Heating multiple cages - a question

[Solar Dart]

Hi, a co-worker of mine gave me a cheap way to heat multiple cages, but I'd like to run it by everyone here and see what you all think.
He told me to get a heating pad - a "people" heating pad, not the reptile kind - and place the various plastic cages on the pad in such a way that half of each cage will touch the pad..thus giving a heat gradient.
I wouldent see why this wouldent work, but I have one serious issue: overheating.
Has anyone ever tried doing this before? If so, how did it work out?

 

[Mikko]

I dont really understand what kind of a heatingpad you mean but i have used the common reptile pads with great succes. But i have only covered 1/3 of the bottom surface to avoid overheating. These pads was 25W.
But i have only used these method on specise wich needs a high humidity, because when you heat the bottom of the vivarium then all the water you mist will "raise upwards" making the cage very humid.
On desert species like Androctonus etc i always use lamps so the heat will be pointed downwards. But be carefull when using spotlights because these will easily overheat the cage and most of all this kind of heatsource will dry out the cage vary fast.
But you can allways try that method, it has worked for me but as i said i have only tryed it on rainforest species.
Good luck with you scorps.
/Mikko Seppänen

 

[Solar Dart]

The kind of heating pad I'm talking about is the type people use if they want to apply warmth to some area of their body, like if they pull a muscle or something. They may be used for others things as well, but I'm not sure. These pads were recommended to me over reptile pads because unlike most of the reptile pads, the "people pads" don't melt plastic, and they are both larger and cheaper than their reptile equivilents.
Hmm. I never even thought about the humidity issue, as my main concern was overheating. But that's a good point.
So far as the lights go: do you have a photo of your setup, or could you describe it to me? Basically what I'm looking for is a way to heat as many cages as possible. Although I've had scorpions for a few years now, I've only recently begun an actual "collection"...thus the reason for my question.
Thanks for any help you can give me : )

 

[tdark1]

I know what your talking about, I use human heat pads set on low, to heat various herps, I know LOTS of people who use them this way!! Be careful with inverts, most do nicely at room temp, and extra heat isnt often needed!! They will not like it as warm as herps!! Good luck!!

 

[Mikko]

Hey Solar Dart!!
I´we been away over the weekend, thereby i couldnt answer.
Anyway, i´m about to purchase a digital camera soon, then i´ll be able to post pics to you of my cages.
I´ll try to fix it as soon as possible, then i can at the same time write down a description of how i did and how i heat the cages.
/Mikko Seppänen

 

[Solar Dart]

Nice!
Thanks for the help guys. : )

 

[skinheaddave]

Heating in general.

They key here is that most scorpions will burrow to escape heat. That means that if you place a heat pad under an enclosure, you are potentialy messing up your scorp. Placing heat pads on the side of the enclosure is preferable, but I prefer heat lamps on my large communal enclosures. The smaller enclosures I just keep at room temperature -- albeit my reptile room.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Wade]

The most practical pad for heading multiple cages is probably flexi-watt heat tape. You by it by the foot ($2-$4 a foot) from reptile supply dealers (like Big Apple Herp) and wire it youself with special clips and insulators they also sell. You can cut it to whatever length you like, and heat all the cages on a shelf with a single strip. To avoid the perils described by others, it can be mounted to the wall behind the cages so the heat comes from the side not the bottom. Be sure to follow the instructions when wiring, don't electrocute yourself! I used to use this stuff alot before I moved into my current animal room.

Wade

 

[Wade]

I should also mention that an ordinary table lamp dimmer ($12 from Home depot) can be used to control the head from any pad. Left unmoderated, most get way too hot.

Wade

 

[Solar Dart]

Using heat tape against the wall was actually my original plan. I got the idea out of the book "Scorpions" by Manny Rubio. The problem is I'm, let us say, "electrically challenged". Whenever I'm asked to figure something electrical out, my arm curls up to my shoulder and I utter a long, drawn out "mmaaaaahhh" as rivulets of drool drip from my mouth.
I never really considered lamps, but those could work. What do you guys think would happen if I hung a ceremic heater above my plastic tanks? I don't think it'd melt them if it was hung high enough, but maybe someone has had some experiences I could learn from.

 

[skinheaddave]

A couple things here.

1] Unless you are putting scorpions in really, really tall enclosures, if the temperature is hot enough at the lid to melt the plastic then you are either baking your scorpions or you have really, really cheap containers. Yes, this makes heat emmiters a viable, if costly to run, way of heating scorps.

2] Electrical stuff is easy. You can send me a private email if you need any help with that stuff -- if you drool as much as you say, email might be the ONLY way someone is going to help.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Solar Dart]

Dave -

Cool, I may just send you an email. You can be my "special friend" lol

 

[skinheaddave]

Ever have one of those moments when you take a step back and say "holy f***, what have I gotten myself into?"

No, me neither.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Kugellager]

Just remember...ceramic heaters do work and look cool but lightbulbs of various low wattages work just as well and are much cheaper to buy. Reflector lamps are less that $10US at most hardware stores and allow you to direct the heat/light where you need it without setting the lamp directly on the cage.

You can even use a reflector lamp with a heat flood lamp to heat several tanks or and area at once. Just make sure the reflector lamp you buy has a ceramic base and you place the lamp far enough away from your enclosures so you don't cook your critters or anything else. Hey and no electrical know how needed.

John
; ' /

 

[Solar Dart]

Nice, that's just what I am looking for! I'll have to go to Home Depot and out prices and such. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Solar Dart]

And oh - I almost forgot:
If I decide to go with heat tape, where can I buy it from?

 

[skinheaddave]

Every time this question comes up in reptile-keeping circles the answer has been www.beanfarm.com. That being said, I've never dealt with them personally.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Jason Brantley]

That's what I use to do. I had these T-Rex Cobra heat mats (11x11 and I think 18 watts or whatever). I would put 4 clear plastic containers on each corner to from a square. Worked fine.

 

[Extensionofgreen]

Human heating pads aren't designed for 24/7 use. The reptile pads would, hopefully be designed with constant use in mind.
There are also radiant heat panels, available. Seedling mats are what I'm using ant they don't make things too hot, plug into a thermostat, and for $80, you have heat for a 2'x4' shelf. Eventually, I want to build a cabinet, with clear doors, have daylights (probably reptile basking bulbs for their heat/halogens) during the day and red heat lights at night, for observation. Most scorpions experience a temperature drop at night, do heat mats don't provide that and you should adjust the wattage of other forms of heat to be higher during the day and lower at night.

 

[ShyDragoness]

all these threads gettin resurrected!