Intellitemp Heat Mat

[Shorty6]

I forgot who is was on this site ( mi dispiace ) that recommended this style of heat mat:

http://www.bigappleherp.com/Intellitemp-Reptile-Heat-Mats?sc=2&category=14

I am building a wooden tank this summer and wanted some opinions on how well these work. I wanted something I can just put right inside the tank without the risk of burning. ( Yes of course I have a rheostat )

How is air going to circulate so the mat doesn't overheat? I know most UTHs need to have some air circulation. And how safe are these mats?

 

[Susielea]

These are the mats that I use inside wooden (melamine) tanks, and I place a ceramic tile or tiles (floor/wall tiles), over the mat which distributes the heat better and stops my snakes actually laying on the mat Of course I use a thermostat as well I haven't got any experience with the ones you linked, sorry :shrugs:

http://www.beanfarm.com/store/agora...E7nB7&product=Heating&user4=Undertank Heaters

Hope that helps a bit

 

[Shorty6]

Wouldn't putting ceramic tiles on top of the heat mat really lower the amount of heat that's actually getting to the snake?

Do you have a picture of your tank by chance?

 

[Susielea]

Sorry no pics at the moment, but my mats (the Ultratherm ones) heat what they touch, they feel warm when you touch them with your hand, but then start to feel cooler almost immediately. But if you place a tile on them, they heat the tile, or if you use tubs, they heat the bottom of the tub.

I know lots of people over here in the UK that don't even put a tile over them, just a thin layer of substrate and a hide, with the digital thermometer probe under the hide, under the substrate, on the mat and they've had no problems :shrugs:

You could always create a false bottom to your viv, with a layer of coated hardboard, and place the mat in between the two, that way it would heat the false bottom, which you would check the temp of and adjust the stat acccordingly, as that would be the hottest place your snake could get to

Actually here's a pic of a tank just like mine, except that the bottom plinth, below the sliding glass doors on mine, is glass. The long white strip you see on the back of the viv in the pic, is a full length ventilation strip, made of plastic with tiny holes in, and mine are fixed on the outside of the viv, not inside, to prevent rubbing on the edge by the snake.

Hope that's helped and I've not confused you

 

[freetv-5]

I would be less concerned about having a tile or not with the heater inside viv as you should be measuring and controlling the heat. Water contacting the pad and an electrocution accident would be my worry! Why not cut a hole in bottom of viv and epoxy then silicone a tile in place and put mat under tank? Or mat under and drill holes in bottom but leave air space and room for liquids to drain so theres no possible contact between electricity and snake?
Bill

 

[Shorty6]

I would be less concerned about having a tile or not with the heater inside viv as you should be measuring and controlling the heat. Water contacting the pad and an electrocution accident would be my worry! Why not cut a hole in bottom of viv and epoxy then silicone a tile in place and put mat under tank? Or mat under and drill holes in bottom but leave air space and room for liquids to drain so theres no possible contact between electricity and snake?
Bill

On the discription on the mat it says "Permanently sealed into a 1/8" thick heavy duty plastic shield creating a waterproof design."

I'm not too worried about electrocution. That and the fact that someone on this site just puts in right in the tank.