heat mat help

[giglamesh]

hi i bought a heat mat today and im not entirely sure on how to set it up i know the basics. probe thermo where i want the hot spot. my question is i have ceramic tiles for it but have no idea where to put them do i put them under the mat on top( then what goes under it) or do the tiles go under the sand in the enclosure. i did a search and didn't find a definite answer. if someone could help me figure this out it would be much appreciated.

 

[Greenmad]

Mate i have a tile on top off the heat mat with the probe on top of the tile. And just have the tile exposed through the sand.

 

[giglamesh]

so your heat mats in the enclosure? cause im not very keen on doing this i have a enclosure similar to an exoterra

 

[driftoz]

i dont even run a tile i just have a heat mat with probe on top of it then a few layers of news paper and then a reptile carpet ontop of that its not being used as my main heat source and was only turned on this week after feeding to help with digestion but its being removed this week. with mats my theroy is have the probe on the mat because if your trying to make the area say 2-3 inches off the ground the warm spot of 32*c then the heat mat its self where the snake will lay could be 35+, with a exo terra glass enclosure u should be fine putting the mat under the enclosureas well as the probe then monitor the temp on the floor of the enclosure.

 

[Greenmad]

yes its in the enclosure you can just try and get a good temp by having the heat mat under the enclosure and measure what your surface temp will be in side.

 

[giglamesh]

ok so do i sit it on my desk or should i sit it on the tiles on my desk. so i put the thermo on the mat then alter the temp to say 32 if i want the hot spot at 30. it will be the full time heat for some thicktailed geckos

 

[driftoz]

my heat mat sujested to put the heat mat on some foam to stop heat excaping out the bottom, but i think on the desk should be ok anyone correct me if im wrong. use a temp monitor probe to monitor the temps and adjust accordinly dont just go by the temp u set the thermo to.

 

[giglamesh]

yer i have one of those temp prob thermometers

 

[giglamesh]

ok i have it set up sorta please help if im wrong. i have it running and when the thermostat probe reads 30c the thermometer probe that is on the mat reads about 44 so its heating through about 7mm of air then glass i presume is 6mm and then about 1.5cm of sand to get 30 at this point seem about right

 

[driftoz]

u have thermostat probe in the enclosure and a temp probe on the mat? have the thermostat probe on the mat unless its one of the thick round probes then put it in so its touching the glass under your sand and the temp reading probe in the enclosure and just adjust the temp till it reads whats required.

 

[giglamesh]

ok il try that