Melamine cages and UTH

[Larry]

Has anyone used a UTH on a melamine cage? I'm getting ready to build one that will have a CHE but I also like to have a UTH (or something) for belly heat.

Any ideas or suggestions? :-/

Thanks!

Larry
Waynesboro, VA

[ClayEnglish]

Re: Melamine cages and UTH

YES!

UTH is basically just a fancy Flexwatt or heat tape with built in protection and built in connectors. I use flexwatt on all my melamine enclosures.

You just need the larger size UTH in order to use "outside" the enclosure for heating purposes, and it still needs to be on a thermostat type controller device.

[LORI]

Re: Melamine cages and UTH

AHH...I found someone else who likes melamine for cages huh ? lol

I use RHP's in my melemine cages that I have here. Just the one heating supply thing gives off ALL the needed heat for the snakes. Uses less power to do such also, rather than having two heating things going on in the cage. Also, I have found that with RHP's in melamine caging..that if you place a bowl of water under the panel in the cage... you will NEVER need to have to try and raise your humidity cuz it's too low... I actually have to work on lowering the humidity in these cages at times. ;D We do that by just leaving the door adjusted open a bit by trial and error for the exact humidity that we are looking to get in the cage. [ NOTE: This is in our larger boas cages, not lil guys that we do this. My LARGE boas have all learned to stay away from the slight open door and that they shall not be able to get out of the cage at all with it open only like an inch or so also. With the locks on the caging doors..they also can not open the doors any further than they are either to get out at all.]

[Larry]

Re: Melamine cages and UTH

Lori,

I like melamine as it is easy to work with, doesn't need paint, stain, sealing, etc. and it looks good (although a bit heavy).  

I currently use CHEs and UTHs in my cages but what is an RHP?

Thanks!

Larry

[LucyABCC]

Re: Melamine cages and UTH

RHP: radiating heat panel. it attaches to the top of your cage and runs on a thermostat. good thing is it's guaranteed not to burn down your house and your snake can touch it and not get burned (like CHE's). little bit more expensive, but worth it. i got mine here

https://www.pro-products.com

[stormyva]

Re: Melamine cages and UTH

An idea for you when you build your new cage.....
This idea was given to me by a person in another forum and I incorporated it into the 6x2x2 cage I am building.
Use hardboard shower surround material for the floor and a back splash in the cage. The stuff is cheap at around $10 per sheet, has a laminate face on it so it will resist moisture and other nasties that it will come in contact with in the cage. It is thin so heat will easily transfer through it and best of all it is light and very easy to work with.
I framed out the bottom of my cage with 2x2's , applied a silicone caulk bead over the top of the 2x2's to work as an adhesive, then put the hardboard on. I nailed around the perimeter of the hardboard with 3/4" brads and then trimmed it down to size with a router with a trimming bit. Then I applied a 6" band of the same material to the walls at the bottom of the cage to protect the plywood that the cage is built out of. I will post some pics as soon as I get off my butt and take some.

[ClayEnglish]

Re: Melamine cages and UTH

These melamine enclosures have flexwatt at the rear for the heating element of the racks. Some are enclosed and some use rubbermaid containers, but all are heated with flexwatt.

[LORI]

Re: Melamine cages and UTH

I like melamine as it is easy to work with, doesn't need paint, stain, sealing, etc. and it looks good (although a bit heavy).

YUP, It is definately a bit heavy ! lol BUT IMO is well worth it.
Of course I am NOT the one that has to move them when I re-arrange them at all either. I just say where to put em. AND With a teenage daughter here, there is NEVER a shortage of teenage boys around here who are more than willing to "show off" their muscular tone either by helping to move the cages when needed for me. LOL. hehe
Melamine is only $25 a sheet for 8x4..So really not too expensive at all to build with either. We shall soon be building more of them so that ALL of my collection here is housed in melamine also. It's the RHP's that are gonna really cost for them I think though. I have had some RHP's in excess of 5 years time and they still work fine etc for us. I think that they are actually guaranteed for like 10 years also.

[Larry]

Re: Melamine cages and UTH

Melamine is only $25 a sheet for 8x4..So really not too expensive at all to build with either.

I'm real lazy (and don't cut too good either) :-/ so I buy five 4' x 2' sheets, then I only need to cut one in half for the sides, and have a perfect 4' x 2' cage ;D. All that is left is cut one for the door, install the plexiglass and heat and we're ready to go.

As far as the cost of the RHP, Big Apple Herps sell the Dragon Lairs at less then $40. Is anyone familiar with this brand?

Thanks!

Larry

[ClayEnglish]

Re: Melamine cages and UTH

Larry, although I don't know about that brand, I do know that Big Apple Herp stands behind the products they sell, so from that aspect, I would not worry about it.

As with all products, I would compare the warranties, and expected life of product. If they are similiar then I would consider the best value.

[Doug]

Re: Melamine cages and UTH

HI,
I have a med melamine cage that uses two che's and a cobra mat all tied into a thermostat.
 I also have a 6 ft long 2 ft deep cage that has two cobra mats and two of the larger dragon lair mats from big apple.
The bottom line is everything has thermostat. to save money i plug the thermostat in to the wall and attach a power strip to the thermostat i then plug all that cages heat into that power strip. SO up to four heater are running on one thermostat.
 I never exceed 400 watts load the units are rated to 500 hundred.


the dragon lair uses very little power but are tricky to instal tape dosen't work even that duck tape, I had to use large washer to hold them up like a picture frame on all four corners you can't puncture the plastic seal on the mat the feel like warm sunshine on your arm when in the cage they are directional so be sure to put the warm side down... warm up quickly but alos cool down. But they will hold ambients very well with a thermostat I always use uth's too for that belly heat.
note uth's even on theremostat can reach high temps in mins, I ve see 135 at the floor under the matt but only 110 above the paper.. be real sure you have them in a thermostat loop no sm0oked snakies please..
  doug
 

[snakemates]

Re: Melamine cages and UTH

I am new to the forum, i just rescued a 3ft BCI from a frined who got married. I also have a yearling BP< Monty>. Anyways, to get back to the topic regarding cages. I have built a mel. cage roughly 5'x2'x2', it has right now Flexwatt as it's heat source, inside the cage under 2'' to 3'' of substrate. i am very concerned about burning my children's< snakes>, is it possibly to run the flex watt on the outside and get the desired temp inside the cage? And if so, are the temps that i need correct, for the Boa, 80F ambient, with hotspot of 90ishF, with humidity around 40 to 80%?

[snakemates]

Re: Melamine cages and UTH

Me again, plz feel free to yell at me for my spelling as it is not my strong suit. try to keep in mind for my last post i am working with a limited budget and would prefer to use the heating system i have already paided for< flexwatt with therm>,  before i have to go out and purchase a new heating system.  BTW mel. is 1/2" thick, with plex glass front  framed in pine with hinges. If possibly i am sometimes pretty dingy, if anyone has pics of heattape/ flexwatt systems on outside that would help also, along /w any other advise, thanks. :^)

[LORI]

Re: Melamine cages and UTH

I have never even personally contemplated using flexwatt inside of the melamine caging I have at all here. I always use the RHP's for them as a heating source. As for will it heat through the melamine if placed on the outside...I wouldn't think so due to the thickness of the "wood".