Heat mat help

[Irbz_27]

Hi all, I'm currently in the process of building a new enclosure and I'm wondering about using heat mats instead of heat lamps etc... I've never used them before, nor do I really know anything about them. Do they heat the whole enclosure, or just the ground level where they are? What sort of wattage would be required for a 3x3x2ft enclosure? Are they more cost effective in regards to elec use? Any advice or tips on this would be appreciated. Thanks in advance for any help.
Cheers

 

[Deyendran]

well both are considered effecient and everyone has their own preferences and mine just happends to be the heat pad because it heats a sprecififc floor area and also the the air in your tank so if your snake is warm shell move from that area and vice versa. ive also found that my snakes dont particularly like the light so they prefer being warmed up by the pad, i thin u shud add both incase of failer of either and also different colour lights make for good decorations

 

[Variety]

I found heat matts better for ground dwellers. In my opinion theres no point heating an area from about 2ft above it when my snakes wont climb to bask so it makes sense to have matts for these type of snakes. They only heat the area that they are touching(depending on surface material) and im not sure about wattage, i usually go off size for matts.

Hope this helped

 

[damian83]

I'm looking at getting a router under a piece of spare melamine running the cord under it so it's still hidden but heats half the floor in my 3 and 4 foot melamine enclosures

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Imo cords would be better just not a fan of mats

 

[Irbz_27]

So this is where I'm at at this stage

Still a fair bit to go, but would a heat mat on the bottom shelf be sufficient for a 5-6 ft jungle python?

 

[ouroboros]

Looking forward to seeing the finished product.

I don't use a heat pad anymore. The last one I had malfunctioned, fried, damaged the enclosure and melted the fake grass I use as substrate. I'm lucky she wasn't sitting on it. Heat lamps are what I use. You can get different strengths to suit your enclosure. I put a safety cage around the fitting. I would put a heat lamp on the left side of the cabinet, above the perch.

If you really want a heat pad I believe that there may be a company that makes ones that fail off (cold) instead of on (hot). Not sure who though.

 

[Egernia]

Heat mats are perfectly safe if used correctly so dont be too concerned about reports otherwise as they generally indicate that the mat has not been used correctly i.e. inadequate ventilation. Heat cords offer a bit more flexibility as you can change the heating area according to your needs.

Heat mats and cords are a good choice in my opinion as they are reliable, last pretty much forever, and give a good 'deep heat' that is more even as there is residual heat in your substrate that will remain warm for a period after the mat or cord goes off. The main problem with heat bulbs as a primary heat source is that they heat the air so once the bulb goes off the air exchanges and you lose any heat. If your heat source is hooked up to a thermostat then you will likely find your heat bulb is going on and off frequently trying to maintain temps and your temps will go up and down. A dimming thermostat would help to counter that if you decide to go with heat lamps.

The heat generated by heat mats or cords placed in the bottom of an enclosure will rise into the enclosure raising the general air temp a bit dependant upon your enclosure set up. Heat mats and cords are generally more economical to use as they are quite low wattage in comparison to heat bulbs.

What is your plan for that area at the base? Is it going to be an enclosed hide box or will it have a glass front? If the former then I would not place any heat in there as it is not natural for reptiles to have heated hides and you may never see your snake as he will just stay in the hide. The natural thing for reptiles is to come out of their hides for heating so placing a heat cord on an elevated branch or a heat mat/cord on an elevated shelf may be your best option to maximise your enjoyment of your pet while providing him with the heat that he requires. Your snake can then retire to his hide when he wants to.

 

[CaptainRatbag]

I like heatpads/cords coz they are lower wattage so burn less juice, and work well with thermostats. A jungle will prolly like to spend time on a high branch or shelf, so a small 40w or so heatlamp would be good, especially after a feed

 

[Irbz_27]

Thanks guys for your input. The bottom section I'm going to fix a piece of glass across so I can see through the front... I think I've decided on a heat mat down the bottom, and maybe put a small wattage heat lamp up the top, maybe on a timer for a few hours a day?