| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Gothqueen |
Posted - 16/03/2013 : 23:38:48
Hi, I am new to this site, I received my Pennine 24"x18"x18" Vivarium yesterday through the post, it comes with a 15watt bulb, thermometer, hide, substrate and water dish, I have not got my royal python yet as I am setting up the viv first, I have realised the tank is plastic, and have found through looking online they are susceptible to melting at high temps, also I am worried about adding a lamp guard as I do not want to break the tank, Please help
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| 12 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| boomslang |
Posted - 13/04/2013 : 00:50:21
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| boomslang |
Posted - 13/04/2013 : 00:45:55
You won't need the heatmat,won't do anything outside,and risky and pointless having it inside :)
You could cut the roof,mount a holder through the roof and gaurd the bulb inside.Or cut the roof,place mesh over the cut and place a dome on top.Seems to be alot of limitations with them.
Or save yourself all the trouble and buy a reptile radiator,that way you can just fix it to the roof.Then if you upgarde to something else later,you can just reuse the heater. |
| Gothqueen |
Posted - 12/04/2013 : 23:34:27
Thank you for all the advice, Yes it has cost me loads more than anticipated, I bought a 15w heatmat and have a 40w red bulb which I am having to cut into the tank, I wish I had just bought a wooden viv, the light fixing makes it impossible to add a bulb guard, so I am now going to have to cut a hole in the lid and put the light in, then I have to try and cover the hole so the snake cant escape grrrr quite P Off right now |
| boomslang |
Posted - 22/03/2013 : 22:48:41
Your mat under the tank won't work,and like stated,a radiator is the best option.By the time you've got it all setup,it's going to be alot more expensive then a wooden viv. |
| Lotabob |
Posted - 22/03/2013 : 00:58:07
I think they are vacuum formed, it's got an air gap in between the inner and outer skin. They don't have much room for ceramics, radiators are probably the way to go. |
| boomslang |
Posted - 20/03/2013 : 22:55:06
Aren't these like 2 inches thick lool.If heated by a ceramic+cage.Don't leave much room.being 18" tall. |
| Fezza |
Posted - 20/03/2013 : 17:06:26
I guess it depends on the thickness of the plastic?
The plastic on RUBs isn't very thick. I'm not sure how thick it is on the pennine vivs. If they're anything like procages at 18mm, then I'd doubt that much heat would pass through |
| Lotabob |
Posted - 19/03/2013 : 21:24:39
quote:
Originally posted by Fezza
Hi and welcome
I'd very much doubt that heat from the heat mat will come through the plastic very well. Over head heat via a bulb (ceramic or light emitting) is going to be your best bet
I agree that overhead heating is the way to go but heat from a heat mat goes through plastic just fine or faunariums and RUBs would be totally useless too as they are plastic. |
| Fezza |
Posted - 19/03/2013 : 18:28:02
Hi and welcome
I'd very much doubt that heat from the heat mat will come through the plastic very well. Over head heat via a bulb (ceramic or light emitting) is going to be your best bet |
| Gothqueen |
Posted - 19/03/2013 : 13:54:21
Thank you for your advice, I bought the viv new at £75, as I was told the set up looked great, I had no idea it was plastic though. I am going to be putting a 7x12 heat mat under the viv, I will be raising the viv off the surface, so the heatmat will not melt the plastic. What else do you think I should do? |
| boomslang |
Posted - 18/03/2013 : 02:50:27
It won't melt if it's the viv i think you're talking about.Huge molded plastic black viv?One that alot of people use for GTP etc.
Take it,it's something you got second hand? you'll want to use a heat bulb in there,And you'll have to drill/cut and mount the fittings yourself.
Not something id have got for a royal.Nothing wrong with it per say,Just depends how you want to set it up.Id stick a flat ceramic heater in there,that way you save on space. |
| Lotabob |
Posted - 16/03/2013 : 23:54:02
Hi, welcome to the forum. Plastics do melt at high temperatures but so do snakes  so we have to keep them at a nice temperature they like. A thermostat is what is needed for this job, they regulate the temperature and keep everything safe. Guards over the bulb are absolutely essential bits of kit, two reasons, snakes that touch bulbs get burnt, snakes that climb on bulbs will get burnt and smash the bulb; nobody wants to be picking glass out of a snakes burnt belly.
15 watt bulb is nothing more than a viewing light too, to use it for heating it will need to be at least 100 watts and the thermometer needs to be a digital one (available for a few quid on eBay) the dial ones only monitor air temperature.
I would say if you are not happy with the tank you have bought the best thing to do is send it back and get something you want. I don't believe plastic vivariums are great at keeping the heat in, the wooden ones are much better for that.
This is the fun part though honest, setting them up, making everything the way you want it and the way they need it. |
