Heating advice please

[Horsfield]

I am setting up a new viv for my frogs, and I am thinking of using some cork bark for background, possibly setting up a waterfall etc too.

What is the best way to heat it?

I currently use a heat mat on the side of the viv, but if I was to use cork bark I am worried the heat won't get through.

What do you lot use?

If the house was warmer I doubt I would need anything, but it isn't.

[keeno]

i dont know much about heating vivs but what about using a heat bulb attached to a thermostat???

[ghastly152]

A heat bulb for dart frogs isnt great idea.

Some people use an aquarium heater in their water area. You can also buy water proof heatmats that can be placed inside the vivarium, or simply place an ordinary heatmat underneath the viv if theres space.

[ilovetoads2]

It depends on how much heat you are trying to achieve. I have a 60 x 60 for RETFs and use an exo terra canopy with one 5.0 day bulb and two blue night glo bulbs...all are on all day and the blue are on at night and then I urn them off when I go to bed to allow for further temp drop...they heat my tank by 5 degrees...or 3 with just the blues...takes the tank up to 27-28 degrees...I do have a heat matt but have only had to use it once, because the window was left open...hope this helps..most darts do not require very high temps anyway and these are not basking bulbs...should do the trick.

[jennlovesfrogs]

I do the same as lovetoads does. don't use any heating other than bulbs 1 2% and 1 5% in my darts tank, heats it to 25-27'c perfectly! dropping at night. you could always put a mat stat on if you are worried about too much heat.
I use the same in my RETF's tank and put a little heat on through a heat mat on a mat stat to get the temp up another degree, and that's it!
my whites has a little bit more, 3 heat mats and the bulbs, but they like to be around 29-30'c in the day.

[Horsfield]

Thanks for your help. I struggle to get 20c out of my tree frog viv on a cold day and that is with 2.0 and 5.0 bulb and have to run a heat mat on a stat. I was just concerned as I am planing on putting Coco backgrounds on the back and sides with a false bottom to make a sump for the filter.

[knighty]

I was not aware that U.Vs gave of that much heat. I am using a low wattage heat mat under my new RETF viv and i have U.V any ways as im using live plants.

Remember different houses will require different amounts of help to get the temps up. with summer coming most houses should be ok, but come the winter, if you have a cold house then you may need to provide a larger heat source than other people. As long as you get the required temperature then how you achieve it has many options.

[Frosch828]

can't you use a heat mat on the bottom, as long as they don't burrow a lot?
if not you can get lights that do the trick...

[jennlovesfrogs]

this would depend on the depth of substrate. and yeh species of frog!

[Frosch828]

mmmm...thought so.
i know you can't do this with peacock tree frogs due to there love for burrowing.
but others i know don't mind heat mats on the bottom of the enclosure.