exo terra heat cable

fab · #1 06-15-2011, 11:07 AM

does anybody have experience with the exo terra heat cable? i want to build a new terrarium for my leo but i have no idea how to heat it. a heat pad wouldn't cover half of the floor space. i was thinking about heat cable but how much will i need to use to cover half of a 36x18 size terrarium? also will it penetrate through glass and ceramic tile?

panthergecko · #2 06-15-2011, 11:17 AM

yes but remember that the first 5-6 feet are "cold lead" and tile insulates heat if im correct. so it will take a while for the tiles to heat up

fab · #3 06-15-2011, 11:27 AM

awwww crap, i didnt think about that. how long does it usually take? a few hours, or a few days? and what do you mean cold lead?

panthergecko · #4 06-15-2011, 11:46 AM

its just a extension for the first 6 ft no heat.
and about a few hours. 1-2 days at the most.
remember its just from what I know on tile it heats and stays pretty warm quickly

i sure someone else will be more informed
GL

**Riverside Reptiles** · #5 06-15-2011, 12:32 PM

I would go with flexwatt heat tape and a thermostat personally. That's pretty much the industry standard. That way you can make it any size that you want.

bwoodfield · #6 06-16-2011, 09:50 AM

I'm using an exo terra cable, it's a bit of a pain actually. If you follow their directions and use electrical tape to hold it up, the entire thing will fall off the tank in about a week. The heat from the cable softens up the glue on the tape causing it to peal off. Duct tape is a little better, you'll get about 2 months before it starts falling off. Also if you don't use a thermostat you will have to constantly have to watch the temperature, and if the temperature starts to climb you have to peal strands of it off so you don't get it too warm, else you risk burning your leo.

**Riverside Reptiles** · #7 06-16-2011, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bwoodfield

I'm using an exo terra cable, it's a bit of a pain actually. If you follow their directions and use electrical tape to hold it up, the entire thing will fall off the tank in about a week. The heat from the cable softens up the glue on the tape causing it to peal off. Duct tape is a little better, you'll get about 2 months before it starts falling off. Also if you don't use a thermostat you will have to constantly have to watch the temperature, and if the temperature starts to climb you have to peal strands of it off so you don't get it too warm, else you risk burning your leo.

The duct tape that you want to use with it is the actual metal foil tape...not the common duct tape that most people think of. It's made for higher heat applications and the glue shouldn't get gooey. As for the thermostat issue, IMO, ALL heating devises should always be on a thermostat. That's just simple safety 101 for both the animals safety as well as the safety of your home. Not to mention it's simply 100 times easier to provide proper temperatures with a thermostat than without.