Heating pad!

[Okeetee_Corn_Snakes]

I need to know if its bad to have a heating pad placed on the bottom of my tank ...My substrate is dustless bark peices and is piled up about 1 1/2'' off the bottom of the tank....I am worried that if he digs and lays against the glass he'll get burned....Can anyone help me?

 

[Okeetee_Corn_Snakes]

I might also add that its an 10 gal aquarium and not a terarrium....

 

[bribrian]

Best to get a thermostat, that way you can regulate the temp & no burned snakey........

 

[sbourget]

Also, I'm not clear on which you're using, but a under tank heater (UTH) designed for reptiles is much better and safer than a heating pad intended for humans, due to a more even temprature distribution, as well as being in the proper range for a snake.

I'd also recommend getting a thermometer with a remote probe so you can easily measure the temps in the tank.

 

[Okeetee_Corn_Snakes]

Yea..its an UTH that I am using and its a smaller one...I just don't know whats the right heat for my little guy..its quite warm to the touch...but I could be paranoid...

 

[Okeetee_Corn_Snakes]

a little off the topic....but how high is the humidity supposed to be at?

 

[CarloS01]

Just setting this up myself right now on a glass vivarium

Shop man said 88 degrees C. I was recommended to get a thermostat so I dis (£26)

My only delemma at mo is do I put the pad inside or ourside of the glass.. Trying on the outside at mo.. Lets see if it will give me 88 or not

 

[bribrian]

Definately get a thermometer (couple of dollars) as soon as possible as you don't want to fry the little blighter & place it on the glass above the UTH. Keep temp around the 84 degree mark on this hot side..
CarloS01 on the glass viv keep UTH on the outside & raise the viv up slightly off the UTH so it won't crack the glass with the heat.. :cheers:

 

[kimbyra]

Never put a uth on the inside.

What I do is put one sheet of newsprint (drawing paper) over the glass on the inside, and then put substrate on top of that, so if he burrows, then he wont get burned. I do need to get a thermometer though to see if this is warm enough...

 

[mulks]

Yea..its an UTH that I am using and its a smaller one...I just don't know whats the right heat for my little guy..its quite warm to the touch...but I could be paranoid...

If its warm to the touch, than its probably too hot for your snake. I would get a thermostat and that should put to rest any worries you may have.

-Tony

 

[PtDnsr]

Shop man said 88 degrees C

I'm hoping you meant to type 88 degrees F (88 Celsius would be around 190 F). To me, that is even a little bit towards the high end. I try to keep the cool end in the low-mid 70s and the warm end in the low 80s.

~Katie

 

[CarloS01]

LOL yes F not C
Any way.. got the pad under the glass, which is infact slightly raised.. Been monitoring it with a probe inside and alls well .. Got it about 30..
Finished the viv.. Ill get a pic up tomorrow

 

[CarloS01]

Posted it in another thread of mine

http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?p=238212&posted=1#post238212

 

[Rorryy]

I posted in the thread mentioned above what I do with tiles over the UTH. I hope it helps.

Angela

 

[CarloS01]

Just one more question
Ive got my probe on the glass (inside). This is where I am monitoring the 30C setpoint. Is that correct or should i set it a bit higher cause of the chippings

 

[SnakeCreations]

Hi!

I gotta say, having a thermo with a probe has really set my mind to rest. I picked it up at Walmart for under 10 bucks and spent the evening playing with warm sides, cool sides and different types of substrate. You cannot believe the difference that the substrate can make in temps, 30 degrees or so... even the zoo med mats vary.... it's crazy. Now that the kids are straegically placed I can spend my time doing something better than worrying... woo hoo!

Tonya

 

[bribrian]

Just one more question
Ive got my probe on the glass (inside). This is where I am monitoring the 30C setpoint. Is that correct or should i set it a bit higher cause of the chippings

Thats where i would put it, your 30 degrees will then be the hottest point that the snake can touch when it burrows in the substrate.... :santa:

 

[Okeetee_Corn_Snakes]

Oh my goodness! I just got the probe thermometer and played around testing things....here are my readings...

Water in bowl - 80.1 F

Heating pad - 115.3 F
(probe placed on glass above heater)

Air on warm side of tank - 88.0 F
(placed in middle of tank under heat lamp)

Above substrate on warm side - 92.2 F

Air on cool side - 74.8 F - 78.2 F

Too hot on warm side eh?
I have both a heat lamp and a UTH in a 10 gal.

 

[PtDnsr]

Take the light off and only use the UTH. If that's too hot, try only the light. This is just until you can get something to control the temperature with.

~Katie