Heat tape help

[smeegy]

So I'm hoping to start my own dubia colony! I've read a lot of people like to use the flex watt heat tape for multiple reasons. But....I can't figure out how to use it ie what wattage should I use, what size, how should I be placing and where (inside the tub, outside etc) .

I haven't ordered the roaches yet and I don't have any of the Rubbermaid bins yet but I'm lookin at the ones from target. The big colored ones, not sure what size they are....but I think they only come in one size.

Help

 

[sunvaar]

I ordered this same tape, and had the same questions... it's quite confusing! If you're looking at the same company I used, they have simplified the process quite a bit.

The first thing is you need to make sure you get a thermostat. This will allow you to set your desired temperature and will allow the heating tape to turn off once it reaches that temperature. This is extremely important because this tape can sometimes get up to 120 degrees!

The next thing is to figure out how much flex tape you need. Almost all companies sell it by the foot, which is what the price reflects. So if it says $3, it means 1 foot is $3, 2 feet is $6. One large bin, such as one used for dubias, will be heated fairly well with 1 foot of tape. You need to put this tape on the outside, either on the bottom or the side. I, along with many others, recommend the bottom. You don't want the tape under the entire bin though, just 2/3 of it. Place the food and water above the 1/3 part that doesn't have tape under it.

Buy 1 cord with the clips, per strip that you'd like to use. For clarification- you can use a continuous strip of flex tape for like 15 ft I believe it is. But most people will use 1 or 2 feet per plug, because we don't have an enclosure that is 15 ft long. So for example, if you have 3 large bins: you would get 3 feet of flex tape, 3 cords with connectors, I'd say 6 ft of foil tape, and rubber insulating tape. You can use electricians tape or buy their pre-made square rubber adhesive insulators. The former is a lot cheaper.

Other than this, it'll come with instructions. This is just an overview. Let me know if you have any questions

 

[Sauzo]

Easiest thing to use is just a reptile UTH. Just buy a lamp dimmer from Home Depot or Lowes and use that to get the temp you want. Heat tape nice but unless the place you are buying it from is gonna crimp the cord ends to the tape, the tool will be expensive. As far as the tape goes, it comes in different widths which will affect the wattage per foot. For heat tape, you must have a thermostat. I personally use a Herpstat but not for heat tape. I use it for a radiant heat panel for my boa but you will still want a reliable thermostat. The thermostat also needs to be rated high enough for the wattage of the heat tape. For one bin, it shouldn't be a worry but if you are running 20 ft of it for say a rack system, then you will definitely want to make sure. You secure it to the outside bottom or wrap it around the sides of the bin using foil tape which you can buy at any hardware store like Ace or Home Depot or Lowes. But like I said, the easiest way imo is just buy a reptile UTH and a lamp dimmer. I use a 30-40 gallon Zoo Med UTH on a 300 watt lamp dimmer from Home Depot for my 45 gallon Rubbermaid breeder bin and it works great. I just turn it up to about halfway in the winter and then low or off in the summer. Basically a UTH is just heat tape sealed in a 1 sided sticky vinyl cover with the company's logo on it.

 

[sunvaar]

You don't need a special cramping tool, literally all you need is a pair of pliers. You just have to pierce the metal lining.

And as far as thermostats and wattage: the 11"-12" thickness is 20 watts per foot; most thermostats are rated at 600-1200 watts. So unless you're running like 30 feet of flex tape, you don't have to worry about it. Not to mention they say not to use more than like 15 feet continuously.

You can use a dimmer with either one; but a thermostat is safer. And flex tape is way cheaper than UTH's. A foot square UTH for $25-$30? No thanks. I'd rather pay $4

 

[Guinness]

I would say you don't have to be that complicated with your heating. When I first started my colony last summer I obsessed with how to heat their bin and getting all the right temps. It drove me mad.

Finally I gave up and went with the simplest way I could find. I bought a small UTH for 11$ and instead of putting it on the bin directly I simply hang it between the egg crates. I keep a thermometer right on top of the heater and it gets up to the low 90's between the two crates with the UTH.

I don't worry about the temps anywhere else in the bin because the roaches know what they need and move back and forth to regulate their heat. Some days they all huddle on the UTH and other days they are on the far side of the crate.

Since I have done this they have been breeding like mad and I have more roaches than I know what to do with. It also gives me peace of mind that the bin isn't going to melt from a CHE (they get super hot).

http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiTherm%C2%AE-Under-Heater/dp/B0002AQCKA