Under Tank Heat Pad or Heat Lamp- which is best

I wish for once, we could all agree for once, what is best for snakes....a UTH or a heat lamp???? Which is it? One person says one thing and another says something else. When I see a snake on TV sunning him or herself, I think he's not there to get a suntan, but to get the warmth from the rock or log he's laying on. For once, which is best for corn snakes and ball pythons? At work they say the reason that snakes need the heat lamp is due to the air in the house being cold and it needs to warm it up.. I have already bought and returned (twice) a heat lamp as one person says it's better and then next thing another says you don't need it.

Please. Will someone tell me for once, what I should be doing for the heat in my snakes vivs and tub? I have each snake tank or viv with a UTH hooked up to a light dimmer switch and they each all have digital temp probes so I can regulate the warm side in each of their habitats. Now for the BP, do I need a heat lamp too? What about the corns? I am tired of buying stuff and taking it back.....

As far as I know, regulated UTH's are generally preferred, especially when giving advice to a new snake owner. There are a lot of threads detailing the reasons why (belly heat for digestion, no need for extra light, etc) plus UTHs are easier in rack systems, where you can't really use lights.

That said, I have seen many who successfully use lamps. There are additional...I don't want to say risks, but additional issues that you need to be aware of using lamps: they can be a fire hazard, there is reduced humidity in the tanks, etc., which need to be accounted for if using a lamp. It is sometimes easier for a novice keeper to just go with a regulated UTH rather than a lamp.

I personally use a UTH because our ambient house temperature is far too cold in the winter for our snakes' safety, and I wouldn't want a lamp on 24/7. Plus, our house tends to be very dry, so humidity is an extra issue.

The most important consideration for any type of heat is that you a) have a temperature gradient (warm side and cool side) and b) that the heat is regulated to a safe level for your animals. And as mentioned in your other thread, there are some who don't use either method, preferring to keep the ambient room temperature at a comfortable level for their animals.

Some people have a marked preference for one heating method over another, but neither is inherently wrong. It is what fits your situation the best and what is safest for your animals.

Using a UTH alone is fine. It sounds like you already have the ideal set up, so I wouldn't change a thing. Some people may prefer to use heat lamps, but I personally think it's better to use a UTH.

There is no, "for once". Corn snakes do need belly heat to digest. Therefore, one would say a UTH. But (for example), if a person lives in a really cold zone and doesn't use much furnace heat and the house is 45F all year, then doesn't it make sense that such a cold ambient air temp might affect the snake, too? So in some cases there may be a need for external heat...just my opinion, that there's no "one answer".

As I stated in your other thread, either will work, but of those two, UTH would be better, in general. But, as Tina mentioned, there are cases where a heat lamp would be benefitial.
Heat is heat, & again, like I mentioned before, I know people who successfully use heat on the back of the bins, as well as just ambient temps warm enough for digestion.
They need heat to digest, whether it is under the tank/bin, on the back side of it, or ambient air temps.

The best advice would be to suggest getting Kathy Loves or Don Sodabergs book and gleaning ideas from those. Maybe coming to this website and gleaning information.
There will be no one answer for reasons mentioned above, also just possibly because people re-hash the questions of heat, co-habbing, food size over and over again. With each new thread started there will be new opionions and without research by the person asking the questions there wll be a constant state of confusion, questions and frequently the person giving advice doesn't know anymore then the person asking the question.

SnakeKiss247 said:

I wish for once, we could all agree for once, what is best for snakes....a UTH or a heat lamp???? Which is it? One person says one thing and another says something else. .

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No offense to whoever was advising using a heat lamp, but I'm going to guess that people who advise to use a heat lamp are people who don't necessarily have experience with corns. Remember, all you need to post on this site is an email adress!

UTH is the general consensus on this site, and is what is recommended in both of the major books about Corn Snakes that are out there.

Some people may have personal reasons for using a heat lamp (as Toxiclight mentioned), or for display, but heat lamps are not required for good husbandry. That's it.

As a final note, corns aren't huge fans of light, and I'd be willing to bet a heat lamp would get you an overly hot snake whom you never see.

Under Tank Heat Pad or Heat Lamp- which is best

Maybe you ask what are the pros and cons of each and come to your own conclusion.

I have found out that there is a general consensus among members here about cohab, feeding live verses f/t, heating and substrate. And due to corns being a hardy species they survive many other conditions. But when I read of all the "pro" that the "general consensus" state. I usually agree with them. They seem to follow my way of thinking, which is common sense and the KISS theory. I know it seem confusing maybe because of all the different species of snake information get linked together sometimes.
And what work well for a pet owner isn't going to work well for the breeder and vice and versa. For example, when feeding, I like to fed in a separate bin. This give me time to clean the viv, examine the snake and give him more handling time. But I only have four snakes. I couldn't do that if I had a hundred snakes.. So when researching information you have to figure what works best for your snake and setup.

Thanks for all the opinions....

Either will work. Both have pros and cons. And both have risks.

Risks: Light:
Lights have been known to sometimes explode raining down fine glass (rare)
If snake can get close enough, may burn snake
Shorter life span

UTH:
Controller may malfunction, burning snake
may short causing fire (rare)

Pros: Light
Heats surface area plus air

UTH:
Easier to regulate (thermostat)
can be used in racks as well vivs
Heats from bottom up so aids digestion more efficiently
does not have as large an effect in lowering humidity in viv

Cons: Light
Lowers humidity in viv
not as efficient in aiding digestion
harder to use in racks
needs timer to turn off/on for cycling
UTH:
needs controller (rheostat or thermostat)
does not efficiently heat air in viv

If anyone else can think of something to add feel free. But I think that covers a good majority off them.

Thanks Smallet for finally giving me some straight answers... This is what I was looking for. Our house is really cool, should we use both the UTH and the heat lamp together? We are up here in New Brunswick, so it's still cool here. I am thinking that maybe due to it being cool in the house I should be useing heating lamps too, just to warm up the tanks until the warmer weather gets here.

I would love some feedback on this issue as I just want to make sure all the snakes are warm enough. If anyone out there has some suggestions, please let me know...

Appreciate all the help in this issue of heat for the snakes. We have two Corns and a baby Ball Python.

Remember your BP will need a temp between 85-90 being closer to 90. It is cooler in my house but the UTH still gets the surface temp to 85 with no issues and the air temp is around 80 on the hot side. The cool side will dip sometimes to 65, but usually stays around the 70 mark. But I use racks for mine so they hold the heat better than a tank. Also they hold humidity better as well. And as I live in Northern Alberta it does get quite dry here. So I mist my racks in the winter. It seems to work out as I don't have any problems with digestion or with shedding with boas, bps or corns. And my Uros love the dry temps.

Where in Alberta? We used to live in Cold Lake, the Air Force Base.

For Monica, the baby BP, I put her in a tub and made her small hides from plastic bowls I got at the dollar store, got 4 for $1. She is much happier in her tub. Thinking I may change all my snakes over to tubs. If I do, I will sell Ari's new viv I built for him. Do you have any pictures of your rack? We don't have that flexwire here, but I have seen heat wire at the pet store and I am using heating pads for the snakes. I think I could make it work. I have Monica on a wire rack I got when they were on sale at Canadian Tire a few yeas ago. It works great as the air can go underneath. I have a locking sterilite container for her and also use two bungy cords I got from the dollar store to make sure it's really secure. I could do the same for Buddy, but for Ari, these racks are too small for a tub for him. I will look around and see if I can find bigger wire racks or probably build my own... It would definitely take up less room for my snakes as Ari's cage is quite big as it's 4 ft by 2 feet by 18 inches high.



I am sure someone would be interested in buying it, if I decide to sell it....

What size of tub would I need for Ari as he's 4 1/2 feet long? I gather tubs hold the heat better than aquariums too don't they? Seems like a lot of people use them to house their snakes...

I use both.

I probably don't NEED the heat lamp - but it adds to my comfort level so I have it.

I live in MN. The air temp in my house is, on average, 65. Even in the middle of summer it doesn't get much higher than 70. So even though we have a UTH which keeps the undertank nice and warm for her belly - I just feel like the air is too chilly. PLUS I want to coax her out of hiding, so maybe if the air temp is a little warm too she'll be more likely?!?

I don't know - I'm not a snake expert. I DO know that for corns, the UTH is one of those "pretty much a necessity" items. The heat lamp is not considered ideal alone, but for those like me that either live in a cool air climate or just those, like me, who are flippin' paranoid - wont hurt providing you follow "heat lamp safety rules". I don't keep mine ON the top, its on a stand. I have a low wattage day light and a red night bulb, etc...

Did this answer any question or create a "Standard" answer?!? ha. Probably not. Just my 2 cents on why, even thought the UTH is considered enough and correct for corns - the heat lamp isn't always a No-No.

SnakeKiss247 said:

I am sure someone would be interested in buying it, if I decide to sell it....

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I'd be all over that if I lived by you. That's a super pretty tank.

I live by Lac La Biche. But I work for an oil company in the Bombing range north of Cold Lake. I will get pictures of the racks I have and post them when I get home next. I sent you a pm as to where I got them, although in the pm it was for something else. But a 31 qt tub is large enough for an adult corn. Peekaboo (Ultramel Motley het diffused caramel stripe) is over 5 ft and she fits in those quite well. But I do handle all my snakes when they are available.

smallet's reply brings up another point, (which I think Eric mentioned in the other thread).
There are different types of heat lamps as well. When I say heat lamp, I am referring to the ceramic heat lamps, not the heat lamp/lights.
There is an old thread on here, that was recently brought back up, that shows burns to a snake (two actually) that are from the desert heat light/lamps.
I (personally) would not use a light style lamp, but I have used the ceramic heat lamps, which do not emit any light, only heat.

You asked which is best...well that depends on the situation, as many have told you. *In general* the UTH is the choice to go with (regulated with a thermostat, of course), but like I have (& other have said) it's not the only way to successfully house your Corns. I know a breeder who has only back heat...no UTH & he has been doing so for years.

Several people have stated that there is no *one* way to do it...gather all of the information, & figure out what works best for you.

To address SnakeKiss257's original question of why answers vary on this, if that's regarding snakes in general, I'd think it's simply because snake species don't all behave the same way. As I understand it, nocturnal or crepuscular snakes like corn snakes don't sun themselves for warmth as diurnal snakes do. Corn snakes seek warmth from the ground around them. So a heat mat more closely reproduces their preferred method, as long as the thermostat works right. . Not sure how accurate this is, but it seems to make sense.

That said, I'm a brand new corn snake owner with a 30 inch female freshly installed in a 40 gallon terrarium and I'm entirely unconvinced that the heat light over the tank is reaching the bottom of the tank with anything close to the temperatures I'm told corn snakes need. I just checked and it's maybe in the mid-70s in that end of the tank and that's before the house's night chill has set in. I can't see any radiant heat from the black light bulb reaching her in her resin boulder cave, either. Tomorrow I go buy a heat mat. I just hope she's not too uncomfortable tonight. I've draped the cage with towels to hold the heat in as much as possible.

I agree with Maizi and don't believe the heat lamp/ceramic heat will heat the bottom of the tank.
That said, I use a regulated heat mat year round underneath his hide. In the summer I use a ceramic heat bulb at night. In the winter, I add a red heat lamp during the day.

Thanks, DeuceRon! Just one question - the instructions for my heat mat said not to put the hide over it (in my case, a resin boulder) because heat could build up too much in there. Not a problem?

Also, the heat lamp seems to heat the boulder. I find her inside draped around the edge of the boulder as though pressing against it. Maybe I should just move the boulder over the mat?