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T O P I C    R E V I E W
headlow Posted - 16/05/2009 : 11:43:35
Hello there.

My milk snake is housed in a 3 foot viv, and heat is provided via a heat lamp. During the day whilst the light is on there is no problem in maintaining the correct heat levels.

I am having problems at night though. The snake is kept in my room, which is a converted attic. The problem is that there is no central heating up there. I've found that with my electric heater on I can maintain the correct heat, but without it the temp in the viv drops to slightly below 60.
Keeping my room heater on is not an option as it costs a lot to run, plus at this time of the year the room gets to warm for me.

I have purchased a Habistat heat mat, and mat stat to heat the viv at night. I'm now having a dilemma about the placement of the mat. It is a wooden viv so the mat has to go inside. The instructions say it can go on the ceiling, on the floor or on the back wall. The ceiling is not an option because of the heat lamp, and if I put it on the back wall it'll cover one of the air vents. I'm also somewhat reluctant to position the mat on the floor as I don't want any harm to come to the snake.
I am thinking about installing the mat against the side wall at the hot end of the viv. Is this appropriate, and will it provide sufficient night time temperature?

Here's a pic of the viv in question.....


Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks,

Justin
15   L A T E S T    R E P L I E S    (Newest First)
magneticblue Posted - 20/05/2009 : 17:32:24
One at each end is the best way
Gingerpony Posted - 19/05/2009 : 20:13:44
in my vivs i have the warm end probe on top of the substrate above the heatmat, and the cool end probe anywhere in the cool end
headlow Posted - 19/05/2009 : 19:15:22
I received two digital thermometers in the post today. Where would be the best place to position the sensors at both the hot and cold area of the viv?
Tizzy Posted - 18/05/2009 : 21:43:05
Well if your sure you don't want to keep hold of it then i'll have it off you, let me know what you think the P+P will be and i can either use paypal or sick a cheque in the post to you.
Felicitycornish@hotmail.com
Gingerpony Posted - 18/05/2009 : 20:10:30
it's only an AquaLine on/off stat, as new condition, i've had it in my herp box as my 'emergency stat' in case of a failure.
i've actually only just got it out of the box and used it this week as i thought i was having trouble balancing out temps with running 4 vivs off one stat, so put the two vivs that seemingly weren't getting up to temp on their own stat......................... turns out it's the digi thermometer that's faulty!! so all 4 vivs were running the right temps off the one Habistat! (quite a balancing act mind you!)
Tizzy Posted - 18/05/2009 : 18:04:04
quote:
Originally posted by serpentsseven

you can have one of mine for £10 plus P&P!!!



£10 + p&p, bargin, I'm interested at that price for my spare viv, especally as i may need it soon for a certain anery stripe corn. What stats have you got going spare GP?
CharlieD Posted - 18/05/2009 : 14:17:29
Sounds good, I might take you up on that when i move Cleo to a bigger Viv. Cheers.
Gingerpony Posted - 18/05/2009 : 13:55:36
quote:
Originally posted by CharlieD

Surely a snake has enough sense to know when it is getting too hot and move!!!
they probably would, but by that time they could have been burned as they don't feel things through their scales like we do with our thin skin!!

as jono said, just get a stat, you can have one of mine for £10 plus P&P!!!
jono2411 Posted - 18/05/2009 : 13:20:35
An unregulated heatmatt can get to around 40C... a thermostat is ESSENTIAL!!!
CharlieD Posted - 18/05/2009 : 10:57:53
Hey guys, I thought that the heat mats were specifically designed to not got too hot to hurt the snakes.. I was going to just move my heat mat from under my little viv to inside the big one when Cleo out grows her baby viv. Surely a snake has enough sense to know when it is getting too hot and move!!! They'd have to do this in the wild..
lee2308 Posted - 17/05/2009 : 00:18:27
the point of i/red lights is that the snake cant see infra red so the can stay on.I would go with just the mat now and do away with the light altogether or it could be difficult to controll temps with both on.Oh and get yourself a digital thermostat as the dial ones are no good and thermometers should be on the floor abouve the heatmat
snow Posted - 16/05/2009 : 21:35:41
my new king not fed for bout 2weeks but been told not to worry have u tried making mouse bleed,
headlow Posted - 16/05/2009 : 20:33:45
Yeah I think it is an infrared light. The shop I bought the snake and viv from told me to only have the light on for 12 hours a day. I'm new to all this as well, so I'm just trying to learn what I can when I can. From a personal point of view I'd rather not leave the light on all the time because as soon as the light goes out Colin knows its time to come out and play.

The heat mat was installed today with a stat. I don't really see any problems. It's taped down extremely well, and is set at a relatively low heat.

Now it's time to focus on the problem of him not having fed since I took him into my care!
lee2308 Posted - 16/05/2009 : 19:17:30
Is that a infra red bulb you have,if it is you dont need a another mat as you can leave the i/r running 24/7 as long as it is on a dimming stat
magneticblue Posted - 16/05/2009 : 18:41:14
I agree with both of the above

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