heating questions from a paranoid new snake owner

[mazzy]

Hi! I'm just a newbie checking in with some questions. I've seen answers to similar questions posted here but I have some specific situations and I'm not sure what to do.

I purchased a ~3 month old corn on Saturday. I'm going crazy trying to work out the heating situation. I started out with a Repti-Therm under tank heater (my tank is 20 gallons so i got the 10-20 gallon size) and placed it under the tank (without sticking it to the tank). It felt way too hot so I bought a rheostat. Still pretty hot, even on the low setting. I currently have this set-up: table, towel, Repti-Therm, towel, tank. This is spelling fire hazard for me. Is it dangerous to rest the Repti-Therm directly on my table? Can I then put the plastic nubs that came with it on the bottom of the tank and simply place the tank over it?

I'm also not sure how to measure temperature. I'm using a few layers of paper towel as substrate. I have some stick-on thermometer strips placed near the bottom of the cage but they aren't reading as anything on either side. Or sometimes they'll read and sometimes they won't even if I haven't changed anything. I also have a round dial thermometer placed directly on top of the paper towel area over the heat pad. what should that read as? My snake likes to hang out under the paper towels and I don't want her getting burned.

I'm thinking of scrapping any attempt to use the Repti-Therm and picking up a T-Rex Cobra Heat Mat instead. Are those better?

Also, when should I feed her? I've read that it's best not to feed for a few days after the snake changes home. It's been three days now and I'm thinking of doing it tomorrow.

Thanks in advance for any advice. I get paranoid and I don't like having to juggle worrying about my snake getting burned and worrying about the heater catching on fire from all the towels. I love my snake already and I'm trying to keep us both as happy as possible.

Andrea

 

[CAV]

Let's see:

First off, don't worry so much. We tend to made this sound much harder than it really is.

Heat mats can in some cases get too hot. However, each unit is different so it is hard to determine how great the risk is for your individual mat. The reading that you are concerned with is the floor surface and in the center of the heated area. Temp range should ideally be between 81-84 F. With that said, most colubrids easily thrive below and above this range. Using the Rheostat should help ensure that the mat doesn't reach the danger area.

I like to wait at least a week before feeding a new addition. This gives them ample time to adjust to the new surroundings, temps and schedules. As with many aspects of husbandry, 7 days is only a general guideline and there is no right or wrong answer.

 

[babbaloo99]

Hi Mazzy. Many of us have had the same problems you are explaining. I don't think if you switch brands of heat mats that will solve it. I also agree that using the towels and stuff isn't probably safe either. Here is what a few people do. You can use the little spacers provided with the matts to elevate the tank above the matt. Similarly, some folks will take a piece of tile and stick the matt to the tile, place it under the tank and use spacers (i.e. bricks or otherwise) to get the tank the appropriate distance from the matt for the heat.

I got the Reptitherm 500 and put it on its lowest setting and that seems to be working just fine. Someone else here on the site praises the Big Apple Herp thermostat which will automatically control the temp of the heat matt for you but I think it runs about $100 (but is very reliable according to users).

I am currently using a Radio Shack digital thermostat to monitor temps on top of the substrate as well as the cool side of the tank so I know the temps are working fine. Try a search on thermostats or heat pad, UTH and you may find more information on how others are doing it and what gadgets they are using. Good luck!

 

[mazzy]

Let's see:

First off, don't worry so much. We tend to made this sound much harder than it really is.

*laugh* I gathered that. I'm glad I'm doing so much research but I do think it's made me a bit more paranoid.

Heat mats can in some cases get too hot. However, each unit is different so it is hard to determine how great the risk is for your individual mat. The reading that you are concerned with is the floor surface and in the center of the heated area. Temp range should ideally be between 81-84 F. With that said, most colubrids easily thrive below and above this range. Using the Rheostat should help ensure that the mat doesn't reach the danger area.

by floor surface do you mean on top of the paper towel substrate or directly on top of the glass? right now it's reading 90 F on top of the paper towels but I can lower the rheostat a bit. Before hooking up the rheostat the glass under my heat mat was almost too hot for me to touch! I turned it off, figuring the snake would be better in the mid 70s my apartment's at right now than that.

I like to wait at least a week before feeding a new addition. This gives them ample time to adjust to the new surroundings, temps and schedules. As with many aspects of husbandry, 7 days is only a general guideline and there is no right or wrong answer.

*nod* I'll wait a while longer then. I'm not sure when she was last fed at the store, but I gather snakes can go quite some time without needing to eat so I'd rather wait than freak her out even more.

Thanks so much! I truly appreciate the help.

 

[mazzy]

Hi Mazzy. Many of us have had the same problems you are explaining. I don't think if you switch brands of heat mats that will solve it. I also agree that using the towels and stuff isn't probably safe either. Here is what a few people do. You can use the little spacers provided with the matts to elevate the tank above the matt. Similarly, some folks will take a piece of tile and stick the matt to the tile, place it under the tank and use spacers (i.e. bricks or otherwise) to get the tank the appropriate distance from the matt for the heat.

Great. I'll try removing all of the towels, elevating the tank with the little spacers and seeing if i can get the right temp doing that. Will the mat be okay if placed directly on the table? I don't want to adhese it to the tank until I'm sure I won't need to move it again, and maybe not ever if I don't have to. I really can't afford the Big Apple thermostat right now, so I'll try to make do with what I have. I've been hearing about the Radio Shack digital thermostat and I think I'll grab one of those soon.

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[CAV]

by floor surface do you mean on top of the paper towel substrate or directly on top of the glass?

The towels are thin enough that it shouldn't be but a 1-2 degree difference. I'd recommend turning it down a few degrees. My entire snake room isn't even heated right now and night are in the 70s

 

[mazzy]

The towels are thin enough that it shouldn't be but a 1-2 degree difference. I'd recommend turning it down a few degrees. My entire snake room isn't even heated right now and night are in the 70s

Okay, I did all that. Hopefully the removal of the hand towel between the cage and the heater won't up the temp too much. I'll be keeping an eye on it. Thanks again.

 

[CornCrazy]

I put my heat mats on polypropylene cutting boards. I put the little spacers on the bottom of the cutting board and on the bottom of the tank...that way air can circulate through. I do not like using heat pads directly on anything that is made of wood.

 

[mazzy]

I put my heat mats on polypropylene cutting boards. I put the little spacers on the bottom of the cutting board and on the bottom of the tank...that way air can circulate through. I do not like using heat pads directly on anything that is made of wood.

thanks! i might try that. i have some air circulating with the set-up i'm using now but even at the lowest setting on the rheostat the repti therm heater is still clocking in at 89 degrees on top of the substrate. that seems like it might be a bit too hot. not sure what to do about it, though. those things are just super hot.

 

[CornCrazy]

Good luck! I hope you are able to get the temps right. Did you by any chance get a ZooMed rheostat? I have found that you can barely even have them on and the heat mats/tape are too hot. You may want to consider actually getting a thermostat. A fairly inexpensive one is the ESU reptile temperature controller. It is around $30 or so. Here is a link to some info on it: http://www.pet-care-supplies.com/petproducts/esu-reptile-electronic-temperature-controller.php

I forgot to mention that this thermostat cuts on and off to regulate the temp. If it gets too hot, it shuts down.

 

[mazzy]

Good luck! I hope you are able to get the temps right. Did you by any chance get a ZooMed rheostat? I have found that you can barely even have them on and the heat mats/tape are too hot. You may want to consider actually getting a thermostat. A fairly inexpensive one is the ESU reptile temperature controller. It is around $30 or so. Here is a link to some info on it: http://www.pet-care-supplies.com/petproducts/esu-reptile-electronic-temperature-controller.php

I forgot to mention that this thermostat cuts on and off to regulate the temp. If it gets too hot, it shuts down.

yup, i did indeed get the zoomed rheostat. thanks for the thermostat link. i think i'm going to have to pick one up, especially since the temp in my apartment can vary quite a bit. huh. it's odd to me that both the repti therm UTH and the zoomed rheostat run so warm. what kind of animals are they usually used for? i might tape down some extra layers of paper towel over the heater side of the tank until i can get the therm.

 

[Flygning]

Before you go out and buy something else, try attaching the under tank heater to the side of the viv. Someone told me this week that corns prefer heat from above (not sure I believe it), and that under tank heaters on the side of the tank will give a good temperature gradient. I plan on trying it out.

 

[CornCrazy]

Someone told me this week that corns prefer heat from above (not sure I believe it), and that under tank heaters on the side of the tank will give a good temperature gradient. I plan on trying it out.

I think you'd be wise not believing it. Corns need belly heat to properly digest their food. I know that some people use heat tape on the backs of their racks instead of on the bottoms. I tried it and had more regurges when I did. I am sure some people have no problem using this method, but I hated it!

Also, if she tried it, and it didn't work well for her, she would end up having to spend even more...for a new heater and a thermostat.

 

[meycom]

Side Heat

This brings up an interesting point though. The breeder we bought
our snake from uses heat tape and it is all along the back of
his snake racks. Most of them use plastic containers rather than
glass tanks and would probably have to shy away from using under
viv heating.
I'm setting up a new enclosure and would appreciate others thoughts.

Under or on the side ????

Jeff

 

[Jicin]

If you place it on the side it doesn't really provide a heating spot.

 

[CAV]

If you place it on the side it doesn't really provide a heating spot.

Simply not true. All of my racks were designed with rear heat. I usually have a 5-10 degree temp gradient from front to rear. I rarely if ever have regurges.