best way to heat melamine?

Im switching my large snakes over to melamine caging soon and I was wondering what the best heat source is for them. Would flexwatt be able to generate enough heat through that thick of material? The cages are going to be 6x2 and 8x2. Housing burms and retics ranging from 8ft-15ft. I hear the undertank heat pads from reptile basics are safe to use in the cage because of the low watts. Is this true?

If you are gonna use any type of bottom heat, do not let the snakes come in direct contact. I use flexwatt in the cage and cover it with a floor tile

I use 2x2 pig blankets in mine.They are a little pricey,but you can find them used from time to time.They are connected to a dimmer and checked with a temp gun.There real easy to clean.

There isn't a risk of fire with the flexwatt cover by tile? Do you just culk the tile down over it to keep urine and spilled water from getting to the flexwatt?

I would use a RHP.

for ceramic to catch on fire it needs to be heated to over 850 degrees, so no it will not catch on fire. it would be like heating a rock or the ground outside.

The only issue you would have is if you tried to use lenyolium. But I dont think anyone is that dumb.

yes, you can caulk it down, but if you have your connections and edges covered correctly you should have no trouble with spillage. What i do is put it between 2 pieces of tile.and glue them together.

flexwatt needs exposure to air to operate properly (per manufacturer specs btw)

The flexwatt itself will get hot enough to start the fire, then your melamine will catch fire next once the fire is going.

I would use a light bulb or RHP.

Originally Posted by redhood23

The only issue you would have is if you tried to use lenyolium. But I don't think anyone is that dumb.

I have been using linoleum to cover the bottom of my cages for almost 5 years. Never had a problem.