Cheaper alternative to heat cages.

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$45 at shops which now thanks to this thread I've found them for $16 - $25 each, for the exact same product.

There is a guy who can get them cheap, never dealt with him but if you want his contact message me.
I think his are around the $20 mark by memory, naturally you'll need to pay postage... but he's much cheaper.
 
I used these for a while when i had globes. I bought a hundred for about $8 each but i couldn't get any more.They just screwed on the light fitting like a normal light shade. They seemed to work fine and doubled as a perch.
 

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I used these for a while when i had globes. I bought a hundred for about $8 each but i couldn't get any more.They just screwed on the light fitting like a normal light shade. They seemed to work fine and doubled as a perch.


That's clever, did they hold up good?
Did they block any heat getting to the bottom?
 
Some are still in the cages 5 years later but over time the ceiling rose has pulled of the ceiling . I guess two 15mm scews into melomine isn't enough to hold a 10 kilo olive. Thats just a design or installation fault. A bolt right through with big washer would fix it but I am happy using mats now. You could make something similiar with pvc pipe and a couple of end caps , but i am sure you could find light shades again if you want to use globes.
My cages are only 300mm high so that I dont waste energy heating air unecessarily, but i think you will find that plastic has a very low insulation factor and so shouldn't block heat.
 
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Trimeresurus-
I love how you jump straight on the negative bandwagon...

1. I don't sell cages, so therefore throw out the idea I'm trying to sell some or justify the cost for my own benefit...
if that was your intention of course.

2. Is your pets life not worth the $45?
Which is all I basically asked.

3. Some people like myself, wouldn't have time and some probably don't have the tools or skills necessary to make them whatever that may be (I've never made them)

4. Depending how many you need to make, would it not be worth just paying the $45 (I have seen cheaper but not allowed to link to other websites) instead of driving around, finding the equipment, putting it together and hoping it works out just as good?

So I don't care if I sell reptile gear or not, I basically stated that they are worth every cent (to a degree) some are over priced and $45 is a high dollar, you can find them for around $20 if you keep looking.

$45 is not worth every cent when you can get them cheaper, I do apologize for jumping the gun at you simply for your name though.
 
For some species it is wise to heat the air.Tropical species will end up with health issues if only supplied with belly heat in a cool cage.
 
Call me cheap, but i picked up some Aluminium Mesh Pencil holders for $2.50 ea from the local 2 dollar shop (hot dollar) Perfect fit for a Infrared globe! and just cable tied them to my mesh lid.:lol:
 
I used these for a while when i had globes. I bought a hundred for about $8 each but i couldn't get any more.They just screwed on the light fitting like a normal light shade. They seemed to work fine and doubled as a perch.

Ha!! That's awesome!!

Sent from my HTC Velocity 4G using Tapatalk
 
Could 12V dichroic's ($30 from Bunnings) be an option? No cages necessary then and available in 20-35-50W....just saying.
 
I find it funny. I have been a member of this site for many years now and have found that day has been to save money instead of what's best for the animal. I am not using light cages as an example because I know they are expensive to buy in this country particularly if it comes with power cords and ceramic sockets as it needs to pass Australian standards which is an expensive exercise. I am a supplier of reptile products but make a lot of products myself purely because you can't get them in this country not because it's too expensive.
I got into reptile supplies to bring products in that aren't available in Australia (at great personal expense)
I have been to people's homes and seen animals in horrific conditions and the owners quite proud saying "yeah, I made it for under $100".
The day in this country is undergoing some change for the better I hope. If you look at European vivarium groups you will see most is day and no expense has been spared. Each enclosure is like a zoo display and that is where did needs to go. Cheap is rarely better or safer than products that have been tested by Australian standards (this process is often skipped by eBay suppliers).
I'm all for did enclosures, backgrounds, hides, water bowls etc but it it is electrical please leave it to the experts. If it is just a simple cage you are after think of what it is made of. Many metals will heat up so much that the cage will be nearly as hot as the light. Specified light cages are made usually of aluminum which doesn't heat up as much. I know cost is a concern but would you get a dog if you couldn't provide it with a kennel, water and feed bowls, leads, vet bills etc. Reptiles should have the same amount of consideration. If you can't afford the safe and proper equipment then don't get them.
 
I'm curious. Is $45 including power lead with switch and ceramic holder? If it is then $45 is fair if it is just a plain cage then it's very expensive.
 
Often not stated by the OP, there are few questions that always seem to come to mind when I read a husbandry thread.... What species and size? Where? Main enclosure features and location. Is just me???

Norm, the attachment did not work

.... Just zigzag the heat cord beneath a sealed pane of glass. ....
Unless you know about the different types of glass, I would not recommend using it. Unsuitable types will ultimately crack or shatter (sometimes years down the track) from the expansion and contraction. Most glass is brittle and readily shatters on impact with anything hard. Slate or ceramic tiles look good, have a high specific heat and are good conductors, which is what a cold reptile’s body plonked on top needs. They are readily available, cheap and durable.

Which is why I qualified it by saying it depends how far apart your runs are. I have a heat "pad" that I made the first time I ever used cord which is capable of getting to 60. I agree a better design would be more ideal but it illustrates the point I was trying to make.
In addition to the spacing between loops of heat cord, the total wattage vs the operative length is also critical in determining the temperature that can be reached. For example, a 15 W cord at 4 m length runs at 3.8 W/m, while an 80 W cord at 9 m runs at 8.9 W/m, a considerable difference. The point made on spacing is why I recommend a water-proofed wooden base, with spaced grooves in both directions, to allow the cord to be recessed and held securely in place. (Of crossing over is never allowed.)

For some species it is wise to heat the air.Tropical species will end up with health issues if only supplied with belly heat in a cool cage.
What actual species does this apply to?



I see nothing wrong with reducing costs so long as the needs of the animal are being properly catered for. Conversely, spending lots of money does not, of itself, provide any guarantee of good husbandry.

Any heating cage should pass the touch test if your animal might possibly be able to reach, including jumping and climbing up corners etc. Quite simply, if you cannot hold your hand on it once it has stabilised at its maximium temperature, then it is too hot for the reptile.

Blue
 
In addition to the spacing between loops of heat cord, the total wattage vs the operative length is also critical in determining the temperature that can be reached. For example, a 15 W cord at 4 m length runs at 3.8 W/m, while an 80 W cord at 9 m runs at 8.9 W/m, a considerable difference. The point made on spacing is why I recommend a water-proofed wooden base, with spaced grooves in both directions, to allow the cord to be recessed and held securely in place. (Of crossing over is never allowed.)
I don' think that's true Blue. You are neglecting the non-heated part of the cord in your calcs so the difference isn't quite so large. I did it a couple of years ago and basically I worked out that all cords have virtually identical power per unit of length. I'll see if I can find the thread post I made, otherwise I'll work it out again.
 
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I find it funny. I have been a member of this site for many years now and have found that day has been to save money instead of what's best for the animal. I am not using light cages as an example because I know they are expensive to buy in this country particularly if it comes with power cords and ceramic sockets as it needs to pass Australian standards which is an expensive exercise. I am a supplier of reptile products but make a lot of products myself purely because you can't get them in this country not because it's too expensive.
I got into reptile supplies to bring products in that aren't available in Australia (at great personal expense)
I have been to people's homes and seen animals in horrific conditions and the owners quite proud saying "yeah, I made it for under $100".
The day in this country is undergoing some change for the better I hope. If you look at European vivarium groups you will see most is day and no expense has been spared. Each enclosure is like a zoo display and that is where did needs to go. Cheap is rarely better or safer than products that have been tested by Australian standards (this process is often skipped by eBay suppliers).
I'm all for did enclosures, backgrounds, hides, water bowls etc but it it is electrical please leave it to the experts. If it is just a simple cage you are after think of what it is made of. Many metals will heat up so much that the cage will be nearly as hot as the light. Specified light cages are made usually of aluminum which doesn't heat up as much. I know cost is a concern but would you get a dog if you couldn't provide it with a kennel, water and feed bowls, leads, vet bills etc. Reptiles should have the same amount of consideration. If you can't afford the safe and proper equipment then don't get them.

I agree in parts to of this.
Things like thermostats, I'll only buy industry standard ones from local pet shops that comply with standards.

But the markup on most products is outstanding.
$50 for a cage that I can get off eBay for $17 is phenomenal.
URS and Exoterra selling Batten holders for 6 times the price of that at an electrical wholesaler.
Cages and enclosures at crazy prices.

Most people, especially those who have been around reptiles for ages, unlike me, know of alternatives and methods that look good and are cost effective, hence the reason for this post.
 
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