Here's a heating question..

[Khrysty]

We are converting a 6ft x 2ft x 3ft glass display counter into a MASSIVE "natural" leopard gecko habitat.

There will be about 6 inches to a foot of bioactive substrate when we are finished. How on earth do we heat that? We've been considering:

A) sandwiching heat tape between an insulated wall and tile, and having it heat the back wall just an inch or two under the substrate

B) burying heat cable in a snaked position all along one side about three inches beneath the surface (heat cable is moisture resistant)

C) buying a large hot rock and burying it almost completely (maybe just the top would peak out of the substrate)

D) just attempting to heat from above with a 100 watt ceramic heat emitter

We are also considering live desert plants. However, if we do go that route, we will have to purchase full spectrum lighting and figure out how to design the cage so the geckos can easily escape from the "sunlight."

Does anyone have any other suggestions or input on our project?

 

[tlbowling]

My choice would be the heat cable...I use one for my planted aquarium under the gravel, and I think that sounds like the best and safest option.

 

[RAlbrecht]

I would use a heat-panel, the ones that they mount either on the side or top. It would warm up your substrate slowly but seems it would be more "natural" heat, so that if your geckos do burrow into the substrate they don't catch the cords. With the bulb idea it would be more focused in just one area.

 

[Khrysty]

Like this one? http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...e-and-rocks/-/large-helix-radiant-heat-panel/

 

[Dog Shrink]

Those would be heat panels alright :main_yes:

 

[RAlbrecht]

Yep, just like that... spreads the heat out more, and will slowly warm the substrate.

 

[Khrysty]

I completely forgot these existed lol. They'll work MUCH better than my other options

 

[RAlbrecht]

Well happy they will work for you, plus less cords and clutter in the tank since its all on top .... If you need anything else just PM me

 

[Khrysty]

So here's another question:

The top of the "tank" is glass. Would you recommend attempting to put the mounting screws for a panel through the glass, or using some other method of attaching it?

 

[Dog Shrink]

Drilling holes in glass is VERY difficult prospect. Is there any way you can change the glass to plexi glass?

 

[RAlbrecht]

Since the top is glass, I'm sure you could make a wooden brace to hold the heat panel, so it sits on-top of the tank. They don't weigh too much but I would at least brace it so you don't break the glass.

 

[Khrysty]

Not even a little.

It's one of those glass display cases you see holding merchandise in stores. I'd have to completely destroy it to replace the glass with plexiglas

 

[Khrysty]

Since the top is glass, I'm sure you could make a wooden brace to hold the heat panel, so it sits on-top of the tank. They don't weigh too much but I would at least brace it so you don't break the glass.

So in that case the panel would go on top of the tank and not inside it?

 

[Dog Shrink]

ugh that would suck. I'm not sure then hon....

 

[RAlbrecht]

It could still go inside of the tank, but that glass is going to make it hard. Could you take a picture of it, maybe we can get more responses from others

 

[Khrysty]

Sorry about all of the junk in/on it. Right now it's just a storage place lol

 

[Dog Shrink]

What about building a stand similar to what Rob suggested with the frame but just put legs on it? You could use 1x2 pieces of wood so it wouldn't be huge and ugly. Imagine like making a dinner table with out the table top.

 

[RAlbrecht]

Ohhh thats perfect, you have that small wood frame around it holding it together. What I would do in that case is run 2 pieces of wood from the front side of the setup to the back, spaced so that you could attach the heat panel to it and then just run the cord along the back edge of it.


------------------------- Back Side
| | Heat panel Supports
| |
------------------------- Front

Kind of like that lol .... can't really draw on here but hopefully that kind of helps

so the spacing on here looked much better, let me see if I can make it better when I get home

 

[Khrysty]

Ohhh thats perfect, you have that small wood frame around it holding it together. What I would do in that case is run 2 pieces of wood from the front side of the setup to the back, spaced so that you could attach the heat panel to it and then just run the cord along the back edge of it.


------------------------- Back Side
| | Heat panel Supports
| Heat Panel |
------------------------- Front

Kind of like that lol .... can't really draw on here but hopefully that kind of helps

so the spacing on here looked much better, let me see if I can make it better when I get home

I think I get what you're trying to say lol. Sounds like it'll work. I'm a ways away from getting the heating installed (still have to put in screen on the sides, and doors on the back, and THEN get the substrate all settled), but I'm glad we've got sort of a semi-plan goin on here

 

[RAlbrecht]

Yeah it wouldn't let me do what I was trying to do but sounds like we are on the same sheet of music