Watch What You Buy - Reptile Items

[Venomous_RBB]

Hi everyone,
Was just sitting on the couch, had my Spotted Python out, she was having a great time, next minute boom, her ceramic light bulb blew, sparks flew and her marine carpet caught on a small fire. After further investigation, we noticed it was actually the ceramic fitting, not the bulb itself, this is the second faulty one from one particular place (I am not sure if they are on here so dont want to name names. From the same mob, I have had bulbs blow in a matter of days - 3 weeks and had bad dealings in terms of their bowls etc.
Anyway just thought I would give the heads up to people to be vigilant, I am glad my snake was not in there and we were home. I would of hate to of come home and my snake is burnt alive.
I do not use heat mats, cords or rocks because of this, not that all mats, cords and rocks do this but have heard many stories and would hate it to happen to my snakes.
Cheers
BH92

 

[PeppersGirl]

Yes, the fittings can be terrible. I came back from a short holiday to find one in the ackie enclosure that had burned a hole in the enclosure roof, and there have been several occasions where the fitting blew and the globe shattered - thankful that the beardie wasn't in the firing line :?

 

[Stuart]

Thats a huge bugger mate. Glad that your girl was out with you rather than in the enclosure.

 

[Tobe404]

Glad your Spotted is okay and wasn't in the wrong place and the wrong time.

As far as heat mats/cords go though. I don't know why so many people frown upon them.

I have 3 (one for each Python/Enclosure) and I've even left them on while going away for a week or two and came back with everything being exactly how I left it. Had no dramas with them even when the power has gone out multiple times. And yes just to point out the obvious... They are hooked up to a thermostat..

 

[reb01]

Glad your Spotted is okay and wasn't in the wrong place and the wrong time.

As far as heat mats/cords go though. I don't know why so many people frown upon them.

I have 3 (one for each Python/Enclosure) and I've even left them on while going away for a week or two and came back with everything being exactly how I left it. Had no dramas with them even when the power has gone out multiple times. And yes just to point out the obvious... They are hooked up to a thermostat..

Ive used heat cords for hatchies-yearlings without any dramas for years,but when it comes to the larger cages with heat globes thats a different story,ive gone through quiet alot of globes over the years..

 

[Venomous_RBB]

Yeah, I am really glad, she wasnt in there. Thanks everyone.

I know, some people have them for years and have no problems, I saw a burnt out heat mat in one of the threads on here earlier in the year and it was horrible, havnt used them since.
I think heat cords are the safest anyway, am I right or?

 

[Tobe404]

Yeah the general consensus is that heat cords are the safest

 

[Thyla]

I currently have 8 heat mats of about three different brands and have been using heat mats (on thermostats) for the last three years with no issues at all

 

[Venomous_RBB]

Thats great, Thyla - I just worry especially after seeing the heat matt all burnt up.

 

[KaotikJezta]

It is not the shops fault it is the companies that supply them. The globes in our shop come with a one week warranty from the manufacturer. We generally give longer than that but the actual ceramic fittings come with no warranty at all. You also have to be careful what cord you use with the fittings as well, they have to be able to handle the amps and wattage as much as the fittings. Many fittings are also only rated to 75 watts.

 

[CaptainRatbag]

Who heats a spotties enclosure with an emitter? Waste of energy (and $) to me??

I have 5 heatmats and one heatcord all with thermostats. I have never had an issue with any of them, great temp gradient.... totally happy with them. The mats inside the enclosures are the green covered (slightly water/humidity resistant) and under the glass reptile one enclosure, the mat is under one end and is the plastic sheet with gray patches inside type. If my 6 heat pads/cord came on all at once, they would prolly use less electricity than just your emitter heating one enclosure? I would rather use heatmats for heating (for pythons, different story for other reptiles) both for cost, cost of running and ease of use (no wire cage around emitter/globe to get hot and burn snake)

Do yourself a favour, look into heatmat/thermostat for heating, sell the emitter to someone with lizards or monitors, and if you are worried about malfunction (either for a heatpad or when you fix your emitter), put a dead earth short protector in line so if the heatpad/emitter fails, the power board instantly cuts power.

Glad your snake is fine.... must have been the fresh air suddenly hitting the hot emitter? Scarey tho

 

[Xeaal]

Who heats a spotties enclosure with an emitter? Waste of energy (and $) to me??

May I ask about this please? I have a spotted python and I use a heat cord between a routed piece of board and a slate tile (as recommended somewhere on this forum) and also a red basking globe, which came with the closure (and the snake) as used by the previous owner. They are currently on a shared thermostat, but would have individual ones when new enclosure is finished. I asked the previous owner if the heated slate would be enough, and she said no, the basking light was required. Since then I have read all sorts of things about such lights exploding and glass everywhere etc, so I thought perhaps a ceramic heat emitter (only 50w) would be safer. I also have one of those green water-resistant heat mats, but do not use it at this stage. Any advice appreciated. Thank you. - Oh.. new enclosure is 900 x 400 x 450 and will be ready for use this week.

 

[Venomous_RBB]

It is not the shops fault it is the companies that supply them. The globes in our shop come with a one week warranty from the manufacturer. We generally give longer than that but the actual ceramic fittings come with no warranty at all. You also have to be careful what cord you use with the fittings as well, they have to be able to handle the amps and wattage as much as the fittings. Many fittings are also only rated to 75 watts.

It's the company I bought it from, the people that have messaged me, all know this.
I know you have to be careful, I am just giving people a heads up.

- - - Updated - - -

Who heats a spotties enclosure with an emitter? Waste of energy (and $) to me??

I have 5 heatmats and one heatcord all with thermostats. I have never had an issue with any of them, great temp gradient.... totally happy with them. The mats inside the enclosures are the green covered (slightly water/humidity resistant) and under the glass reptile one enclosure, the mat is under one end and is the plastic sheet with gray patches inside type. If my 6 heat pads/cord came on all at once, they would prolly use less electricity than just your emitter heating one enclosure? I would rather use heatmats for heating (for pythons, different story for other reptiles) both for cost, cost of running and ease of use (no wire cage around emitter/globe to get hot and burn snake)

Do yourself a favour, look into heatmat/thermostat for heating, sell the emitter to someone with lizards or monitors, and if you are worried about malfunction (either for a heatpad or when you fix your emitter), put a dead earth short protector in line so if the heatpad/emitter fails, the power board instantly cuts power.

Glad your snake is fine.... must have been the fresh air suddenly hitting the hot emitter? Scarey tho

My Dad, thats who, it is his snake, even though I look after her, however he gets to choose what goes in her enclosure. The power did cut off straight away, I also have a shortage protector. I have thermostats for all of my enclosures, my Bredli and BHP both have Infra-reds. My Brothers Bredli and my dads Spotted Python both are mainly Arboreal, especially the Bredli so there is no use for a heat mat in either of their enclosures. My BHP, I would just prefer her to have an infra red so I can watch her at night. Plus she likes it, I would prefer to pay for the extra cages etc.

Thats just my opinion, thanks for yours but it will not happen.
Don't know why it happened, it just did, yes lucky my snake was not in there.

As I said, I am only letting people know and I didnt think you were like this CaptainRatbag. The sarcasm and annoyance in your message is just unbelievable. My Snakes are happy, healthy and I would like to keep them as is.

 

[CaptainRatbag]

May I ask about this please? I have a spotted python and I use a heat cord between a routed piece of board and a slate tile (as recommended somewhere on this forum) and also a red basking globe, which came with the closure (and the snake) as used by the previous owner. They are currently on a shared thermostat, but would have individual ones when new enclosure is finished. I asked the previous owner if the heated slate would be enough, and she said no, the basking light was required. Since then I have read all sorts of things about such lights exploding and glass everywhere etc, so I thought perhaps a ceramic heat emitter (only 50w) would be safer. I also have one of those green water-resistant heat mats, but do not use it at this stage. Any advice appreciated. Thank you. - Oh.. new enclosure is 900 x 400 x 450 and will be ready for use this week.

Pythons dont require basking lights and UV lights like lizards and monitors as pythons get thier vitamin D3 from the liver of thier prey/feed. Lizards need UV and absorbed radiated heat (especially whilst growing/young) so it is critical for thier health and wellbeing.

Pythons need roughly the correct temperature (and gradient) food and water. You can put a small basking light in the enclosure, just dont leave it on all the time..... and if you do put in a UV flouro..... just get the absolute smallest uv output you can get (ie: a uv2 tube, not a uv5 tube) or get old uv tubes off friends who have replaced thiers (as the UV drops over a period of time.... the tubes uv potential wears out)

I prefer heatmat/pad/cord with thermostat for heating (pythons) and just simple light to see them by and set thier photo period. If you have a heat lamp or emitter handy, turn it on and put your arm about the distance away from it as the depth of the enclosure is, and see how you like the direct radiated heat from it..... that is what your snake is going to have to live with.... you on the other hand can sleep quite cozy on an electric blanket.... without feeling like you are getting sunburned.

Add to this, the $ saving of running a 15w-20w heatmat/cord compared to even a 50w emitter.....

- - - Updated - - -

As I said, I am only letting people know and I didnt think you were like this CaptainRatbag. The sarcasm and annoyance in your message is just unbelievable. My Snakes are happy, healthy and I would like to keep them as is.

I am sorry you felt I was being sarcastic or annoying..... I cant see where you get that from? It most certainly wasnt my intention?

I have 2 macs (which are mostly on thier floor) and a bredli who loves her branch..... a coastal and a MDP who all do a fair bit of climbing and the heatmats work well for each of them.

Heat from a heatmat/pad rises..... so it warms arboreal snakes perfectly well.... in my own opinion, equally, if not better than a heatlamp/emitter aiming at fake plants or dry logs?

I merely stated that if I heated all of my enclosures with emitters at say 75w, I would need better (progressive) thermostats for each.... and it would cost 5 times as mich as to run the heatmats.... so I believe (personally) that heatmats/cords are the way to go.

So, my suggestion.... not demand.... is that you 'do yourself a favor and look into getting a heatmat for your heating' Nothing annoying there... just a suggestion?

I also just suggested that all heating devices should have a 'dead short protector' which you have.... so that is great.

Again I apologise you felt I was telling you you should change everything/anything..... I simply intended to show you there are different options with finantial benefits than the way you/your dad is doing it....

Finally, as I said, I am so happy your snake wasnt in there at the time..... strange that it happened after you opened the door to get him out? I suggest maybe the burst of cool air on the heater might have upset it and caused it to blow?

 

[Xeaal]

Thank you for the reply; have certainly given me some things to think about. Just this week little Sunday (that's her name) was given a new hide up at the cooler end of her enclosure and some new fake grass matting which it sits on. She seems to love this new hide and has pretty much moved into it lock, stock and barrel, only coming out to bask on her heated slate occasionally - which tells me that the heat coil under the slate is indeed emitting enough heat to keep her cozy inside the hide, even several inches away at the cooler end of the tank.

 

[Venomous_RBB]

I am sorry you felt I was being sarcastic or annoying..... I cant see where you get that from? It most certainly wasnt my intention?

"Who heats a spotties enclosure with an emitter? Waste of energy (and $) to me??

Do yourself a favour
sell the emitter to someone with lizards or monitors

"


I have 2 macs (which are mostly on thier floor) and a bredli who loves her branch..... a coastal and a MDP who all do a fair bit of climbing and the heatmats work well for each of them.

Will have to try it, didnt work last time but I think I had smaller and lower wattage heat mats.

Heat from a heatmat/pad rises..... so it warms arboreal snakes perfectly well.... in my own opinion, equally, if not better than a heatlamp/emitter aiming at fake plants or dry logs?

It hasn't done it before but refer to above. The Heatlamp and Emitter are both directly over their hides.

I merely stated that if I heated all of my enclosures with emitters at say 75w, I would need better (progressive) thermostats for each.... and it would cost 5 times as mich as to run the heatmats.... so I believe (personally) that heatmats/cords are the way to go.

I just went by whatever I was told, I got told Infra Reds are the way to go, they dont last long but apparently are alot better so I went with them. My Spotty came with a heat emitter, it has lasted her and my dad only wants that in her enclosure.

So, my suggestion.... not demand.... is that you 'do yourself a favor and look into getting a heatmat for your heating' Nothing annoying there... just a suggestion?

I Have a heat mat for my BHP which has heated her enclosure nicely, it is on a thermostat as well, in case of any crispy things it does. (Burning down the house)

I also just suggested that all heating devices should have a 'dead short protector' which you have.... so that is great.

Yeah my dad is in the RAAF and they are big on short protectors so he has them on everything, which isnt a bad thing.

Again I apologise you felt I was telling you you should change everything/anything..... I simply intended to show you there are different options with finantial benefits than the way you/your dad is doing it....

Sorry I took it the wrong way, refer to above why I did.

Finally, as I said, I am so happy your snake wasnt in there at the time..... strange that it happened after you opened the door to get him out? I suggest maybe the burst of cool air on the heater might have upset it and caused it to blow?

Thanks, she is perfectly fine, which is good. I had her out for a good 10, 20 mins before it blew. I am only guessing that's what happened but I take her out every day, sometimes twice out if I have the time.

​My Writing is in Bold.

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Hmmm... the heat mat thing again. Having been a dealer in Perth, and selling a few of these things (all brands), I'd have to say that heatmats are potentially the most dangerous form or reptile heating, with or without a thermostat. Thermostats often fail, and in the ON position, so you end up with uncontrolled energy being delivered to a concentrated heat source which is usually in a confined space. Even the smallest (5, 7 watts) have the potential to cause a catastrophic fire - I've seen the evidence of this on 5 or 6 occasions, scorched tables, holes burnt in enclosures, smoke-filled rooms etc.

For the last 10 years I've used heat cords exclusively - they can be set up so as not to concentrate the heat in too small an area, but still deliver the sort of gentle heating we need, they're cheap, and I've never had even one fail. They can be used under things, over things and are especially good for incubators.

I do agree with CR that lights are not necessary for snakes, and using lights to produce heat is hugely more expensive than the other methods, but if you only have one or two animals, it's probably no big deal to give your critters a true basking spot. Antaresias are rarely basking animals however.

Just my choice, but I wouldn't touch heat mats with a bargepole...

Jamie

 

[Ramsayi]

I use lights for heating pythons *shock horror*.

I also cannot see why a 50w globe would use any more or less power than a 50w heat cord.


Lights tend to supply a decent basking site and they also disperse heat better than cords which brings the cool side temps up above room temps which to me is a good idea.Just using a cord in an enclosure that is in a relatively cool room would see the animal only getting belly heat with the surrounding air temp still being less than optimal.

 

[Venomous_RBB]

@Pythoninfinite - Thats what I have been unsure of, I have seen burnt out heat mats on here that people have posted, they look horrible.

I know you said Ant's are rarely basking animals anyway but my girl proves nearly everything on here about Ant's wrong, especially Spotteds.
She loves to climb, she basks, she loves her water dish, she sleeps in it sometimes, her nickname is mini Anaconda. I think she is just a one of a kind.

@Ramsayi - I have only been on here and only had snakes for about 8 months now and have learnt alot from just being on here, the majority of the information is good but sometimes you get backlash.
Anyway I agree with what your saying, I would also like to know about the globe power.
With my short amount of experience, I completely agree in terms of the belly heat and the surrounding air being cool.

 

[littlemay]

Pythons dont require basking lights and UV lights like lizards and monitors as pythons get thier vitamin D3 from the liver of thier prey/feed. Lizards need UV and absorbed radiated heat (especially whilst growing/young) so it is critical for thier health and wellbeing.

Pythons need roughly the correct temperature (and gradient) food and water. You can put a small basking light in the enclosure, just dont leave it on all the time..... and if you do put in a UV flouro..... just get the absolute smallest uv output you can get (ie: a uv2 tube, not a uv5 tube) or get old uv tubes off friends who have replaced thiers (as the UV drops over a period of time.... the tubes uv potential wears out)

I prefer heatmat/pad/cord with thermostat for heating (pythons) and just simple light to see them by and set thier photo period. If you have a heat lamp or emitter handy, turn it on and put your arm about the distance away from it as the depth of the enclosure is, and see how you like the direct radiated heat from it..... that is what your snake is going to have to live with.... you on the other hand can sleep quite cozy on an electric blanket.... without feeling like you are getting sunburned.

I don't get this logic, heat emitters do not emit UV so i'm not sure why you would even bring up things like D3...?

Also, a heat emitter suitably controlled by a thermostat by no mean blasts the reptile with heat that leaves them feeling 'sunburnt'. On the contrary, i use a heat emitter for my python and on placing my hand under the emitter i certainly do not feel the sort of heat that you claim. Rather, i get a warm basking spot and a gentle heat gradient throughout the rest of the enclosure.

In fact, i would argue that heat emitters may be useful for more arboreal snakes who don't tend to spend all that much time on the ground (where the heat mat would presumably be located).