Rubbermaid heating !!

Hi guys!
I want to keep a normal Ball python in a Rubbermaid container... i was wondering what is the best heating options...

My questions:
1. I have her in a Rubbermaid #2221 - what heating mat/pad should i use?
2. Is it mandatory to have a thermostat ? If yes, any recommendations?
3. How should the set up be? As in, do i need some space between the heat mat and the bottom of the container? Etc...

pls help
thanks

no responses yet!!

This isn't a chat room, it takes a few minutes. And you asked a lot of questions so it may take a lot of typing to respond. Unfortunately I have no experience with this so I can't help, but be patient!

Oh no worries...i was just testing my signature ...lol

Well I don’t know the answer either but I’ll give you an answer. I’ve never done it this way so I’m just telling you what I think you should do.

The heat mat should be of a size that will cover about ¼ of the Rubbermaid. I use the same Rubbermaids in all of my racks so I do know something about them. I think the heat mat should go right against the Rubbermaid. You are not going to get hot enough to melt the plastic so I see no reason for an airspace that will make the transfer of heat more difficult.

You can put a lot of money in a thermostat. If you buy a cheap one you can throw it a way in a few weeks and put a lot of money in a good one. That said, I don’t know if you really need one. The heat mats are supposed to stay in herp friendly temperatures. I think they probably do. I think more important than a thermostat is going to be a good thermometer that has a probe on it. You will want to put the probe right over the heat mat and bury it in the substrate. As long as your max temperature does not go over 85 to 90* F. you’re golden.

Good luck and have fun.

What is a #2221? If the length of the long and short sides of the container added together are longer than your snake, then you should be fine. You will probably need some sort of temp control. You can use either a thermostat (which is a rheostat coupled with a thermometer) which will automatically keep your mats at the right temp. Or you can use a rheostat (like a lamp dimmer), but you will have to adjust the rheostat regularly to keep it at the optimal temp. You should not need anything between the bottom of the container and your UTH. Also, make sure that your heat mat only covers about 1/3 or so of the enclosure so that your snake can cool down if she wants.

thts awesome..thanks for your response Daenerys..
i will just wait for a devil's advocate here otherwise thats super motivating... do you think an exo terra UTH should be fine?? just without any thermostat?

#2221 is a type or rubbermaid... but thermostat is the question here... its expensive and i am not sure if i want to buy one right now...unless it is mandatory...

do you guys think i can try the mat first and if it gets super hot i can buy a thermostat?
and if i want to try the UTH is it ok if i just monitor it for an hour or two to see the optimal heating temp??

and should i leaving the heating mat one all day if it works fine??
sorry guys... i know am asking too many questions

depends on heat mats. ive had them plugged in uncontrolled to see how hot they get and they get well above 100f. so id control it someway. maybe a cheap light dimmer would do your trick. then someday when you get more balls you can get a rack and a good thermostat. and by balls i mean pythons. dirty minded people. but i would definitely not leave it uncontrolled. its running a high risk. there.

Its not completely mandatory I dont think. They are just really convenient. If you dont want to invest in one now then I would go with what wade said, get a thermometer with a probe and monitor the temps.

If your handy and/or have someone who u trust with wires you can make a rheostat. I've made several using this tutorial here http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19168, in the DIY section, Grand total is like 7 bux, cheaper if u allready have the faceplates (i do) and the extention cords you can hack up.

I forgot to mention that you will get lots of answers for lots of people. Of course the one I gave you is the correct one but you will need to decide for yourself.

If it were I, I would buy a good thermometer with a probe. I would use the UTH and monitor the temperature buried in the substrate right above the heater. If it checks out for a day or so I'd say you are good. But I would check it out frequently until you feel it is safe. You need a good thermometer anyway. You may or may not need a thermostat. The way most people measure the temperature and wire up the thermostat it wouldn't matter anyway.