Jungle enclosure heating help

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Jungle-Mad

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Hello all, i really need help with heating suggestions on my display tank my old man is making me for christmas! The tank he is making me will be approx 6 ft tall by 4 long by 2 feet wide. As above its for jungle pythons 3 to be exact( don't want to hear your views on keeping pythons together i have my opinion that works for me you have yours)I live in Central Queensland ,there will be alot of ventilation down both ends in the way of crimsafe mesh im thinking of using ceramic heat light for the basking area? What do you guys think? Will one be enough or should i put 2 in one at each end? Im not very keen about putting a shelf in so was wondering about the spread of the heat. My other enclosure are less than fancy and i mostly use heat mats but as this is a display enclosure im after something nice..... Please help if you can.
Cheers


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A ceramic globe will work, but you lose a lot of heat out the top of the enclosure. I recommend using one under a basking shelf and placing the thermostat probe on top of the shelf. You can put a sturdy branch below so they have the option of top heat, too. I find that my adult Darwins LOVE a basking shelf and use it in preference to everything else. I encourage you to re-think your views on shelves.

If you want something cheaper and more energy efficient, make a heat panel under a shelf with heat cord. I recently did one for an enclosure and used a tile on top, which spreads the heat really well. Here are pics so you get the drift:
frame and heat cord without tile on top:


Tile in place:


I've tried a variety of enclosure designs over the years and the heat cord panel under a basking shelf is very efficient. I also put a sturdy branch under so they can enjoy top heat:


You can use a heat mat under a tile to make a good heat panel, too, but that is better for more terrestrial species (Antaresia, Aspidites). Jungles are more like Darwins in their habits.
 
As "Mum" says, in an enclosure of that size Heat emitters and globes might be ineficient, and if you put 1 in each end you will not have a real good gradient, cord and or mats would be the go :) .................................Ron
 
Thanks Mum and Ron for your time to post and share your opinion. I might just do the tile shelf idea, i just wanted to stick with a sort of rainforest theme but i may somehow be able to hide the shelf.Does anyone else think i'll run into trouble with using heat light( ceramic)?
 
use a heat panel, you can get different wattages and from what ive heard they are quite reliable... Maybe someone else can shed some light on the heat panels???
 
I've been reading about the stein enclosures using a down light in there enclosures which also seem like a great idea! Anyone have experience with them? They (stein envlosures)seem to know what they are doing.
 
Down lights can look good, but not very energy efficient. I prefer to use the heat cord and LED lights. Heat panels are good, but very expensive compared to using heat cord for yourself. I have use a panel before, but you can't utilise the heat on both sides like you can with your homemade basking shelf type.
 
...I have use a panel before, but you can't utilise the heat on both sides like you can with your homemade basking shelf type.
You sure can, just mount the panel to the underside of a shelf, top of the shelf should be a nice toasty 34-37. You can even put in some small spacers between the shelf and the panel if you really want to tweak the temp down a little on top of the shelf.

Aaron
 
Yes, you can mount panels under a shelf, but they are made to mainly heat from one side, so you don't get as much useful heat from the side that is against the shelf. You get more when you use a cord underneath and it's cheaper.

As for the down lights, you lose too much heat out the top of the enclosure for my liking. I prefer to mount a heating globe under a shelf if using one. I know that down lights are supposed to only project in one direction, but the hot air rises and you still get a lot of heat at the top of the enclosure where the animal isn't hanging out. The shelves allow them to utilise more of the heat. JMO based on running a number of different types of enclosures with down lights, ceramic emitters, panels and cord panels. I still want to try a heat pad variant for my Aspidites, but haven't gotten at around to building it yet.
 
You can build small ventilated boxes for downlights and install them in the enclosure.That way no heat escapes the enclosure except for where you have the vents.All my enclosures are heated using one 50w halogen.
 
My only concern about the halogen down light as a heat source is that my enclosure may get too hot in the summer months up here. Ramsayi im guessing you would have yours set up similar to those stein enclosures with no thermostat just the light?Is it dear to run? Do you cut them into the roof so they sit flush? Maybe can you post a pic of yours please. Thanks for following the thread still pythonmum! We have started the frame and already ran into trouble we made it a little to high and would not fit through the door lol we cut 150mm of and all good.
 
My only concern about the halogen down light as a heat source is that my enclosure may get too hot in the summer months up here. Ramsayi im guessing you would have yours set up similar to those stein enclosures with no thermostat just the light?Is it dear to run? Do you cut them into the roof so they sit flush? Maybe can you post a pic of yours please. Thanks for following the thread still pythonmum! We have started the frame and already ran into trouble we made it a little to high and would not fit through the door lol we cut 150mm of and all good.

Have no idea how stein ones are set up.
I use thermostats in mine.They are housed in their own boxes which have holes drilled in the back and sides for ventilation and are screwed onto the roof inside the enclosures.Globes are 50 watts so would cost the same to run as a 50w cord or panel.You can also get 35W halogens if you think they will give enough heat.I use 50W as they give a decent basking temp of around 35C at a distance of 600mm.
 
You have them on a thermostat just like a normal heat light mate? Do they blow much with the dimming?


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Also how many would you suggest 1 or 2 in an enclosure of that size?
 
You have them on a thermostat just like a normal heat light mate? Do they blow much with the dimming?


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Also how many would you suggest 1 or 2 in an enclosure of that size?

I use dimming stats on ceramics, globes and halogens and they work perfectly.

Referring to a comment that was made previously, regarding the use of ceramics at both ends of your enclosure. It was said you will not achieve a good thermogradient, to which I completely disagree. In that size of enclosure you will have a very good vertical thermogradient, instead of your typical horizontal one. I personally do not see any problem with using ceramics, they work very well for me. The only issue really is the cost, but you live in a warmer climate than me, so the ceramics will not need to work as hard.
 
I use 35W halogens to light and heat my enclosures and they work fine for both my five foot high enclosure and four foot wide enclosure. I don't use thermostats as I have found that the hot end stay in the mid 30's and the cold end in the mid 20's. In winter I add a heat cord to the backs and bottoms of the enlosures for extra day and night time heat.

When you say that you will have plenty of ventilation using crimsafe mesh, how big will these gaps be?
 
They ventilation will be around 1 foot wide and run both side of the enclosure all the way to the top so about 4 foot high.Too much ventilation you think?Also do you use 1 or 2 halogens?
 
I only use one halogen right at the top of the enclosure for the tall ones and one on the right for my wider ones.

I think it would be too much ventilation to have. I only have two small plastic vents that you buy from bunnings. Probably about 20cm by 10cm on the back wall. You're always going to get ventilation coming through the glass panels at the front and going out the back so I find it's enough. If you have it running the whole way up the side then the crossdraft is going to take all your heat.
 
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