# Heat cable?



## DireWolf0384 (Apr 17, 2010)

I want to build a Rack Setup and have a idea but need more help with it. I want to get a metal wire rack and buy heat cable and run Heat Cable on the metal shelves and use plastic ties to secure the cable to the rack. The only thing I am unsure of is can I use the heat cable to heat all my scorp species and can heat cable be used to heat plastic containers safely. I want to get at least 20 feet of heat cable. Also, could I safely heat deli containers with heat cable? How can I use a Thermostat if I am using one heat cable for multiple enclosures?


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## jayefbe (Apr 18, 2010)

I'd use flexwatt heat tape instead of heat cable.  It'll cover more area and it's surface temperature won't be so high.  You could take heat tape (3 or 4 inch) and run it halfway up the back side of a shelf.


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## Mvskokee (Apr 18, 2010)

jayefbe said:


> I'd use flexwatt heat tape instead of heat cable.  It'll cover more area and it's surface temperature won't be so high.  You could take heat tape (3 or 4 inch) and run it halfway up the back side of a shelf.


Agreed 100% This is what i am working on too.


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## DireWolf0384 (Apr 18, 2010)

But I don't want something that I have to make myself. I'm not lazy I just want something less complicated and easy to take apart if need be. Whats all involved in using heat tape?


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## Mvskokee (Apr 18, 2010)

You can order heat tape ready to plug in.


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## DireWolf0384 (Apr 18, 2010)

Mvskokee said:


> You can order heat tape ready to plug in.


Where? Can you post a link?


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## jayefbe (Apr 18, 2010)

Heat tape is pretty easy.

http://www.beanfarm.com/store/agora.cgi?p_id=16001&xm=on

Read the pdf links provided there.  You do need a thermostat, to safely heat enclosures.


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## Mvskokee (Apr 18, 2010)

jayefbe said:


> Heat tape is pretty easy.
> 
> http://www.beanfarm.com/store/agora.cgi?p_id=16001&xm=on
> 
> Read the pdf links provided there.  You do need a thermostat, to safely heat enclosures.


Just thought i would add that even with heat cable he will need a thermostat to monitor the heat with any accuracy. I have a website that will hook flexwatt up for free but I freakin forgot the name!:evil: Its reptile something. I will try and find out.


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## Mvskokee (Apr 18, 2010)

http://www.reptilebasics.com/flexwatt-heat-tape/

There ya go.


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## DireWolf0384 (Apr 18, 2010)

The reason I want to use Heating Cables is that you can easily bend it and I could essentially heat multiple shelves with it. It can be easily taken apart. The only thing is, how would I use a Thermostat with it? I have one heat lamp for all my cages and its not working out.I saw a guy at the reptile show today with used heat cables and he used plastic ties to fasten it to a wire shelf.


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## Mvskokee (Apr 18, 2010)

Imo heat cable isn't very reliable. I hate using it I don't think its heat is consistent. If you do want to use any type of heat tape/cable all you have to do is plug it into a thermostat and set the temps to what you wanting. I have used a few analog thermos that work great but aren't as accurate as digital. All you have to do with the analog is some trial and error and you can get it pretty close. Most thermostats are on off type except for a few proportional ones. Proportional ones monitor heat by adjusting the wattage where on off just heat until the desired temp then turn off and then turn back on when the temp drops. 

analog
http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...e-1000-watt-electronic-thermostat-with-probe/

Proportional
http://spyderrobotics.com/products/herpstat.html


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## DireWolf0384 (Apr 18, 2010)

I have a stupid question. What is the probe for? If it takes the temp of just one enclosure, how is that going to manage the temp of multiple enclosures. I'll have 2 10 Gallon Tanks, one 5.5 Gallon Tank, a Kitter Keeper, some deli cups and some rubbermaid containers and possibly more tanks with dividers.


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## Mvskokee (Apr 18, 2010)

You would only be able to heat the whole thing to a certain tmep. It wouldn't do individual cages unless you wanna buy a expeeensive one. Which still only does like 4 cages. The probe is the sensor to tell the termostat what temp the tape or where ever you put it is at


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## DireWolf0384 (Apr 18, 2010)

Mvskokee said:


> You would only be able to heat the whole thing to a certain tmep. It wouldn't do individual cages unless you wanna buy a expeeensive one. Which still only does like 4 cages. The probe is the sensor to tell the termostat what temp the tape or where ever you put it is at


So whats the probe for? I want to use the Alife cause its affordable. The Herpstat is too expensive at this point.


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## Mvskokee (Apr 18, 2010)

The probe is the sensor that tells the thermostat what the temperature is.


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## DireWolf0384 (Apr 18, 2010)

Mvskokee said:


> The probe is the sensor that tells the thermostat what the temperature is.


So I put it in one of the Tanks and it should set the rest of the cages to roughly the same temp? I think this should work then. Also, with heat tape, how would I attach it to a wire shelf with multiple levels needing heat? Does it bend?


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## Mvskokee (Apr 18, 2010)

Are the shelves removable? If so you could run one big piece down the back. Uses aluminum tape to stick it to the shelf.


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## DireWolf0384 (Apr 18, 2010)

Mvskokee said:


> Are the shelves removable? If so you could run one big piece down the back. Uses aluminum tape to stick it to the shelf.


No they are not. I'll try and get a pic up here tonight.


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## DireWolf0384 (Apr 24, 2010)

The whole reason I wanted to use heat cable was we have to move in a couple months and I want something I don't have to really mess with and its more flexible.


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## jayefbe (Apr 25, 2010)

Heat tape is simple.  You set it up, tape it down, and leave it.  I have snake racks all set up with heat tape.  When I need to move, I just haul the whole rack with heat tape still attached.  Considering the wiring, taping, thermostat and everything else...heat tape is only marginally more difficult than heat cable and much more effective.


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## DireWolf0384 (Apr 25, 2010)

What size tape should I use if I am heating deli containers, aquariums and tupperware containers? Could I hook all the tape to one thermostat? Should I run one strip of tape for the deli containers and one for the aquariums and one for the tupperware?:?:8o


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## jayefbe (Apr 25, 2010)

I would use 3 or 4 inch heat tape.  Use 1 piece for each level of the shelf.  Tape each piece along the back side of the shelf, so that it will line up along the back wall of each container.  Wire the pieces of heat tape together in parallel (directions found on the earlier bean farm link I posted).  Only one thermostat will be needed since all heat tape should be receiving the same amount of electricity.  It should provide a decent temperature gradient from the back to the front of the shelf, and you can easily control the enclosure temp by how close you place it to the heat tape.


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## DireWolf0384 (Apr 28, 2010)

This is sure going to cost me a lot and my damn tax return money has not come in yet. My stupid heat lamp just killed another scorpion tonight and it does not help that the very few people who sell Flex Watt tape also rip you off too.


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## jayefbe (Apr 28, 2010)

Flex watt is fairly cheap...less than 3 bucks a foot for the 3 or 4 inch tape.  Thermostats can be pricey especially if you use proportional ones which I prefer (~$100-150), but hobby's are rarely cheap.  You could throw them all in a large closet with an oil-filled heater.  That's pretty much what I do.


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## BeakerTheMighty (Apr 29, 2010)

I've used the zoo med heat cable before to heat multiple enclosures. In fact I have a long one wiring shelves of leopard geckos right now. I have mixed feelings about its suitibility for your purposes. Heat tape is overall probably better and in your case careful adjustment of a rheostat and tempgunning the enclosures might not be a bad idea. My leopard gecko enclosures are pretty much uniform (same size, same level of bedding for heat to pass through, same positionings of furnishings) so I am comfortable letting a probe in one tub control the temperature for the others, though I do check the others (tempgun), and I keep a min-max recording thermometer in there. In fact, professional grade breeder racks for a variety of herps are built specifically to use heat cable. I used a smaller cable to heat a shelf with arachnid containers on it at one point and wasn't as pleased. The whole issue is you are going to get very different temperatures based on a number of things (i.e. container size, ventilation, etc). For instance, a large Kritter-Keeper placed on a heating element will probably reach a much lower temperature than a small closed deli cups with a few ventilation holes that is placed on the same heating element. The brief period that I used heat cable for some inverts I utilized a rheostat instead of a thermostat, and carefully adjusted it with the use of a tempgun in all containers being heated. In my experience scorpions are much more sensitive to heat than cold (a scorpion that is too cold goes through a period of lethargy, inactivity, and metabolic slow-down, a scorpion that is being kept too hot may die much more quickly with less visual clues that something is wrong imo). For this reason I really don't have any supplemental heat on any of my inverts now, I just have them in my herp room during the winter where the ambient temperature stays higher.


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## DireWolf0384 (May 17, 2010)

Should I get one thermostat for the 10 gallon and 5 gallon tanks and one for the plastic deli containers?


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