On our care sheets we mention thermostats a lot because these are a vital piece of equipment when keeping snakes.
Vivarium heat mat which way up.
How to set up a heat mat and thermostat.
They re a good way to provide gentle warmth and they heat the floor of your vivarium much like the sun would heat the ground in your reptile s natural environment.
Heat mats are used to maintain a constant temperature throughout your vivarium.
Heat mats are good for reptiles that spend a lot of time on the ground like snakes but they are.
Heat mats are a popular way to provide this warmth because they heat the vivarium from underneath to maintain a constant source of heat.
They control the temperature of the heating source so it cannot reach deadly temperatures.
Ensure that the mat is positioned so that it will create a thermal gradient.
If you are positioning it at the bottom then the heat mat should sit on a polystyrene base the same dimensions as the base of tank.
Well in this video i go through each step on how to do just that.
While these are a safe low cost and generally effective way of providing artificial heat they re not without their weaknesses.
The problem with heat mats.
The polystyrene provides insulation directing the heat upwards towards the tank.
On the outside then the wood insulates the mat and slows the heat getting into the vivarium where it is needed.
Most invertebrate keepers and even many snake owners use low wattage heat mats to warm their vivariums.
Check your heat mat mains cable and plug for damage before use.
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Heating is an essential part of vivarium setup as cold blooded reptiles need heat to stay happy and healthy.
The tank is then place on top.
They provide a very gentle warmth that the reptile can sit on top of to heat themselves in a.
The main problem being that they only produce a gentle warmth.
Helpful if you own reptiles.