Will a heat cord help me warm up my 'floor'?

[ShadowRancher]

Hey all,
I posted my new winter quarters recently and everything seems to be stabilizing well (ambient room temp is 80 and ambient humidity is 65-70%) but the actual mulch is a bit cooler than I would like it. I have two heat lamps set up to created a decent sized basking spot but that's about the only place where more than the very surface of the mulch is warm. I've read that heat cables don't raise ambient heat without a closed chamber but all I really want to do is take the chill off the mulch now that we are really reaching cold days. I'm thinking about getting Big apple's 27' heat cable to bury on a grid under about 1/3 of the total area. Does that seem like a sufficient plan to make sure they have a warm spot to rest their bellies?

 

[Yvonne G]

I haven't used the heat tapes, but several member swear by them. We have talked about them here on the Forum. I can't remember who...maybe @Madkins007 or @tortadise ??

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

I've been reading about heat tape ( @ZEROPILOT was talking about it, I think) and apparently it's great stuff! You can get it in all types of wattage, which is specified by blahblah watts per inch.
I've been to BigAppleHerps a couple looking at things, and they seem bit expensive, so I'd look for deals too

 

[ShadowRancher]

I've been reading about heat tape ( @ZEROPILOT was talking about it, I think) and apparently it's great stuff! You can get it in all types of wattage, which is specified by blahblah watts per inch.
I've been to BigAppleHerps a couple looking at things, and they seem bit expensive, so I'd look for deals too

The one I've got my eye on is $26 for 27' (here http://www.bigappleherp.com/Big-Apple-Flexible-Heat-Ropes)...I guess I don't know what the going rate is but that seemed reasonable to me. I just liked them because they are the only brand I've found that explicitly states that the cord is waterproof rather than water resistant and I'm paranoid

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

It's good to be paranoid! That looks nice. Just make sue it's secured so no one can get tangled up.

 

[tortadise]

I have never used that particular brand or style. But I'd bury it a good 5-6" or whatever it recommends. Also a thermostat would be a very good idea in case it got too hot,

 

[ShadowRancher]

It's good to be paranoid! That looks nice. Just make sue it's secured so no one can get tangled up.

Hahah Thanks! I remember reading somewhere (possibly here?) that you can secure it to wire mesh and bury it....I figured if I sandwiched it between the 16 mil mesh I already have it would be sulcata proof-ish (because nothing is truly sulcata proof)

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Hahah Thanks! I remember reading somewhere (possibly here?) that you can secure it to wire mesh and bury it....I figured if I sandwiched it between the 16 mil mesh I already have it would be sulcata proof-ish (because nothing is truly sulcata proof)

Nothing.

Maybe wrap it in and out of the squares, that wound be safer, and at least not loose!

 

[tortadise]

Hahah Thanks! I remember reading somewhere (possibly here?) that you can secure it to wire mesh and bury it....I figured if I sandwiched it between the 16 mil mesh I already have it would be sulcata proof-ish (because nothing is truly sulcata proof)

If it's waterproof at all. The best route would be to place the heat cable in the tank then a layer of pea gravel the place wire mesh over that then the soil with mulch, you can add a small half in diameter pipe in one of the corners of the tank so you can fill the gravel bed with water. When the heat cables are on it will create a weeping humidity chamber and keep the enclosure warm with high humidity. This method would not require the soil being wet at all. It's what we use to do for dart frog terrariums back in the day, works great. But we used aquarium heaters to heat the water. If these are water proof that would be a great option.

 

[ShadowRancher]

I have never used that particular brand or style. But I'd bury it a good 5-6" or whatever it recommends. Also a thermostat would be a very good idea in case it got too hot,

Thanks! I'd have to double check but I think my cypress mulch depth averages around 5" so I could just put it at the very bottom. As for the thermostat I'm trying to decide if I should follow big apples advice and put the probe directly on the heat rope or on top of the mulch I want it to heat....I suppose I could not be so lazy and figure out what temp the surface is based on the cord heat

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I use an 11' heat rope. Only about 6' is a heater. the rest is just cord. I didn't bury it. It is taped to the bottom of my glass closed chamber and under soil and damp orchid bark. The small wattage ones wouldn't burn anyone even if they came into contact with it and fell asleep! Mine is 15 watt. Some claim to be water proof. If I had one in damp substrate, I'd get water proof. Mine says "water resistant" and not to immerse in water. I saw actual water PROOF units. None are very expensive. If you have a glass bottom, then tape it to the outside of the bottom glass and slightly elevate the enclosure so that the heat can escape out the bottom. If you have a wooden bottom, place it inside and under your substrate. The moisture in your substrate will carry that warmth all through the place. My temps are up to an average 82 degrees with no other heat source except running Flourescent UVB in my air conditioned 72 degree house. This set-up also bolsters the humidity.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Tortadise is correct. I borrowed the heat rope idea and my air bubbler humidifier from the herp trade!

 

[ShadowRancher]

If it's waterproof at all. The best route would be to place the heat cable in the tank then a layer of pea gravel the place wire mesh over that then the soil with mulch, you can add a small half in diameter pipe in one of the corners of the tank so you can fill the gravel bed with water. When the heat cables are on it will create a weeping humidity chamber and keep the enclosure warm with high humidity. This method would not require the soil being wet at all. It's what we use to do for dart frog terrariums back in the day, works great. But we used aquarium heaters to heat the water. If these are water proof that would be a great option.

Oh that's really cool! it claims it's waterproof. Would that work for only part of the enclosure? like only put pea gravel and heat rope in about a third of it? I'm working with a 4'x10 area and want to give them a cooler space as well.

 

[tortadise]

Yeah it sure would work in about a 1/3 of the area. The more the better though,

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I only have my rope coiled under about 60% of the bottom, so, yes.

 

[ShadowRancher]

I use an 11' heat rope. Only about 6' is a heater. the rest is just cord. I didn't bury it. It is taped to the bottom of my glass closed chamber and under soil and damp orchid bark. The small wattage ones wouldn't burn anyone even if they came into contact with it and fell asleep! Mine is 15 watt. Some claim to be water proof. If I had one in damp substrate, I'd get water proof. Mine says "water resistant" and not to immerse in water. I saw actual water PROOF units. None are very expensive. If you have a glass bottom, then tape it to the outside of the bottom glass and slightly elevate the enclosure so that the heat can escape out the bottom. If you have a wooden bottom, place it inside and under your substrate. The moisture in your substrate will carry that warmth all through the place. My temps are up to an average 82 degrees with no other heat source except running Flourescent UVB in my air conditioned 72 degree house. This set-up also bolsters the humidity.

The one I'm looking at says its waterproof and it specifies that the heated portion of the cable is 27' plus a few feet for the cold lead. This (http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...djustable-winter-quarters.105066/#post-981331) is my set up...it has a double layer of 16 mil waterproof boat tarp under it, I assume I would treat that likee a wooden bottom.

 

[ShadowRancher]

Yeah it sure would work in about a 1/3 of the area. The more the better though,

I'll get some string and map out what 27' feet will cover tonight and see how far it gets me...I was planning on at least a 2' grid.

 

[tortadise]

Cool. You should be surprised with the results. Will it be sealed in? Or an open topped enclosure?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Remember that a good deal of the cord is just cord. Not a heater.

 

[ShadowRancher]

Cool. You should be surprised with the results. Will it be sealed in? Or an open topped enclosure?

This is what its going in (http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...djustable-winter-quarters.105066/#post-981331) its open topped but I heat and humidify the whole 9x10 room for the torts, hedgehog & tropical plants.