Heat Cable and Insulation

[AutumnFalls]

Hey guys. I lucked out and found some Exoterra Heat Cable. So far, I'm loving it. It works much better than a mat! I still have a mat on half my tank, but hope to replace that with cable too. I've read on here about some people insulating their tanks. I know you can't cover/insulate the heat mats, but I was wondering about the heat cable. We're entering a deep freeze here (-27C high and lows of -35C) and although the crabs are warm enough in the day, they are getting down to 20C at night or a touch lower. I'd like to keep them a bit warmer without keeping my expensive baseboard heater on all night. So, can I insulate or cover the heat tape? If so, what should I use? If not, could I try insulating the bottom or the wall that they're against?

[aussieJJDude]

I believe you can, but best is to ask the manufacturer if it is possible to insulate just in case.


As for insulating the bottom/sides, yes. You can also do that, and works very well.


Edit: is it possible is you could get a pic or two of your setup? Its not a popular option on here, but I know other boards have have some success using a cable. But haha, not many pictures of setups.
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[AutumnFalls]

Thanks. I'm not sure how easy it is to contact the manufacturer, but I'll look into it.

I'll try to remember to take pictures and upload them later today. I know they aren't super popular here, but the better quality heat mats aren't available in Canada so I go with what I can find. The tape is definitely better than the heat mats I've used before.

[aussieJJDude]

Ok, did a little more digging, it looks like the manufacturer has suggested not to encapsulate (insulate) the cable. I was wrong - I know that other brands are capable of bding insulated, but have limited experience with cables and thought all could. Sorry.

http://www.exo-terra.com/download/produ ... Manual.pdf

What I would suggest, which could be a pain as it may require some fiddly cutting, is to cut strips of your insulative material so it sits inbetween the cables and helps insulate the tank somewhat.

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[AutumnFalls]

Thanks for doing that digging. I haven't had a chance. I'll have to see what I can finagle. I do think I'll insulate the bottom and sides where there isn't any heat stuff.