Heat mat vs Heat cords

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porkosta

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Hi everyone just wondering what everyone prefers when heating a Melamine enclosure. I have two stacked on top of each other and was wondering it anyone has had any issues with either of the two methods?

Also if you had any pictures of how it was setup I would appreciate it.
Thanks,
Andy
 
I bought an enclosure from Aaron (Snake Whisperer) and he said that heat travels through the bottom of melamine enclosures so I guess that's what I'll be doing for my woma. Stick the heat cord on the bottom of the melamine enclosure. =)
 
I use a heat mat with a tile on top and have no problems with that.... Haven't tried one enclosure on top of the other yet
 
I bought an enclosure from Aaron (Snake Whisperer) and he said that heat travels through the bottom of melamine enclosures so I guess that's what I'll be doing for my woma. Stick the heat cord on the bottom of the melamine enclosure. =)

Is that inside or under the enclosure?
 
I use a heat mat with a tile on top and have no problems with that.... Haven't tried one enclosure on top of the other yet

So is the heat map inside the enclosure? This is what I am trying to figure out. If people have the heat mat/cord inside the enclosure and buried under sand or if it sits under the actual enclosure. I just don't what any fires to start as I had a meat mat start melting under an enclosure once....
 
With a melamine enclosure i would use a bulb or a ceramic. but that just me.
I would only use resistance heating in racks tubs and glass enclosures.
 
So is the heat map inside the enclosure? This is what I am trying to figure out. If people have the heat mat/cord inside the enclosure and buried under sand or if it sits under the actual enclosure. I just don't what any fires to start as I had a meat mat start melting under an enclosure once....

inside the enclosure
 
I heat all my enclosures with heat cord cheap to run and works very effectively
 
what wattage is everyone using ? im using a 7watt mat and thinking of upping the wattage for winter since it gets fairley cool here
 
Is that inside or under the enclosure?

Well i never thought heat cord's heat could ever go through the melamine. But apparently it does! lol so i'm gonna be using it outside the enclosure. less of a hassle in making a heat cord with tile.
 
Well i never thought heat cord's heat could ever go through the melamine. But apparently it does! lol so i'm gonna be using it outside the enclosure. less of a hassle in making a heat cord with tile.

Um, has to be used inside. In my case, a groove is routed into the melamine flooring, the cord is laid into that, and a thin laminate is fixed over the cord. The reptile sits on that. Should use a thermostat as well, so you slide the probe in alongside the cord. Works a treat.
 
So is the heat map inside the enclosure? This is what I am trying to figure out. If people have the heat mat/cord inside the enclosure and buried under sand or if it sits under the actual enclosure. I just don't what any fires to start as I had a meat mat start melting under an enclosure once....

Ok so I have my heat mats inside their enclosures with a tile on top of them.... with my baby who is in a click clack I have her in the click clack inside a melamine enclosure with the clickclack sitting on top of a tile with the heat mat and thermo underneath it.
Each of these enclosures also have a heat globe in them to keep the air temp during the colder months as my snakes are all babies.
 
Thanks everyone, what style of thermo do you use?
I'll be setting them up for dragons so I would need a thermo that can handle a decent temp.
 
You don't want a heat cord or mat UNDER the melamine, as melamine is a better insulator than glass. This is why we make melamine or wood enclosures to retain some of the heat, instead of using a fish tank which has more relative heat loss. I like to use a probe thermostat with the probe in the basking spot. Any of the models from HerpShop or similar specialist stores would be good. Wall-type thermostats need an electrician to wire them up and require much more monitoring and adjustment than a probe thermostat. When you stack enclosures you will get more warmth in the top enclosure - particularly if you use ceiling-mounted globes or emitters. Because of this, your top heat source on top doesn't have to work so hard. If you use heat cord in a routered groove, you will have less heat for the top enclosure. Surface temperature 'guns' are great for finding hot spots and seeing just how hot the basking spot is getting.
 
I'd like to revive this thread for a little bit of advice...

Have just purchased 4 x melamine enclosures for some new geckos... if I'm stacking them either 4 high, or, 2 high next to each other, I'm a little bit at odds as to how I should best heat my new terrestrial friends.

Each enclosure will be separated into two halves to separately house pairs, so I was thinking that I will heat the middle of the enclosure (so either side of the separator is heated).

But, what's my best option for heating? Heat mats that sit half-half under the substrate? A cord with a tile?

I'm a little confused... I've only ever heated by globes or cords under hatchie vivs, so I've never heated in a melamine enclosure before.

I was hoping someone could point me in the right direction? Any help appreciated.... thanks!
 
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