Do i REALLY need a thermostat?

[jonnyjr]

I just did a simlar kind of test and had a heat mat switched on with no stay just heating to nothing (into the air) and the surface of the mat with my infra red thermometer is 138'f

[jampot]

How do you get your heat mats so hot!?!

I use a Micro climate heat mats for all my pets and with the first one i ever bought i bought a thermostat with it, costing me £40 this thermostat broke and was not replaced and ever! Since that i have not wanted to get a thermostat for my other heat mats because they are not even heating the vivs to the right temperature, (some strugle to get past room temp) -.- they are a few degrees to cold so for my bearded dragon he has 2 heatmats and a heat lamp and his viv is only about 33 c in the hot spot I am having real problems heating them but even so i guess i should get a thermostat for all my heat mats just incase.

I will save up imediatly as i feel quite bad now :/

But does anyone know why my heat mats are so useless?

[Ssthisto]

Originally Posted by jampot

How do you get your heat mats so hot!?!

We're measuring the temperatures directly on top of the mat, where the animal is likely to be.

Since that i have not wanted to get a thermostat for my other heat mats because they are not even heating the vivs to the right temperature, (some strugle to get past room temp) -.- they are a few degrees to cold

What kind of thermometers are you using and where are they located?

Heat mats are not designed to heat the air at all, so unless your thermometer is RIGHT on top of the mat, you won't get an idea of what temperatures it's heating to.

[jampot]

What can i use to heat the air then? Would a heat lamp do?

[jampot]

Should my heat mats be on the inside, mine are on the outside?

[Ssthisto]

Originally Posted by jampot

What can i use to heat the air then? Would a heat lamp do?

Yes, lamps do heat the air (as do ceramic infrared bulbs). Either of these should also be used with a thermostat (remember visible light bulbs need a dimmer stat ONLY - any other kind of stat will produce lightswitch rave effects as it turns the light off and on to maintain temp) to prevent the cage from getting too hot.

Originally Posted by jampot

Should my heat mats be on the inside, mine are on the outside?

Although some people do successfully use heat mats outside wooden vivariums... I personally never have. With lizards, I've used heat mats inside the viv, underneath cut-pile fabric-backed carpet tile, and achieved the 90-95 degree basking spot I was trying to get.

Snakes are rather more difficult, and the snakes that I use heat mats on are all in plastic tub racking, which has the heat mats outside the tubs. My snakes who are in wooden vivariums all use bulbs or ceramics.

If your mats are outside the vivariums, exactly where are your thermometers located?

I can never understand what good it does shops and websites showing an example of a vivarium with a dial thermometer stuck to the wall near the top of the vivarium in the middle. Whose animals spend their time stuck to the walls at the top of the cage (except for tokay geckos and other stickyfeets, that is!) ?

[slither61]

Originally Posted by hogboy

Excellent post
Should probably be a 'sticky'
save a lot of pointless arguments

Hi all,

Here Here Hogboy, good post should be made a sticky.


slither61

[moonlightspark]

ive never used a stat with heatmats as they are only ever low wattage say 20watts.I find they increase the temperature by around 10-15 degrees celsius creating a cosy spot for the snake but definatelty not hot. It all depends on the wattage, the fuse would blow instead of it overheating as its such a low power appliance(wattage dependent). there are many different wattages, something important to look at when buying the mat. this is in my experiences i have never had any problems in 10 years of keeping colubrids on appropriately sized and powered heat mats.
I recommend replacing them once a year for optimum heat.
I have a 40w heat cable heating my baby boa which is on a thermostat due to the high power, i would use a stat on anything over 20 watts.

[moonlightspark]

check the wattage of your heat mat . that is relevant to its power output and so, heat output.

[Ssthisto]

Originally Posted by moonlightspark

ive never used a stat with heatmats as they are only ever low wattage say 20watts.

I've measured a seven-watt mat heating a faunarium to 135 degrees fahrenheit without a thermostat controlling it.