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Why not to use a heat rock......

cornsnakekid92

cornsnakekid92

trouser snake
well i decided to do a test, i have a standard smallish heat rock, before throwing it away i decide to test it out. i hooked it up to a normal outlet in my reptile room. even though the air temp was about 82* F these are are surface temperatures, and they are all *F
( first number is average then the spike temp.)

At start- 83
1 min.- 86-88
5 Min's.-89-92
10 Min's.-93-97
30 Min's.-95-101
60 Min's.-104-109
90Min's.-110-115
120Min's.- 110-115
180Min's-110-118


If it got that warm in 3 hours i could only imagine what a few days or weeks could do! and even that is WAY too warm for most animals.
* A Tempgun was used to get the Temps*
 
Excellent! Thanks for the data. I would venture to say not safe for "all" animals although I suppose there might be an odd desert animal or spider who might be a bit tougher. Even birds whose body temps can normally be 106 can't tolerate that heat w/o burning.

Now if we could just get stores to stop selling them....
 
kansasgirl said:
Now if we could just get stores to stop selling them....
Click to expand...

The most effective way to do that is to keep people from buying them. They stop making money off of them, they will stop producing them.
 
This is a really good post, I don't think i have seen any one illustrate the "heat rock problem" so well. You should see if joejr can add this to his husbandry and basic care FAQ.
 
I wish it were so easy to stop people from buying them, though. It seems like the first thing people do is go out and buy their rep (not everyone, but enough to keep pet stores selling them) THEN they might do research esp. if they get sick or die. Too bad there's no money for a public awareness campaign!

Hey Chris, is it OK if we copy this info to show people?

Cheers! Sherry
 
kansasgirl said:
I wish it were so easy to stop people from buying them, though. It seems like the first thing people do is go out and buy their rep (not everyone, but enough to keep pet stores selling them) THEN they might do research esp. if they get sick or die. Too bad there's no money for a public awareness campaign!

Hey Chris, is it OK if we copy this info to show people?

Cheers! Sherry
Click to expand...
Sure, but i will need the royalties! just kidding, i made it for that point, to inform beginers about them.


Billybobob said:
This is a really good post, I don't think i have seen any one illustrate the "heat rock problem" so well. You should see if joejr can add this to his husbandry and basic care FAQ.
Click to expand...
I PM'ed him about it right after i posted this ;)
 
that is excellant thank you for sharing this information, i will honostly be sharing this on another forum just before im banned from it lol, if you want to know why just pm me, but i was always interested in how a hot a heat rock would get, but i have never bought one.
corey
 
Chris, I see you gave permission for the other member to use your info, so I figured you would not have no issues if I posted it on another site as well.. Credit will/is given to you..

Regards Tim of T and J


This post was definantly deserving of User CP IMO...
 
TandJ said:
Chris, I see you gave permission for the other member to use your info, so I figured you would not have no issues if I posted it on another site as well.. Credit will/is given to you..

Regards Tim of T and J

This post was definantly deserving of User CP IMO...
Click to expand...
What do you mean by this? I have no problems if any ones uses this as an informatinal piece, but what are all these websites it is be posted on? And if you wish you can put it into Excel to make it nicer looking and display it on your website If you have a care sheet or where ever.
 
Posted in another groups forum related to all kinds of reptiles.. If you like I can link it to you Chris via a pm..


Regards.. Tim of T and J
 
We never recommend these at work. We do keep a couple in stock though. We have a few of the "old timers" that insist that a heat rock is the best thing to use. I think in the two years that I have worked there, I have sold maybe 2 or 3.
 
Hold on a minute everyone . . .

Anyone measure the temperature of your UTH's that everyone is so fond of? Hmmm!? 115 degrees easy!

Discuss amongst yourselves . . .

D80
 
True, but i keep my UTH on the Outside of my cage, and i put news paper between it and the tank, and a ceramic tile in the tank, then atleast a Rheostat.....This is just a small one, i could only imagine a large one, with the " hott spots" they get and after being left on for a few weeks......:sidestep:( just for letting it sit half a day i am getting spikes of 125*F
 
cornsnakekid92 said:
True, but i keep my UTH on the Outside of my cage, and i put news paper between it and the tank, and a ceramic tile in the tank,
Click to expand...
. . . the 'rock' part of the heat rock acts just as your ceramic tile would . . .

then atleast a Rheostat.....
Click to expand...
. . . so put one on a hot rock . . . better yet use a thermostat for both . . .

This is just a small one, i could only imagine a large one, with the " hott spots" they get and after being left on for a few weeks......:sidestep:( just for letting it sit half a day i am getting spikes of 125*F
Click to expand...
. . . not out of the ordinary for a UTH . . . and it's not going to change after beig on for a few weeks is it?
. . . as for hot spots, can I see a thermographic picture of the rock showing these hot spots? I would think with all the 'negative press' that hot rocks have had in recent years that manufacturers would change the way they are made to get rid of supposed problems . . .

. . . discuss . . .

D80
 
Here is a thermal burn on an iguana from a hot rock.
hotrockburn2.gif


Burn on a blue tongue skink.
reptiles_image_12.jpg
 
tricksterpup said:
Here is a thermal burn on an iguana from a hot rock.

Burn on a blue tongue skink.
Click to expand...
. . . how big was the hot rock compared to the size of each lizard . . .

. . . discuss . . .

D80

Disclaimer: I don't use hot rocks, but I think the warnings about them are overhyped compared to any/all heat sources . . .
 
Drizzt80 said:
. . . how big was the hot rock compared to the size of each lizard . . .

. . . discuss . . .

D80

Disclaimer: I don't use hot rocks, but I think the warnings about them are overhyped compared to any/all heat sources . . .
Click to expand...
I do not know, but I am one against them. My own iguana was a victim of a heat rock and still has scares today. He also lost a few of his toes due to the burn as well. He was given to me when he was an adult. He lives a happy life of no more heat rocks.
 
I use heat rocks in my desert plant tank, basically its for growing cacti hehe, the rocks stay at around 130 (they've been plugged in for 4 or 5 years). Same as the surface temp of my UTH before thermostat.
 
I just don't get why! Most manufactures want to make a good product designed to do what will make the market embrace it. Why do the makers of hot rock type products not seem to pay attention to this common tenent of good business?

I mean would it be that hard to make a hot rock that only heated up to about 90 degrees? No simple electronics limit the tempature.

So what the hell is wrong with these bird brains? I know we are concerned with the herps but even a manufacturer with only profit being the motative would be very smart to make a better product that heats up only to desireable tempatures.

Any added cost would simply be passed on to the consumer who would be happy to pay it for a good product.

Such added cost would be minimal anyway we are talking MAY BE 30 cents a unit at such quantities of scale.

So anyone actually know why these idiots make this product as such to be totally useless to its intended target market?
 
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