Theory Behind the Heretic
Heretic; noun – One who does not conform to an established attitude, principal, or dogma.
We’ve never been one to back down from challenges and Project Heretic is no different. Our goal to create a balanced automated solution to common keeping difficulties has not been an easy undertaking. But then again, what worth pursuing is effortless?
Be a part of our journey and join us as we work to integrate more beneficial technology and automation into a new breed of reptile enclosure.
Our Heretic enclosure bucks convention by boasting 10 inches of substrate area, humidity reduction management, optional staggered side windows, carbon fiber or twisted PVC perches, and programmable misting system.
We’ve been testing the Heretic over six different prototype versions with our personal Green Tree Pythons for nearly one and half years at this point, and are ready to release the production model in the summer of 2024.
The Heretic is built with a wide range of heating and lighting components. Programmable Arcadia Reptile Jungle Dawn LumenIZE LED plant growth lighting, Arcadia LumenIZE Shadedweller UVB, Arcadia Halogen & Deep Heat with ceramic fixtures and bulb cages, and the Wilbanks RHP are all a part of the wide array of UVA and UVB offerings for the inhabitants (plants and animal alike).
Starting from the bottom, this deep substrate dam can be filled with BioDude TerraFirma soil for planted setups which is visible through the clear laser etched Heretic logo fitted to the front of the enclosure. In our testing we included a more ‘sterile’ potted live plant version with similar success in maintaining humidity and hiding spots for those who are looking towards a naturalistic setup without the desire to operate a fully “bio-active” unit.
We selected the Dracaena family of plants for each prototype for their hardiness and coverage options. While we do not claim to be plant experts, the Dracaena have been patient with our testing and trampling from curious inhabitants.
Moving upward, cascading perch mounts are bolted to both side walls. Carbon fiber or twisted PVC perches of varying outside diameters are fitted to these mounts allowing for climbing opportunities throughout a wide range of temperature and humidity gradients. The 35″ interior width coupled with a variety of painstakingly positioned perch mounts in this enclosure offer basking areas under Halogen/UVB, UVB/RHP, or just DHP. The Halogen/UVB combo produces a more natural daytime heating zone on the left side of the enclosure. The RHP and DHP allow for strong ambient heating with the DHP pushing concentrated Infrared A and B heat towards lower perches on the right.
One of the key features of the Heretic is an automated humidity reduction system with interior mounted hydrometer used to trigger a programmable inline fan with a charcoal air filter to limit maximum humidity. When this system is triggered the inline fan gradually pulls in fresh ambient air from the enclosure’s stand through the charcoal filter up into an exterior duct where it enters through a louvered vent mounted in the lower portion of the rear wall.
The moist air is expelled through the roof vent until the desired humidity level is reached. This system cycles on and off as needed to limit maximum humidity parameters. The ventilation programming display shows temperature, humidity level, and current fan speed so the user can monitor the internal conditions. Humidity conditions do vary across the enclosure, however, the location we have chosen to mount the hygrometer/thermometer probe for this system works well as a general spot to monitor conditions at-a-glance.
An optional MistKing can be added to your Heretic build which is designed to pull water from a 5-gallon reserve located in the two-foot-tall stand upon which the Heretic sits. Ceiling-mounted misting nozzles add moisture to the enclosure over user-set time periods. If too much humidity remains in the air after automated or manual misting, the humidity management system slowly ramps on to bring the level back in check.
The roof of the Heretic is the primary mounting location for the majority of the electronics. The array of heating and lighting elements are internally mounted with the exception of the Arcadia UVB. This UVB sits externally on a UVB compatible clear window.
We’ve tested the Heretic’s automated systems through the natural ambient humidity/temperature fluctuations over summers and winters. This has allowed us to optimize the blend of heating, lighting, and overall environmental controls to be manageable in a variety of climates. Each build includes a Herpstat 4 unit with base settings for each heating element that you can adjust to fit your particular environment once you receive your enclosure.
Several levels of enclosure options are available, starting with a base unit including the Heretic, stand, heating, lighting, and automated ventilation system. Other options include a MistKing unit, faux rear rock wall, windows, wood-look front, etc. Each build ships to the contiguous USA assembled & crated on a pallet via freight or is available as a local pickup at our shop in Texas.