Heating Help

[Hubcapbuster]

Hi, i'm away to move my two corns into my first vivarium 36"x18"x21". Don't want to use a heat mat -scared of overheating. Thinking about using an Exo-Terra heat glo spot lamp or a Zoo Med Nocturnal infrared spot.
Are the above ok for use with corns & which wattage of bulb would i require + accessories ? or any other better suggestions.

Would greatly appreciate advice, as i have been pondering over this for the last couple of months.

[markandwend]

Whats wrong with a heat mat? They cant overhet if used correctly with a stat!
Are you putting them in together?

[Hubcapbuster]

Had a bad experience with one where the stat packed in, this luckily was under a Contico box so no damage was done.
Yes the plan is to house them together then feed individualy in the Conticos. At present they are in sperate Contico boxes.

[markandwend]

Originally Posted by Hubcapbuster

Had a bad experience with one where the stat packed in, this luckily was under a Contico box so no damage was done.
Yes the plan is to house them together then feed individualy in the Conticos. At present they are in sperate Contico boxes.

Id suggest that you look in the snake sections as to why not to house snakes together, the top and bottom of doing that is would you be happy to come downstairs one morning and have 2 dead snakes because ones eaten the other!

Im sorry if this sounds harsh but it can and does happen!

[Hubcapbuster]

Ok i'm convinced i will now have to buy two vivs. Still don't want to use heat mats what are the alternatives ?

[snickers]

If you aren't happy with running a heatmat on a stat, there is no real alternative. You could run a light or a ceramic on a stat but you end up with the same problem. But a ceramic overheating will be far more dramatic than a heatmat overheating.

You could I suppose set up a stat with 2 heatmats (1 in each viv), and get the temperatures right. Then add another stat between the mains and the first stat set 1 degree higher. If one stat blows the second will keep the temperature OK. You are just as likely to end up with no heat as too much heat, but I suppose no heat is slightly safer.