heating help

i have a ceramic in my big boa viv(4x2x2)but just before my hols it had a bit of a meltdown and decided to try set itself on fire, caught it before it went up though as id just put delilah into the viv and was watching her exploring it again so unplugged it and got her out and shes been back in her tub since, anyway i wanna get her back into the viv and get her active cause she just sits around doing nothing so my question is should i go for another ceramic or a bulb or what way would people suggest heating her viv?

I use an ahs heater in mine it's a ceramic heat emitter with a built in pulse proportional thermostat, I think they're good I've had mine over a year now and they haven't given a pic of trouble. I'll post up a link when I get in and on to the computer.

yeah iv heard of them but havnt actually seen one, be interesting to see how they work compared to the ceramic i have now

I haven't used any other ceramics before, the AHS heaters were suggested by a friend due to their value for money, I was able to get a 500w AHS heater for cheaper than a ceramic holder, bulb, guard and thermostat, I think I ended up paying £95 each for them, you wouldn't need a 500w one for a 4x2x2 you could probably get away with a 250w one.

cool, how big are they? do they have a probe the same way as a normal pulse stat?

i'm not sure if there is a size difference between the different wattages of heater, my 500w ones are 30cm wide x 12cm high and 6 cm deep. i have it mounted 6" up from the bottom of the viv in one of the sides, the probe wire is mounted using a piece of conduit 6" up on the back of the viv right in the middle, this keeps the temperature gradient perfect. Here's a picture

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and here's the link as promised

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Great info Marty and Elaine his are awesome and look the part I'd be terrified to go back knowing what almost happened but that doesn't mean it will ever happen again. Was it the ceramic it's self or the fittings/connection to fitting where it started?

thanks for that marty, it looks the biz alright plus i had trouble with her getting into her guard which was the first reason she was taken out.


i think it was the ceramic itself tan, it had been running fine for a while then she came out after getting into the guard. i asked around a bit if anyone had seen one fail like mine did but no one has had one fail. also talked to where i got it but cause i got it in august and it went in january theres no way the supplier will even entertain it but i can get another at trade price if i want it.

No problem Elaine, i hope my info has been some help.

I haven't heard of a ceramic going like that myself before.

Marty

@ Marty
I bought a new AHS heater last November, but haven't used it yet.
Planning on trying it in a new stack that Mikes building, but was going to use a AHS Heater Guard; [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Do you use a guard on any of yours?

I don't Tommy, the Boa seem to stay away from them, I have touched the outside of the heater myself when it has been on and it didn't feel too bad. To be honest I didn't even know there were guards for them I may just go and get a couple, just for piece of mind though.

I think I'll get one too mate, for the sake of £18 ....... and as you say "for piece of mind"
Tommy

definitely mate, better £18 than the possibility of an injured/dead snake, you just never know.