplemental heat for nighttime. A temperature drop at night is healthy and natural for both those species. I own both a giant day gecko and a crested gecko and do not provide night heat for either.
Why use a heat panel for a crested gecko? I leave mine at room temp and I’ve had them for years doing just fine. Enclosure stays around 75 degrees
do you think a 50watt cable produce more heat?
Definitely, make sure you use a thermostat!
So now a few months later are you still using it? Are you sold?
You bet I am! No complaints so far. It doesn't get as warm as a real RHP but it brings my warm ambient to about 81-83°F which is right where I want them. It may not be as effective for a species needing warmer temps (I am using them for my boas).
I'd be doing balls
You might want to use the higher wattage (25W) heat cable, But I think it would work fine. Especially since your probably using an enclosure/tub with less height than my enclosure in the video (20" tall)
Do you think you can but a UTH instead of heat cable?
Yep, I believe that would also work.... typically you want to give heat mats some breathing space so it might be best to design it in a way that the UTH is not directly sandwiched between the materials (provide a small air gap).
Animals at Home also instead of pegboard could it be possible to put a material such as copper so it can heat up quickly and radiant heat well?
I would stay away from using metal.... It will get too hot and could burn your animal. And remember a thermostat~~
Ya I drilled holes through the enclosure and bolted the RHP’s to the ceiling. Should work the same way with a UTH provided everything else is the same
Can I do this with heat tape
Definitely worth a shot! I don't see why it wouldn't work, but make sure you use a thermostat!
Do you still use this?
I stopped using them last summer, only because I switched to a different heat source. They were still going strong.
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast thanks for the reply. Love the podcast!
No problem. Thanks for watching the show! 😁
Have u had any problems or malfunctions?
Nearly two years later, no issues what so ever!
Gorilla tape for the heat cable?
That would work!
how are the panels doing and do you suggest them
They are still working great! Especially after I added shelves underneath them... now they don’t have to radiate the heat as far down.
what do you keep the temp at on it
does the heat mats on the bottom work through the wood
The panels keep the ambients at about 80-85 F. I have them on a timer so they turn off at night. And yep I have no issues having heat Mets heat through wood, although I have recently changed the heat mats to heat tape but still works just fine (hot spot 88-90)
What temperature is your heat tape set to to heat through the wood. I thought this would be a problem so I cut a hole in the wood and put in a piece of tile because I thought the heat would travel through better but I'm having trouble getting a 88-90 degree hot spot.
Aw man. Doesn't get warm enough for boas
Just realized you have boas in there? They need a hot spot of 88, cool side 78-82.
I'm not sure if I mention in the video (made this a while ago), but I still use heat tape in these enclosures to produce an 88° hot spot, you can see that here: ruclips.net/video/wrKUw6NPTUc/видео.html However! I have very much changed my opinion on how to heat reptiles properly, for more on that: ruclips.net/video/fYBPrtIjdwA/видео.html
Someone told me the heat ropes don't radiate heat so putting them on the top is pointless. Does it actually heat the air within the enclosure from up there?
I saw that comment on the FB group as well. I was also told that about heat rope BUT I can tell you that it certainly does radiate heat! Or at least it does in the way I have it set up i.e. in the radiant heat panel. I am guessing it is not as effective as an actual radiant heat panel but it brings the warm side of my enclosures up to about 80-82f (the room temperature is usually 73-75), And by temperature I mean ambient air temperature
Animals at Home awesome thank for the reply! I am gonna try it out and see it's not an expensive experiment so why not. Thanks for the video!
Just remember to use a thermostat to prevent any accidents!
Animals at Home Oh absolutely thermostats on everything here! Lol
Can you get this to 95 ?
It wouldn't be able to get to 95°F the way I have it set up... the branch that is about 10 " below the panel gets to about 85°F. So potenially if you had your hot spot closer to the panel itself it would warm to close to 95°. I would probably use the 50W heat cable as well.
Animals at Home ok thank you . That gives me an idea of starting point .
No Problem at all! Good luck!
Why do a diy video if ur not actually building anything?
It was not a video I planned on making, however I briefly showed these homemade radiant heat panels in the video previous and I had a bunch of people message and ask if I could explain how I made them. I.e. it’s still a diy instructional video... I just happened to already have the panel built
Awe......i see, well in that case any chance u will do an actual video making one? Im interested because im considering putting one in my tegu enclosure.
I may need to make another one a some point so if I do, I’ll make an actual video of it. If you get out the link to my website in the description you’ll see the article I wrote as well. It may answer some questions you have. And if you have any other questions about it, feel free to ask!