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Reptile Basics Radiant Heat Panels

Clay Davenport

Clay Davenport

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I've been testing the new radiant heat panels from Reptile Basics for the last few weeks. I am very impressed with their performance.
I've been wanting to try some heat panels for a good while but haven't been satisfied enough with any that have been on the market to actually put down the money to try them.
I had corresponded with Rich about these heat panels when they were still in pre-production and the design and features of them had me interested. I liked the fact they were designed by a snake keeper specifically for use in snake cages, rather than just being adapted for use in cages from other applications.

Being unfamiliar with the usage of this type of heat source I wanted to test it out fully before exposing an animal to it. The more I tested in in various situations the more I liked it.
I had been thinking about starting a product review section on my website for some time and I was impressed enough with this product to use it as my first subject. You can read my full review here http://www.arbreptiles.com/products/rbi_heatpanels.shtml

So far I have found these heat panels to be superior to flexwatt and any other heating source I've used in cages so far. I intend to switch most of my conventional caging over to this type of heating.
 
They look like they have the lip like the Helix panels. I had problemswith animals climbing up and resting on the lip (even animals you wouldn't think this would be a problem with). Have you noticed any problem like that so far?

monitor.jpg
 
Perhaps it's the angle of the photograph, but there is no lip to support anything. It isn't possible for an animal to climb up and sit on it.
 
Clay Davenport said:
Perhaps it's the angle of the photograph, but there is no lip to support anything. It isn't possible for an animal to climb up and sit on it.
Click to expand...
Thanks. It must be the way the picture is.
It looked like it had a lip running around the edge that an animal could get up on. Glad it doesn't. That was a major drawback to the Helix panels.
 
The Lip

The lip is not a problem. I have had the same experience you are describing. These panels mount "upside down" relative to what you have so there is nowhere to climb. This also eliminates the hardware. Just two stainless steel screws (included) to mount it.
Rich
 
:thumbsup: I just bought one of these and think that it is overall a very good product. The removable guillotine type plug is a great idea. The supplied mounting screws easily bite into 1/2" PVC and don't poke all the way through. Controlling this panel with a Ranco set on given temperature easily provides the desired temperature in the floor space in a 15" high cage. The on indicator light is located where it is easy to see. The price is better than the competition. The operating temperature of the panel is around 157 degrees to provide 90 degrees at floor level which sadly is more expensive than flex-watt to operate but the same would be true for any radiant heat panel. Also I only have terrestrial creatures and somebody with arboreal type animals probably wouldn't be concerned about that at all.
 
I just got my Animal Plastics T10 (4'x2'x15") with the belly heat installed, and a Herpstat ND (for my BCI). I tested this setup and it only raised ambients by about 3-4 degrees. In the summer this isn't really a problem, but during the colder months I like to keep my home at 65-68 degrees in the day, 60 at night (cheaper to heat my boas cage than my whole house :D ). I went ahead and ordered the 80w heat panel figuring the 40w wouldn't cut it in the colder months. I'll have it next week so Hopefully between the belly heat and the heat panel it will it will keep my boa nice and cozy (while I freeze my :censored: off :laugh: ). :)
 
I've been using these heaters for about 3 months now. Initially I suspected that I would see a decreased amount of time spent basking as compared to using flexwatt.
I have found that this indeed is the case. I've been using them in three boa cages and have noticed a definite decrease in basking activity. The snakes spent much more time on the flexwatt that they do under the heat panels.
I think this is just due to the heat panels being a superior form of heat.
Being a penetrating heat, I think these heaters warm the snakes deeper in the tissue allowing them to reach their preferred temperature more quickly than when being heated with flexwatt.

I have three of the mid size 80 watt panels still in the box waiting on me to get some new cages finished. I've run into repeated delays with the new cage unit I'm building, but I think once it's finished these heat panels will be an excellent method of heating the big 5 foot wide cages.
 
I've had my 80w RHP set up for a little over a week now and it's working great. We're into the last few nights in the 30's here and I've allowed my room temp to drop to 60 at night. I throw a thin blanket over the top and front of the cage at night and it holds temps fine. I have the UTH on a rheostat set for warmer daytime temps, and the RHP on a Herpstat for ambients. :thumbsup:
 
Hello, Clay. Just wanted to thank you for your well-researched piece on the rhp's. I'm fairly new at this and you thought of issues I wouldn't have until after I had blown my $ on this item. I can hold off for the summer but come fall I will be purchasing one of these puppies - with confidence! :thumbsup:
 
I have a question on these or any radiant heat panel but these sound great. I have a melamine rack that I was trying to find a alternative heat source for and thought about mounting one of these on the outside in the back? My main questions would be how hot is the surface temperature and would it get hot enough to heat a small rack out side the tubs? I know this may all be in theory but if any one has tried something like this it would be great to hear results thanks? I fairly new and don't really like what I have now and am not sure about heat tape.
 
I guess I should explain my thinking process on this a little my rack is open front and back (basically) I think I could mount one of these from top to bottom on the back of the rack to project heat through the rack it would be 3-4 inches from the tubs them selves and 16-18 from the front of the tubs. Do you think it would heat well through the plastic I would still use my belly heat and with my helix?
 
What you are describing is a fire waiting to happen. Panels are not like pads. Imagine pointing a heat bulb or ceramic heat emittor at your tubs. Nothing good could come from it. Flexwatt is your best bet. Not sure what your concerns are with using it but it will be far less hazardous than what you are considering.

Bart
 
I would agree

Please, do not purchase a heat panel for this application. It is not how it was designed to be used and the most likely outcome is blowing the fuse in it or harming your animals.
Are you having trouble heating this rack??
Rich
Reptile Basics Inc
 
More or less just trying to figure out the options these things sound great right now I have belly heat and a very good heat panel type of thing on the floor in the room pointed at the rack! It all works well I'm just not sure I like this set up and didn't realize they got so hot if it won't burn the animal in the enclosure with it I wouldn't think it would cause that kind of heat but I've been wrong before!!! The radiant type heater I have now is just a wall mount electric radiant heater from Lowe's I think and it does very well positioned about 2 ft from my rack and I keep my thermostat on with the belly heat so it only runs very infrequently! It keeps the outside of the tubs surface at about 100 degrees but the heat dissipates very well and even the inside of the tub reading 100 is 94.5 on the other side of that tub wall, and the floor 2 inches from the same tub wall is 88 half way back the rack is 85 it really makes for a great heater it's just not what it's intended for and only heat the bottom 5 tubs well the top 1 is empty at the moment. I was really planning on mounting one of these to the wall in the room behind the rack about 4-5 inches from touching anything! But thanks for the input that was what I was asking and I'm not just going to plug something in and go on vacation for the weekend!!
 
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