Hot rock with rheostat

gustaf

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I just place a rubber maid tub in it with moist paper towels on the bottom for the hatchlings until their plastrons close up then I can remove the tub and let them roam the cypress mulch substrate and sphagnum

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gustaf

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One more pic.
 

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Anyfoot

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One more pic.
Hi Gustaf. I'm always up for new ideas. It's how we progress forward.
This hair dryer idea is scaring me a bit. A few questions.
How long have you run this system for?
Is the hair dryer on all the time?
Does the actual hair dryer get hot?
How's the hairdryer coping with humidity?
Is the hair dryer creating noise pollution?

It's screaming fire hazard to me.
I get the principal behind what you are trying to achieve. But maybe not the method.
 

gustaf

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I used this for a couple months so far. I started a baby redfoot in it. This will be the 2nd time around.
No it doesn't run all the time. It usually only run 1 to 2 minutes and than shuts off for several minutes.
Humidity hasn't been an issue with it.
It was noisy at first. Than i used the foam cushion. It really quieted it down a lot.
 

gustaf

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It is safely suspended. The heating element isn't dangerously close to anything. The surrounding area doesn't get hot. But it does a great job of keeping the temps stable.
 

gustaf

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I admit I'm a do it yourselfer. I don't necessarily recommend doing things the way I do. Heck maybe I shouldn't even post this stuff. I'm just a mechanically inclined tinkerer with a basic understanding of how things work so I do the best i can with what I have to work with.
 

Anyfoot

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I admit I'm a do it yourselfer. I don't necessarily recommend doing things the way I do. Heck maybe I shouldn't even post this stuff. I'm just a mechanically inclined tinkerer with a basic understanding of how things work so I do the best i can with what I have to work with.
Yeah me too, just got me worried when I saw a hairdryer with basically a sponge shocker wrapped round it. I've read many a story in the newspapers when the wife leaves hairdryer on and burnt the house down. In one instance killed the hubby. Hairdryers can be dangerous if left on.
Good luck with your venture. Keep posting.
 

Tidgy's Dad

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It will be interesting to see the progress of these experiments.
Just hope none of them involve burnt torts or houses.
 

Alaskamike

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Interesting thread. When I had babies I used a heating pad under the coco coir on one end of enclosure. The pad was one my mother got from a medical supply. I remember it seemed expensive when she got it. Had 3 settings , low, medium & high. I tested it with a heat gun at each setting. And it was only 5 degrees difference. 95, 100, 105. So I set it on med , 100, and put it under the coir. The babies liked to hang out there and warmed from underside. Top never got above 95, & I knew even if they dug to the heavy plastic it was 100f.
I still kept humidity at 70-80% Never had any signs of pyramiding.

Overhead heat lamps do create hot spots on caprice. Especially if too close , or too much wattage for your enclosure. It only takes some checking at different spots on the shell to confirm this for yourself.

Frequent soaks and high humidity mitigate for this but ......

I'm not fully convinced the heat from above method is the best - or only good way to provide a basking spot. Especially for babies.

On the other hand , the electrical components of reptile hot rocks are as cheaply made as possible. I don't trust them. Where a pad made for humans risks lawsuits if it malfunctions and is made with that in mind :)
 

gustaf

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Thanks for your input mike. I think I'm gonna get rid of the hot rock. I like the idea of the hot rock but I'm gonna heed everyone's warnings and try something different. Besides this hot rock seems like it's acting up. It hasn't overheated but it seems to shut off sometimes after being plugged in for a couple days. Than if I unplug it for awhile and plug it back in it will work again. Maybe the element is going out. So I'm not going to take a chance on cooking or not heating my torts.
 

gustaf

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I know I can go the undertake heater route. Or use a one of those nice heat panels.
It's just the idea of a heated rock seems great. A nice warm rock for a little tort to crawl up on and relax and warm up to is a great idea.... if we they could just be made safe and reliable.
I'm actually thinking about trying take my own version of one with some ceramic tile and some THG heat tape I have. I may sandwich it between two tiles and thin-set the tiles together and run it on a thermostat or a rheostat. Then test it for a couple weeks before placing it in the enclosure.
 

Anyfoot

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I know I can go the undertake heater route. Or use a one of those nice heat panels.
It's just the idea of a heated rock seems great. A nice warm rock for a little tort to crawl up on and relax and warm up to is a great idea.... if we they could just be made safe and reliable.
I'm actually thinking about trying take my own version of one with some ceramic tile and some THG heat tape I have. I may sandwich it between two tiles and thin-set the tiles together and run it on a thermostat or a rheostat. Then test it for a couple weeks before placing it in the enclosure.
Has anyone tried just sitting a flat Rock on a heat Mat?
 

Len B

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I know I can go the undertake heater route. Or use a one of those nice heat panels.
It's just the idea of a heated rock seems great. A nice warm rock for a little tort to crawl up on and relax and warm up to is a great idea.... if we they could just be made safe and reliable.
I'm actually thinking about trying take my own version of one with some ceramic tile and some THG heat tape I have. I may sandwich it between two tiles and thin-set the tiles together and run it on a thermostat or a rheostat. Then test it for a couple weeks before placing it in the enclosure.
If you do try making your own I suggest using 100% silicone to seal the tiles together instead of thin-set,The heat from your tape may cause the thin-set to separate from the tile in spots and and allow moisture in and cause a short. I make heated tiles using flexwatt and self regulating heat cable using silicone to seal the tiles together and all electrical connections within the tiles and test them submerged in water to make sure everything is sealed and safe.
 

gustaf

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I made my own heated rock... or heated tile to be exact. I will post pics of how I did it and they should be fairly self explanatory.
 

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gustaf

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I used some non sanded grout (the kind you mix with water) I had leftover from a previous tile job. I didn't use silicon. I'm not planning on submerging it in water. I'm sure it will be safe against splashes. I mixed the grout a little on the wet side and embedded the THG heat tape in it making sure there were no air bubbles or voids so it will have optimal heat transfer to the ceramic tile. I let it dry for 48 hours before plugging it in.
 

gustaf

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I have been testing it. So far the warmest it has gotten is 107° without being plugged into a rheostat or thermostat. With the rheostat attached I have been able to adjust the temp to whatever I want it at. Right now it's running mid 90's and I can go up or down. I think I will also try it with a thermostat and maybe tape the probe to the underside and see how well that works.
 

Anyfoot

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I have been testing it. So far the warmest it has gotten is 107° without being plugged into a rheostat or thermostat. With the rheostat attached I have been able to adjust the temp to whatever I want it at. Right now it's running mid 90's and I can go up or down. I think I will also try it with a thermostat and maybe tape the probe to the underside and see how well that works.
I love it when we get to see inside someone else's mind. Make sure there are no toxins coming off the grout as it dries for the first time. Just a thought.
 

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