Is this true?

[chris_brown]

Yeh so I might get 1 heat pads on if I do use that I don't need to keep the infrared lights on I'm I right or shud I get a 20w and keep one of them on?

 

[RedFox]

I use heat cord. They are cheap, easy to use and have a low fail rate. How hot it gets in the enclosure depends on how many zig-zags there are. It was good enough to warm my enclosure during a very cold melbourne winter. But heating really is a personal choice. If you decide to go with a heat mat remember to sit it on a tile or a bit of glass and then put another tile on top. You may have noticed there are a few photos floating around of burnt out heat mats, where people haven't read the instructions and put astro turf on top, and then blamed the heat mat -_-

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Heat mats are probably the most dangerous form of heating, especially if used incorrectly. There are many stories of near catastrophes from incorrect heat mat use, but very few for the other forms of enclosure heating (can't say I've heard of any actually). I'm with RedFox here, I've used heat cords exclusively for as long as they've been available (10 years+) and never even had one fail, let alone start burning things.

Snakes do not need UV - there are many generations of snakes bred in the US & elsewhere that are still massively healthy and their predecessors haven't seen UV for generations. UV won't do any harm, so its use is really optional, but to suggest that, for some unsubstantiated reason, that snakes NEED UV is incorrect. I've never used it for my snakes, and I've never used lights for heat, and none of my animals are suffering...

Be careful not to over-complicate the requirements of your snakes - lizards are a different matter altogether - but snakes need only appropriate temperature (and humidity in a few cases), shelter, food and water, and they will thrive.

Jamie

 

[treeofgreen]

I run my heatmat + thermostat only during the day for my jungle. He goes lights out/heat out when the beardies do aswell. I do live in QLD though, so that makes it easier with regard to temps.

 

[chris_brown]

So you guys recommend I use a heat cords?? Wat about lighting to see the snake?? Just chuck a small light in there eg: keep one of my infrared once not for heating but to see the snake?

 

[dannydee]

Have a read of this article. It's about light for your reptiles. It should be noted that the people behind the article are light selling business, but it does express the importance and why a reptile needs periods of complete darkness each night.

- - - Updated - - -

http://www.arcadia-reptile.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/054_PRK_Sept11-1.pdf

 

[Colin]

i read this on RSP "have seen pythons suffer serious health problems over the long term when subjected to lights continually over a 24 hour period. It appears that the lack of a photoperiod can disturb the hormonal cycles of the snake making it vulnerable to a range of maladies."
is this true?? if so is it bad to have 2 75Watt bulbs for a yearling ( i think ) stimson python?

since you copied this from a SXR Simon Stone article I would say its true..
who the hell supplies light 24 hours to reptiles??
Ive never tried it so dont have personal experiences but would listen to what simon recomends and says in this instance
Untitled Document

I keep enclosures with a natural photoperiod using timers (lights are used for light and ceramic heaters for heating in my enclosures) which in summer is 12 hours light 12 hours darkness and slowly tweak the timers to mid year (winter) where the light hours are less and dark hours more, and from this point I slowly increase them to 12/12 the following summer

 

[chris_brown]

I understand that but is the infrared lights alright because though we can see them they can see the light ...cuz that's what I'm doing at the moment but I will go buy heat cords for both enclosures and do the night day thing with 2.0 UVB lights or fluros and turn it on when I want to see it and chuck the timer back on do you reckon it's a good setup? And with heat cords I'm using melamine for both my enclosures so do I just put the heat cord on the wood and put a tile over it and substrate doesn it matter that the surface isn't flat ( because of the tile )

 

[CaptainRatbag]

As far as I am aware, the snake cant see infra red light (or red party bulb light) at all.... to them, it is pitch black. Heat cords are good, however I have been using heatmats with thermostats very successfully without any failiers or fires? I have 6 of them. One is under a glass enclosure, the others are in mellomine enclosures on a piece of glass to insulate them from the wood/plastic. The important thing for heatmat care is to not put any sharp objects on them (rocks etc) and as with all heating systems, a 'dead earth short protector' in the system... but like I said, I have never experienced a failier.

 

[chris_brown]

Yeh I was thinking of heat mats but I've seen pictures of burned enclosure.. So if I chuck the heat Mat on the wood on the enclosure then chuck normal house tiles on em it should be alright yeh?

 

[CaptainRatbag]

I have the heatmat on a piece of glass so the heatmat isnt sitting directly on the mellomine, the probe on the heatmat then fake grass on top. I have the URS type heatmats which have a karki green plastic cover in the mellomine enclosures and the reptile one glass enclosure has the plastic film type heatmat under one end with probe above heatmat, inside the enclosure. I have never had an issue with them, but like I said, be careful not to put sharp pointy heavy things on the heatmat, my hides are foam lined lightweight timber things, quite light with a wide foot print so it wont press into the heatmat which otherwise might result in a hot spot. Same as you wouldnt dump a heavy rock on a heat cord

I personally like heatmats and cords with thermostat, rather than lights and emitters because I dont like losing the room in the enclosure to a light and cage, when the heat comes on a heatmat, there is no light to worry about, also you dont see a heatmat/cord at all.... plus they are cheaper to run .... and I have always had heatmats and as you know, you tend to like and swear by what you first had and still have, if you havent had any problems with it

 

[GeckoRider]

Humans cannot see infrared.. If we could changing the channel on a tv would be like shining a torch at it... I don't think those infrared bulbs are actually infrared.. I think its just a red bulb.

 

[KaotikJezta]

i know i will but i have a project car that im building so i need to divide my money lol but yeah im assuming its alright to keep the infarred light on cause thats what i was told from the pet shop which has a awesome rep.... i might just get the bredli not and the roughy a bit later on ill goto the pet shop on wednesday and decide but for now its bredli

Roughies are on Advanced so how does a pet shop have them.

 

[chris_brown]

But snakes can't see snakes can they? Ratbag does it matter that the enclosure ground isn't flat or levelled and uneven?

 

[KaotikJezta]

I have my roughies, that are still small and delicate, in a tall click clack that is see through with a vertical branch and some greenery, a small ramekin as a water bowl, a small rock to aid shedding and paper towel as bedding. They sit on one U of a 50 watt heat cord and they are always on the branch unless they have just eaten. Roughie hatchies are very small and quite shy, so I definitely wouldn't put them straight into a big enclosure. I will take some pics.

 

[CaptainRatbag]

Humans cannot see infrared.. If we could changing the channel on a tv would be like shining a torch at it... I don't think those infrared bulbs are actually infrared.. I think its just a red bulb.

As I see it (no pun intended) Humans cant see the infra red light itself (the waves/beams) but we can see the resulting reflection of the ir light off white surfaces. Same as uv/mushroom lights at a night club. Only white things light up like christmas trees.... but if you were in a black walled and ceiling room with nothing white in it, it would be dark to us as well.

 

[Channaz]

They sit on one U of a 50 watt heat cord and they are always on the branch unless they have just eaten.

Hi Kaotik,

I am getting a roughie and am curious about your set up.

I had thought that a heat cord underneath a tub might not be sufficient for a snake that is often coiled around a branch well off the floor. I read that roughies like a very specific temperature range.

Your set up seems to answer things for me. I'm relieved; I was worried things might be more complicated for roughies. I could use a simple heat cord after all. Have you had any issues with the temperature gradient, particularly in terms of the branch?

 

[Sleazy.P.Martini]

As I see it (no pun intended) Humans cant see the infra red light itself (the waves/beams) but we can see the resulting reflection of the ir light off white surfaces. Same as uv/mushroom lights at a night club. Only white things light up like christmas trees.... but if you were in a black walled and ceiling room with nothing white in it, it would be dark to us as well.

IR is only visible through enhanced optics, ie night vision. It doesn't matter what colour you point them at.

 

[KaotikJezta]

Hi Kaotik,

I am getting a roughie and am curious about your set up.

I had thought that a heat cord underneath a tub might not be sufficient for a snake that is often coiled around a branch well off the floor. I read that roughies like a very specific temperature range.

Your set up seems to answer things for me. I'm relieved; I was worried things might be more complicated for roughies. I could use a simple heat cord after all. Have you had any issues with the temperature gradient, particularly in terms of the branch?

Not that I have detected, the third where the cord is sits on 31-33 and they utilise the heat for the first day after feeding, they go down and sit on it for a little while in the morning and at night then they are on the branch either hunting if its near feed time or relaxing. They get sprayed a few times a week and they have always shed and eaten perfectly. One is shyer than the other and wont strike the food, I just leave it in the tub and it is gone within half an hour.

 

[Zanks]

IR is only visible through enhanced optics, ie night vision. It doesn't matter what colour you point them at.

+1
Hey captn, try shining a tv remote in a mirror, can u see it ???????
Because you are saying we can.
Snakes dont see infrared with their eyes, they use their heat pits or thermoreceptors.
How many times do I have to say it!!!!!!
Dont leave lights on 24/7 people.