heat & astro turf

[cactus2u]

ok so i'm changing from substrate to astro turf . Question is can i place heat cords & heat mats safely straight under turf or under tiles then turf? One of the enclosures has a tile base the other just ply
Thanks in advance

 

[davobmx]

I believe you could place it directly under with out a fire hazard but it will probably be too hot, AstroTurf heats very well.

 

[Gruni]

When I set my tank up for a trial run I found you need a layer or two of newspaper between the mat and the turf, even now that I run my mat under the tank I have a 2 sheet thickness of newspaper in the bottom of the tank and then the turf and it still gets plenty warm. I haven't installed a thermostat yet but I run the mat 2hrs on 1hr off and it keeps things at a good temp.