Heating a Combo Enclosure

[bryverine]

Hello,

I am looking at building a group of enclosures that will house several tarantulas in a display.

If heating the room to 74°F is not an option with a space heater, what else can be done?

Here's my idea, can you help me brainstorm and improve it.

(It's fairly crude right now)

Worries:
1. Heating 'element' is fish tank heater in the back to heat distilled or di water. This will create a "hot" spot on the side of the tanks.
2. Ventillation is a concern for the middle enclosures. I have it where the holes are drilled through all surfaces shown. Should I put vents on the fronts as well?

Anything else?

 

[sdsnybny]

The fish tank heater (a good one) should heat the water evenly, you might put in a very small submersible pump to circulate the water which will eliminate any hot spots in the water column.
The big problem is all the tanks are connected with most sharing ventilation. So close that any outbreak will rapidly spread to other occupants enclosures, mold, fungus, as well as pests leaving you no way to quarantine a single enclosure.

 

[darkness975]

The big problem is all the tanks are connected with most sharing ventilation. So close that any outbreak will rapidly spread to other occupants enclosures, mold, fungus, as well as pests leaving you no way to quarantine a single enclosure.

This and escapes into neighboring enclosures.

 

[viper69]

Some people have used FlexWatt with cabinets, and placed the containers inside the cabinet.

 

[bryverine]

The fish tank heater (a good one) should heat the water evenly, you might put in a very small submersible pump to circulate the water which will eliminate any hot spots in the water column.

The small flow pump is a great idea!

The big problem is all the tanks are connected with most sharing ventilation. So close that any outbreak will rapidly spread to other occupants enclosures, mold, fungus, as well as pests leaving you no way to quarantine a single enclosure.

The bottom (arboreal:irminia and regalis) and top (LP) will need to be a little more on the moist side.
Any thoughts to help prevent cross-contamination? Maybe put heavier ventillation in front for the center and not join them?

This and escapes into neighboring enclosures.

I run a tight ship, there will be no escapes! I plan on making all the joints with acrylic welding solvent. The way I see it is this: if a 6" tarantula manages to sneak through a 3/16" hole or open a locked enclosure from the inside and then again on the outside, they deserve any treat they can get and I wouldn't be around to see it because my wife would kill me.

Some people have used FlexWatt with cabinets, and placed the containers inside the cabinet.

I'm looking to make this into a solid unit condo. I'm not opposed to the idea of making a cabinet so they can get the dark, I just worry about the whole circulation thing... then again, they're in a closet currently...

 

[Python]

If it was me, I would start with a cabinet with built in enclosures. I would make it in such a way that the individual enclosures have an air gap around the interior with the front being a door to the enclosure and the back being vented. I would then put a computer fan on an intake at the bottom and another one on the opposite corner at the top for exhaust purposes. Some heat tape or cable or other such heat apparatus would be on the bottom inside, not in contact with the enclosures themselves. Basically the concept is that the air, warmed by the heat source at the bottom, fills the air spaces surrounding each enclosure. The bottom ones will obviously be the warmest and the top the coolest but it will allow for heating the entire thing with a single heat source and it won't cause a humidity problem either. I'm not good at describing things but in my head it's a pretty cool setup. I have some sort of disconnect between my brain and my hands that causes my idea to look like something out of a Dr. Suess book in reality.

 

[viper69]

The small flow pump is a great idea!


The bottom (arboreal:irminia and regalis) and top (LP) will need to be a little more on the moist side.
Any thoughts to help prevent cross-contamination? Maybe put heavier ventillation in front for the center and not join them?


I run a tight ship, there will be no escapes! I plan on making all the joints with acrylic welding solvent. The way I see it is this: if a 6" tarantula manages to sneak through a 3/16" hole or open a locked enclosure from the inside and then again on the outside, they deserve any treat they can get and I wouldn't be around to see it because my wife would kill me.



I'm looking to make this into a solid unit condo. I'm not opposed to the idea of making a cabinet so they can get the dark, I just worry about the whole circulation thing... then again, they're in a closet currently...

Frogger's use fans all the time to circulate air, you could do the same, even hooked up to computers to control them.

 

[bryverine]

Frogger's use fans all the time to circulate air, you could do the same, even hooked up to computers to control them.

Now does this circulate the same air around the outside of the enclosures but inside the cabinet, inside the enclosures, or do you mean to bring external air into the area with these?

 

[viper69]

Now does this circulate the same air around the outside of the enclosures but inside the cabinet, inside the enclosures, or do you mean to bring external air into the area with these?

If my understanding is correct, froggers use it to circulate air inside their vive's and I believe most let passive movement of air to expel out the screen on top. I would imagine someone has a setup with a fan as a specific outtake, like in computer cases (in and out fans), but I haven't come across that yet.

If I had a cabinet and wanted to use fans, I would use fans inside the cabinet to circulate the air, and let it passively flow into the T containers from my perspective.

 

[Red Eunice]

Threads like these peak my interest, especially scratch builds.

I'm in the process of building a large cabinet w/h glass paneled doors for viewing.

Edit: Should have posted pic of current small one in use, door is solid (no glass).
Pic of small fan and line voltage t'stat for new cabinet.