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is it safe to put the heatmat inside the viv?

A

amanda1234

New member
i have a C/B08 snow corn named kasey who i've had for 2 weeks tomorrow.'she' is gorgeous, feeding really well, drinking fine and handles like a dream. my problem is that i have my heat mat underneath the viv (its a wooden one) and the temps aren't quite getting high enough, about 27c at the warm end, cool end is fine. i was told i wouldn't need a thermostat when i bought her but have ordered one anyway and it should be here by the middle of next week. when it arrives, would it be safe for me to put the mat inside the viv?im really paranoid about kasey getting burnt but i dont want her to have digestive problems by not getting the warmth she needs. any advice would be much apprteciated-i want only the best for my baby :)

p.s the substrate is aspen, is not too thick and i have a digital thermometer
 
27 degrees Celsius is within a good range for a corn snake. There's no need to put the mat inside the tank, especially with a thermostat. It can cause burns and you really shouldn't do it. Also a quick question, does your thermometer have a probe or does it just attach to the side of the tank? That can change the measure of the temperatures a lot, and the probes are more reliable.
 
the stat hasn't arrived yet but i assume it has a probe, it's an exo terra one so i guess they have them. i'll leave it where it is and hope the stat regulates the temp, but if 27 celcius is ok, i guess im already there! Kasey seems to be doing ok so i must be doing something right. a few other people have told me to put the mat inside but i have been wary of doing it-im glad that someone else has confirmed what i thought so the mat is sooo staying where it is
thanks, amanda
 
Actually, I was wondering where your current thermometer is, the one that you measured the 27 degrees with.
 
my thermometer is on top of the aspen at the side of the viv and has a probe that goes next to the hideas thats where she spends most of her time when shes at that end
 
Ok, not to cause controversy but my heatmats are inside the vivs with thermostats. When spotlights are not used these are set (using a digital probe thermometer) to hit a maximum of 31 degrees. I have one small hole drilled at the back of the viv where the heatmat and thermostat probe go through. The heatmat is taped down with thick silver duct tape (which is replaced every time the viv is cleaned) with the thermostat probe taped to the centre of the heatmat. The thermometer should measure the hottest point possible (the middle of the heatmat, underneath the aspen).

Hope this helps.
 
If you do put a heatmat inside the viv, you can put a linoleum tile over top of it so there is no direct contact between the snake and the heatmat. Make sure though the temp of the heat mat is controlled so there is no risk of causing burns.
 
I use thermostat-controlled heatmats inside a couple of my vivariums. It isn't ideal, but I've made it work over the years. The key points are:

1) Use a thermostat, as unregulated heatmats reach 120 degrees, which is dangerous for the snake. I also use heatmats outside and underneath wooden vivs wherever possible (preferable to having them inside the viv), and the floor of the viv inside still gets well over 100 degrees when the stat is disconnected. You need to be measuring the hottest part of the floor that the Corn can reach - they will burrow, so measure the temp on the floor, underneath the substrate, immediately above the position of the mat.

2) Prevent the Corns from coming into direct contact with the mat. I do this by using a layer of loose ceramic wall tiles over each mat. They're too heavy to be easily moved by the snakes and they're washable come cleaning day.

3) Provide additional shielding at the point where the power cable goes into the mat. It's vital that this doesn't get wet as this will cause an electrical short. Not only will it give your Corn an electric shock that could prove fatal (although I've never heard of it happening, it's a risk), but it could start a fire. Corns don't know they shouldn't poop in some places!

4) Whatever you cover the mat with, make sure that some kind of airflow can reach the surface of the mat. This helps prevent overheating. The wall tiles I use are ideal, as the back surface is grooved to allow the adhesive to hold to them when used for their proper purpose!
 
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