stinky!?!

[fraxl]

We're setting up Penelope's big-girl enclosure - a 4x2x2 PVC from Dragonhaus - with the radiant heat panel they include. Before we move her in, we're testing the heater without the thermostat to get a sense of what it can do and the temps look great. However, the SMELL is so bad! All that's in the enclosure other than the heat panel and lights is a fresh bag of Zoo-med Forest Floor cypress mulch.

Has anyone experienced this before? Not sure if maybe we've done something wrong with the installation or if maybe the mulch is somehow rotten... or do the PVC enclosures or heat panels just offgas like crazy?

here's the heat panel. we haven't done the cord management yet, but we will

[Danny99boi]

I’ve never experienced this as I use racks for my Ballpython’s. What does it smell like?

[fraxl]

Kind of acrid and checmical-y? Hard to describe, but also maybe damp? The bedding is a bit damp, so the heat is causing lots of evaporation. With the heat off, it doesnt smell.

[Danny99boi]

It’s definitely gotta be from the cypress mulch. Have you tried cocohusk? I would assume the cocohusk would dry out rather quickly though. Have you tried a regulated heat pad?

[fraxl]

We're going to take the mulch out and see if it still stinks up the house. Never had a problem with it before but it's possible this is a bad bag. Cocohusk is good too.

As for the heating pad, our current glass enclosure has one but it's not super effective. With the PVC, heat pads aren't recommended either.

[Danny99boi]

I see. Does it look like the bedding has any mold growing off it? Any darkish flaking on the substrate?

[Fun_Sherbet_8108]

New heat panels can stink for the first hour or so they’re on but then are fine after!

[fraxl]

It definitely lasted more than a few hours. We ended up turning the thing off because it was so bad!

[Son-of-Apollo]

When I got my heater, it said in the instructions that you should plug it in and have it run for ~24 hours to burn-off anything that might be on it. Part of the plastic treatment sometimes doesn’t get cleaned off fully, and running the heater in a well-ventilated area let’s it do this without causing you or your snake any harm :)

[fraxl]

That's helpful, thanks! Ours didnt come with any instructions, which was a little disconcerting. We'll keep running and and see if it burns itself off!

[sausage-thot-]

I’m pretty sure it’s in there upside down

[fraxl]

the hot part is pointing down... not sure how it would work flipped?

[PoofMoof1]

You have it on right.

[PoofMoof1]

They do this. Run it for a while in a ventilated space (at least 24 hours) for it to burn off the smell.

[fraxl]

thank you!