Lawrence Padcock
New Member
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2022
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
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Cannot find the size reptile enclosures that I want in Australia for my couple of growing male & female green tree pythons. So, I’m building my own 600mm deep X 900mm wide X1500mm high with marine plywood shell & hinged glass doors.
I am using 150 Watt thermostatically controlled heat lamps for the 600 mm high enclosures they live in now, but those will not radiate enough heat to the lower part of the new enclosures, and reptile forums are recommending using radiant heat panels. Whilst radiant heat panels seem the ideal solution; my problem is that I don’t seem to be able to find a source to get them from? There were some advertised at Amazon a while ago; but with an astronomical price and equally astronomical shipping from U.S. quote, and it’s not available now.
So; now I’m thinking of building heat panels using 140 Watt Chicken Coop Heaters; with cut-off temp that can be adjusted between 75° - 50°. I would use reptile thermostatic controls to keep the ambient temperature right. and plastic or aluminum cages to protect and make my babies safe from burns.
The fixing location I’m considering is halfway down the enclosures fixed to the back as heated air rises, and I think it would be too cold in the lower parts of enclosures if panels were radiating from the tops of the enclosures. And I am planning to have one fixed roof panel with short low-voltage strip lights, and removable roof panels on either side that can be substituted with flyscreen panels during the hot season.
Any thoughts about what I’m planning, and I would particularly appreciate advice about where to get heat panels or build your own?
I am using 150 Watt thermostatically controlled heat lamps for the 600 mm high enclosures they live in now, but those will not radiate enough heat to the lower part of the new enclosures, and reptile forums are recommending using radiant heat panels. Whilst radiant heat panels seem the ideal solution; my problem is that I don’t seem to be able to find a source to get them from? There were some advertised at Amazon a while ago; but with an astronomical price and equally astronomical shipping from U.S. quote, and it’s not available now.
So; now I’m thinking of building heat panels using 140 Watt Chicken Coop Heaters; with cut-off temp that can be adjusted between 75° - 50°. I would use reptile thermostatic controls to keep the ambient temperature right. and plastic or aluminum cages to protect and make my babies safe from burns.
The fixing location I’m considering is halfway down the enclosures fixed to the back as heated air rises, and I think it would be too cold in the lower parts of enclosures if panels were radiating from the tops of the enclosures. And I am planning to have one fixed roof panel with short low-voltage strip lights, and removable roof panels on either side that can be substituted with flyscreen panels during the hot season.
Any thoughts about what I’m planning, and I would particularly appreciate advice about where to get heat panels or build your own?
