Heating

What's everyones thoughts on heating? What works best heat matts, cemerics or ir bulbs?

I suppose it depends on what for really, most people say for larger, heavier snakes like burms and boas the best is ceramics. And then for small species heatmats and/or heat bulbs.
I prefer Heatmats but i only have royals and a corn so i can't give any personal feedback on the 'ceramics for larger snakes' bit.
When the time comes that all of my snakes are in wooden vivs i'll be using heatmats and a ceramic bulb all statted of course

For small / young snakes I use heat mats only as using ceramics and / or bulbs in their enclosures would result in overheating.

For adult snakes I use a combination. IMO this is important as snakes and other reptiles will utilise heat from the sun / above to bask, and heat stored in the ground / rocks also. I peovide heat mats always, as it gives belly heat which is essential for digestion. During the day I also use ceramics / bulbs / tubes to provide additional / basking heat. This mimics conditions in the wild - i.e. more heat by day to allow basking. As a result, my snakes show a predictable daily routine - they come out to bask in the morning, go to a cool area until night-time and then come out to roam and hunt.

I take it the heat sources are on the same side of the tank with two stats and probs in the same position, both on at the same temps?

i use heat mats for the tubs i have inside in my room and ceramics for the big melamine vivs out in the shed.

Yeah, all heat sources are at the same side of the viv and the ceramics and heat mats are statted separately.

Positioning of the stat probe is important - I always place it where the animal will be resting / basking. I place one probe on the heat mat (on a piece that the snake cannot cover with its body - careful hide placement allows me to do this) and the other directly beneath the ceramic, next to a fork in a branch where the snake will bask.

I only use heat mats because my tanks are shallow but for bigger enclosures ceramics would have to used to get a nice air temp for climbing snakes.

would there not be a chance of the viv overheating Karl? i suppose if one fails u have the other. iv never had a heat mat go on me but the ir bulbs i use go from timeto time

it won't over heat if you have both the heatmat and ceramic on a thermostats, if it starts to get too warm they will turn off, of course thats where careful placement of your probes as well.

i've had 2 heat mats and a thermostat go on me in the last year, one actually scared me as it had a hole melted into it about the size of a pound coin, my own fault really as i had taken the chance of not using a thermostat, luckilly enough the snake wasn't harmed, i'm a lot more careful now. The other heat mat just stopped heating up, the same thing happened when the thermostat went.

Pulse stats are definitely better for ceramics as well.
Does anyone use pulse stats on heat mats ?

mine are all on/off stats on the heat mats, the ones built in to the AHS heaters is a pulse proportional stat.

I use only Habistat stats and have never had one fail on me, nor a heat mat or ceramic *touch wood*

If the warm side ever did get too warm for the snake, it can move to the cool end and theres no risk of the whole viv overheating as theres plenty of ventilation too.

morelia wrote:I use only Habistat stats and have never had one fail on me, nor a heat mat or ceramic *touch wood*

If the warm side ever did get too warm for the snake, it can move to the cool end and theres no risk of the whole viv overheating as theres plenty of ventilation too.

I bought all habistat stats at the start, the one that actually was a cheaper make I bought and it only lasted about 6 months. I've stuck with habistat ever since.