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Disappointed in Exo Terra Heatwave Desert Vivarium Heater

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TriggerHappy101

TriggerHappy101

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I am rather disappointed in the Exo Terra Heatwave Desert Vivarium Heater - 11" x 17. that I got for my new hatching blizzard that I am getting tomorrow. (woot!)

I have three temperature probes on it. One on the end about 3 inches of the edge, one in the middle, and one on the opposite end. All probes are straight down the middle. The middle reads a max temp of 87 degrees. One end has a max temp of 80 degrees and the other one has a max temp of 78.

I know the probes are all accurate because I can put them all in the middle and they all read the same temperatures.

I did not apply the UTH to the bottom of the viv glass.

It is being controlled by a ZooMed Thermostat 500.

My T-Rex UTH isnt quite as big as this one (just 11" by 11") but it is WAY more level and even temperatures. I should of spent the extra 10 dollars for a better heat mat. :(

Anyone else have this problem?
 
Is the probe directly on the glass? Or is it sitting above the substrate? If it is above to substrate put it below directly on the glass. Also, if you haven't already turn up your thermostat to reach a higher temperature.
 
Attaching it to the viv will help...

The Exo-Terra mats have a contact point on one end of the mat. It is only reasonable to assume that the end closest to the contact point will reach a higher temperature faster than the end furthest from the contact point. As well, they are designed to operate at a maximum temperature of around 100*F. When you apply the mat to the underside of your tank(or outside wall), the glass will help to dissipate and distribute the heat more evenly. If your maximum temperature is not where you would like it, it's your thermostat, not the mat.

Attach the heat mat to the location you will have it permanently, and then take your readings. You'll find that while the mat itself may heat at a modestly variable level, the glass will heat up to a much more stable temperature...
 
I have the probes under the substrate on the glass.

Its not the fact that the temps arent hot enough - its because they aren't EVEN across the heat mat.

I guess I could apply the heat mat to the glass... I didn't really want to incase the heat mat ever dies It wont be as hard to replace.

Anything I can do other than sticking it to the bottom?
 
I really don't think it's that big of a deal, to be honest. Think of it like a "micro-thermo-gradient". You want the temps to be uneven across the whole bottom of the tank, so...what's the big deal? As long as there is a spot big enough for your snake to lounge on in the 83-95*F range, I really don't see any issue...
 
I stuck my mat to 4"x4" ceramic tiles on the side that the grout goes on. Then put it under the tank. The mat heats the tiles and the tiles heat the glass. Maybe that will work for you.
 
83-95? Are you trying to cook your snake?
Click to expand...

95 is on the warm side is not enough to cook a corn snake although IMHO its a little too warm for my liking.. There are a couple of people I know that keep their warm end around 93f with no obvious ill side affects.. I don't micro manage every aspect of my corns lives eithier..

Of course, I know to you, my opinion is of little or no consequence to you after you determined in a chat session I am a complete idiot IYO, about pretty much this same topic..

Now if you want a suggestion on where you can stick the heater mat, I have the solution for you.. :sidestep: :grin01:

Go to Home Depot or Lowes, and have them cut a piece of Terra Cotta that the heater can fit on.. Stick it to the terra cotta piece and then stick it under the tank.. Yea, Mr Smarty pants, your going to have to elevate the tank a bit so there is a little air flow over the terra cotta but it should help stabilizh the temp swings your micro managing on.. Worse comes to worse, your already using the thermostat, you can even lay the heating pad and terra cotta pairing inside the tank as well, of course exposed terra cotta side up..

Regards.. Tim of T and J
 
Ditto's for Sue.. *lol* I sure appreciate a little backing up once in while..



You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to suecornish again
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.

Regards.. Tim of T and J
 
I keep my mats at roughly 85, spiking to 90 occassionally. remember, you want the hot side a little hotter then 80, that way they can warm themselves up well after eating. Besides, so long as you keep the temp below 98 there's no possible way you can burn the snake. that's human body temperature and last I checked my snakes don't get burned when I handle them.
 
Why must you continually be malicious? I don't appreciate your rude and unsettling demeanor both in the live chat and on the forum.

All I did was ask a valid question and I would expect a valid answer without your attitude.

Having that aside, I slipped in a large 11'" 11"" floor tile under the glass and I will see if that changes anything. Ill have to cut this other floor tile in half so it fits correctly and and I don't have to re-route the wire for the UTH.
 
That last post of mine was aimed at T and J
sbourget said:
I keep my mats at roughly 85, spiking to 90 occassionally. remember, you want the hot side a little hotter then 80, that way they can warm themselves up well after eating. Besides, so long as you keep the temp below 98 there's no possible way you can burn the snake. that's human body temperature and last I checked my snakes don't get burned when I handle them.
Click to expand...

Yes, but you don't hold onto your snakes for 24 hours a day 7 days a week. :)

Not saying it will "Burn" it literately, I was just inflating the fact that that temp. is too hot.
 
Just as a quick second thought, is there a reason you're using a 'desert' heat mat for a temperate species?
 
When my snake was in his 10 gallon tank I used the Rainforest type, and now that he is in the 20L I use the Desert one (because they didn't have the right size in the other one). But honestly I haven't noticed a difference with the two I think if they were unregulated the Desert type would get hotter but with a thermostat I don't think there is a difference at all. ;)


---Kenny
 
The only difference between the two heat mat types (Forest/desert) is that the desert will reach a higher temperature if unregulated by a thermostat. I got the desert because I figured it would be made better than the forest because it has to obtain higher temps.
 
TriggerHappy101 said:
83-95? Are you trying to cook your snake?

It shouldn't be any hotter than 85 degrees anywhere on the glass.
Click to expand...
Sorry...that should have read "83-85", not 95...bad typing skills...
 
TriggerHappy101 said:
I guess I could apply the heat mat to the glass... I didn't really want to incase the heat mat ever dies It wont be as hard to replace.
Click to expand...
Instead of sticking it, fold a bathtowel to the shape of the viv and put it between whatever the viv is sitting on and the heat mat. The towel will hold the heat mat to the glass while also serving as insulation to keep the heat off the shelf. I ran several of them that way last winter and it worked great.
 
TriggerHappy101 said:
The only difference between the two heat mat types (Forest/desert) is that the desert will reach a higher temperature if unregulated by a thermostat. I got the desert because I figured it would be made better than the forest because it has to obtain higher temps.
Click to expand...
The difference is about 10* maximum operating temperature. The Desert heat mat maxes out at around 100*F and the Rainforest at around 90*F. This is the info I got from the Exo-Terra rep I deal with at work.

FWIW...My corns vivs get to around 93*F during the day without any additional heat source, due to ambient temps in my area(110* outside...). As long as a gradient is provided and a large enough water bowl for them to soak in and "cool down" as they need it, it *shouldn't* cause problems.

But as I said in one of my earlier posts, I think that you are concentrating too hard on one little thing...the temperatures that you mentioned at the heat mat are WELL within acceptable ranges for the warm side of the viv. I simply think that you are over-analyzing the situation. It really isn't that big of a deal...
 
I run my Exo-Terra UTH at 88 degrees on the glass...giving me a surface substrate temperature of 85 degrees. My cool side is spot on at 75 degrees via an Exo-Terra CHE. Roxanne seems to be perfectly happy with this set-up :)

Regards,
Steve
 
Like i said, the middle of the UTH was 87 degrees while one side is 78. Its as if half of the UTH isnt even working. (room temp is 75 degrees.) Thats a 9 degree difference. Rather drastic. Keep in mind these are MAX temps. Not the average.

However - that tile seems to have helped a bit.

The Blizzard is roaming around her viv right now! (just got her this morning!)

showthread.php


I can't wait to get home and see her (if she isnt hiding.)
 
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