Re: Heating Tortise Tub? heat tape, pig blankets, all work.......

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The Tortoise Forum ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by m chambers on November 10, 2000 at 10:24:05:

In Reply to: Re: Heating Tortise Tub? posted by andy on November 06, 2000 at 21:09:31:

: probably the best thing for you would be basking lights. i think heating pads would be more of a fire hazard, as the could melt the plastic. i use basking lights for my plastic tub and i've had no problems.

Basking lights are okay but here is some more ideas that I have used on tubs and torts. Heat tape: use any heat tape on plastic containers but have some air space between the container. I keep small torts. in the big rubber maids and use heat tape on a leval surface and support the containers the tortoises are in with a 1"by 1" peice of wood. So the heat tape is not actaully touching the plastc. You would be surprise of the heat flow that rises up from the heat tape. Of course there is the thermostatic controlled heat tape that would probably be safe right on the outside bottom of the plastic containers.
I use the pig blankets warmers about the same way but in use with much bigger containers. As I posted several times on this forum, all my bigger torts. are in the plastic and or metal stock tanks using thermo. controlled plumbers heat tape and heat spot lights. I've used the pig warmers in wooden cages with a sheet of plexiglass on top so all I had to do was to take out the plexiglass sheets to wash off. The pig warmers are sealed and are UL listed so one might be able to use these right in the cage without the top covering devices and use plenty of sub-strate.

Mike Chambers

Follow Ups:

Post a Followup

Name:
E-Mail:

Subject:

Comments:
: : probably the best thing for you would be basking lights. i think heating pads would be more of a fire hazard, as the could melt the plastic. i use basking lights for my plastic tub and i've had no problems. : Basking lights are okay but here is some more ideas that I have used on tubs and torts. Heat tape: use any heat tape on plastic containers but have some air space between the container. I keep small torts. in the big rubber maids and use heat tape on a leval surface and support the containers the tortoises are in with a 1"by 1" peice of wood. So the heat tape is not actaully touching the plastc. You would be surprise of the heat flow that rises up from the heat tape. Of course there is the thermostatic controlled heat tape that would probably be safe right on the outside bottom of the plastic containers. : I use the pig blankets warmers about the same way but in use with much bigger containers. As I posted several times on this forum, all my bigger torts. are in the plastic and or metal stock tanks using thermo. controlled plumbers heat tape and heat spot lights. I've used the pig warmers in wooden cages with a sheet of plexiglass on top so all I had to do was to take out the plexiglass sheets to wash off. The pig warmers are sealed and are UL listed so one might be able to use these right in the cage without the top covering devices and use plenty of sub-strate. : Mike Chambers

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL:

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The Tortoise Forum ] [ FAQ ]