PVC enclosures are a great investment for your reptile room, so here are a few notes that can help you care for your enclosure for years to come!

  • Use a microfiber to lightly wipe in one direction on polycarbonate and acrylic doors and windows. Warm water or a water & soap mixture can be used to remove debris. Avoid scrubbing back and forth. Do not use alcohol-based cleaners on acrylic.
  • Aquarium safe silicone, Lexel, or another sealant of your preference can be used to seal the substrate area to make it substrate/watertight.
  • Perches should not be modified, dropped, or otherwise altered in any way. Always inspect PVC, carbon fiber, Lucite, wood, etc. perches for cleaning and use wear.
  • Cord slots and probe slots are provided on the top of rear enclosure panels for convenient cord management.
  • Heating elements and heat lamps/domes should never be placed directly on the PVC as they could cause it to warp and melt.
  • Make sure to check all plug and cord connections are in place and snug.
  • Heating elements must always be used with a dimming thermostat to regulate proper temperature.
  • When misting/spraying it is best to use bottled or filtered to avoid water spots.
  • To avoid scratches do not slide objects on the PVC.
  • Do not leave in direct sunlight, hot cars, or other high-heat areas. PVC is a light material that can warp easily.

Thermostat Heat Source Setup Tips
The first step to take is to read through the thermostat instructions carefully. We personally use the Herpstat brand thermostats on dimming mode for the most heating accuracy. Those units are awesome tools with tons of functionality such as adjustment to overall power output to your heating element and night drop capabilities. Once you have read through that manual, here are some tips we’ve discovered along the way!

Firstly, you should set your thermostat to your desired temperature (realizing that the thermostat cycles power to the panel or heat source to simply apply heat until the probe itself reaches the set temp… not necessarily your desired hot spot area). You want to manually check your hot spot area with a separate temperature reading device like a quality laser temp gun (with the temp gun under 1″ away from the spot you want to read, closer the better) and thermometer such as a Govee or SensorPush to name a few we like here. You will take the reading from your separate device and compare it to the Herpstat where you can adjust the temps up or down to reach your desired hot temp. The further the probe is from the heat source itself, the cooler the inside temps will be (the cooler your room ambient the larger the gradient inside too). Depending on your setup, your probe (and therefore thermostat temperature setting) can be different than your desired enclosure temperature. Radiant heat panels are best used for heating the enclosure’s interior ambient temperatures, with a spot-basking heat source (Deep Heat, halogen, etc) for reaching higher hot spot basking temperatures.

Climate & Room
Keep in mind every room is different and some setup and tweaking of your new enclosure can still be necessary to fit your climate with your species’ temperature and humidity needs. Room ambient temperature, placement of the enclosure or tub system in the room (avoiding outside walls, bare concrete floors, windows, etc. that introduce significant external differences), and air circulation within the room can all have an effect on max temperature and humidity cycles.