Heating a tall enclosure ideas needed!

[Edward87]

I recently just purchased a 1200H 950W 650D enclosure, for a Darwin python that I am setting up for when it grows bigger, it hasn't got any heating fixtures in it, what would be the best heating setup I have a pro herp 40watt radiator panel but I'm guessing that wouldn't be sufficient? Also if people can post pics of there tall enclosure setups, thank you

 

[baker]

The radiator panel will probably be fine. Best way for you to find out is to actually set it up and test if you're getting a hot enough basking spot (~32-35 degrees).

An important thing to remember with arboreal enclosures (and this really goes for any enclosure) is that you're not trying to heat an entire side of the enclosure up to those basking spot temperatures. Instead you want a spot or two about the size of your animal to reach those high temperatures and then you allow the heat to dissipate through the enclosure from there creating your thermal gradient. One of the things I love with thermal gradients is that if you set things up correctly you're actually able to create two thermal gradients (the normal horizontal hot to cold and a vertical gradient) for you're animal to maximise the choice it has for regulating it's temperature.

To demonstrate this, below is an older photo (I've since added some more wood in there to make it even more complex) of my spotted tree montiors (Varanus scalaris) enclosure. As you can see I've placed the heat lamp so it's aiming directly down onto a horizontal log creating a nice 50+ degree basking spot that monitors require. Then I have branches and logs beneath this so that the monitor can use different points vertically to get more or less heat as he requires. Then of course there is the normal horizontal 'cold side' gradient. I've also maximised this cold side gradient by the fact that the bottom of the enclosure is not heated at all by the light, meaning that even on super hot days there is still a nice big cold rock that the lizard can go hide beneath to prevent overheating.

Hopefully my explanation of my setup and what you should try and aim for has made sense, if you have any questions feel free to let me know.

Cheers, Cameron

 

[Sdaji]

I'd probably never use an enclosure of that size and shape for a snake outside of a tropical environment, but if for some reason I was going to, I'd have an area of floor heat, possibly a heat panel of some sort on the back (on the same side as the floor heat) and a heat lamp up the top on the same side as the other heat sources.

Heat gradients which work in a functional way are much more difficult to achieve with high rather than long enclosures, which is the #1 reason I wouldn't use them (#2 is that they're a bitch to maintain and #3 is that they're a hassle for space efficiency). You need to play around with a more complicated heating system to compensate for this...or just not worry about it too much and it'll probably work anyway, but I figure there's no good reason to go to all that extra effort producing something which doesn't work as well for the animal as a plastic tub and a heat cord - that would kill the appeal for me no matter how good it looked.

 

[Pauls_Pythons]

Seems like a strange enclosure for a Darwin but thats just my thoughts.
I use tall enclosures for Diamonds. Not as heat dependant as a Darwin but is set up in a similar manner as Sdaji mentions with heat provided at 2 levels, (No floor heat in this case as the animals are arboreal).

I have shelves/branches at different heights to allow the animal to select the part of the enclosure that suits their needs best.

 

[Yellowtail]

Most of my enclosures are wide and the smaller snakes are in tubs but I did purchase 6 incomplete tall ones that I now use for Darwins. They only have top heating by panel or CHI with a thermostat regulating 33c on top shelf and the snakes thermoregulate by moving between the different shelves plus I am adding perches as you can see in one photo. The tub hide at the bottom is used frequently when they are shedding. They are in a room that is maintained at 26c day, lower at night depending on season so floor heating is not required.
Yes one of the pythons is a bit undersized for the enclosure but I just upsized her to it from a tub and she will grow fast.
Yes that is a hypo Darwin 100% het, plan to pair with a reduced pattern albino this year.

 

[Edward87]

thanks for everyone's reply really appreciate it! I think what I'm gonna do is have a red heat lamp 100watt as I like to be able to see at night at the top of one side with basking platform beneath and use the radiator heat panel 40watt on a shelf near the bottom but have it's thermosat set at like 20deg so on the really cold winter days the python feels it can still move around the whole enclosure, would that be OK?

 

[Sdaji]

It sounds reasonable. I personally only like floor heat at night radiant 'sky' heat at night is completely unnatural and doesn't work as well), but hey, you're keeping snakes for your enjoyment and you want to see them, so that's a fair tradeoff. I'd definitely make those shelves larger or add climbing branches (likely you're already planning to add branches). If you're going to have a tall enclosure, might as well make use of the space and make it look good

The heat panel down low should help keep the whole thing at a comfortable enough temperature for the snake to use most of the space, yep

Incidentally, if you don't mind me asking, where did you get those fake plants and how much did they cost?

 

[Edward87]

It sounds reasonable. I personally only like floor heat at night radiant 'sky' heat at night is completely unnatural and doesn't work as well), but hey, you're keeping snakes for your enjoyment and you want to see them, so that's a fair tradeoff. I'd definitely make those shelves larger or add climbing branches (likely you're already planning to add branches). If you're going to have a tall enclosure, might as well make use of the space and make it look good

The heat panel down low should help keep the whole thing at a comfortable enough temperature for the snake to use most of the space, yep

Incidentally, if you don't mind me asking, where did you get those fake plants and how much did they cost?

I actually went ahead and orderd an 80watt heat panel and I'm gonna still keep the 40watt heat panel down low for a backup or if temps still low the 80watt panel is pretty large 57cmX 30cm so should create alot of heat, I'll just put a red led light in for night viewing, yeah I'll will have to put a big basking shelf near the top and one lower and figure out were to put the branches in afterward, the plant on the shelf is an exo Terra plant from petstock think it was about $25
Thanks for your advice!

 

[Sdaji]

I actually went ahead and orderd an 80watt heat panel and I'm gonna still keep the 40watt heat panel down low for a backup or if temps still low the 80watt panel is pretty large 57cmX 30cm so should create alot of heat, I'll just put a red led light in for night viewing, yeah I'll will have to put a big basking shelf near the top and one lower and figure out were to put the branches in afterward, the plant on the shelf is an exo Terra plant from petstock think it was about $25
Thanks for your advice!

You'd want an 80W heat panel to be large - if not it would get really hot and potentially burn the snake. Sounds like you have some good ideas in mind, I hope you share some pictures when it's done

So just the one plant on the shelf was $25? I can get them wholesale for a lot less Maybe I should start selling them

 

[nuttylizardguy]

IXL Tastic ceiling heat globes , pretty toasty in my bathroom with a 275W Taskic globe on. Can get these at Bunnings.
These are dimmable I believe so might work.

 

[Edward87]

You'd want an 80W heat panel to be large - if not it would get really hot and potentially burn the snake. Sounds like you have some good ideas in mind, I hope you share some pictures when it's done

So just the one plant on the shelf was $25? I can get them wholesale for a lot less Maybe I should start selling them

Yeah I like how the panels heat up a larger surface area, I'll have some pics up soon just about finished, just the one on the shelf was $25 might be a good idea they are not much cheaper on eBay lol
[doublepost=1549708336,1549616330][/doublepost] this is the enclosure pretty much finished with the 80watt proherp heat panel up top the basking shelf is about 32c and the 40watt mounted underneath the bottom shelf set at 24c the coolest end is at about 22c