Cheapest method to heat vivs?

[jonnyboy]

Im guessing it goes in this order, from cheapest to most expensive

Mats
Bulbs
ceramics

is this correct?

and how would i work out electricity prices for say a 20w mat?

[stuart89]

Originally Posted by jonnyboy

Im guessing it goes in this order, from cheapest to most expensive

Mats
Bulbs
ceramics

is this correct?

and how would i work out electricity prices for say a 20w mat?

Pretty much. Bulbs have a cheaper set up but will become more expensive in the long run as ou replace bulbs, so heatmats become the cheapest.

Not sure about the electricity pricing sorry bud.

[essexchondro]

Im guessing it goes in this order, from cheapest to most expensive

Mats
Bulbs
ceramics

is this correct?

and how would i work out electricity prices for say a 20w mat?

It depends what you mean by heat a viv, really. A mat, for example, won't heat a viv, it will just provide a warm floor area for the snake to sit on. The ambients in the viv will just be at the normal room temperature, so the mat might work out cheaper than a ceramic, but it won't actually do the same job.

If by bulb you mean a light emitting spot bulb then the problem that you've got with those is that unless you want your viv lit up 24/7 (which will probably upset your reptiles a bit) then you've got have an alternative heat source as well for heating during the night...in which case you're talking about the cost of the bulb plus the cost of one of the others as well.

[Georgina74]

may not be the cheapest/Ceramics are the best to do the job.

[jonnyboy]

i use ceramics for everything but theyre costing a friggin bomb...

ive got all my vivs in a reptile room, so im thinkig, could i heat the room, then have mats on stats for the vivs?

[Merve]

That and it all depends on the wattage too, a 100w mat would cost as much to run as a 100w bulb i believe.

I mostly use ceramic and mats, and even though i am heating 5 very large vivs, 4 small ones and a large heatmat on a surface full of rubs my electricity bill is not that bad.

[essexchondro]

i use ceramics for everything but theyre costing a friggin bomb...

ive got all my vivs in a reptile room, so im thinkig, could i heat the room, then have mats on stats for the vivs?

yes, you could do that. That is basically the principle behind reptile racks; the mats just provide the hot spot and the heated room provides the ambients.

You can buy oil filled radiators with built in thermostats that work well for heating small to medium sized rooms.

[jonnyboy]

Originally Posted by essexchondro

You can buy oil filled radiators with built in thermostats that work well for heating small to medium sized rooms.

Thanks a lot for your help mate, ill look into them!

[essexchondro]

I use the Delonghi Dragon ECC

Delonghi

[lilworm]

i do the same have mine on mats stacked the vivs and statted and the ambient seems to hold at 80f in winter and then rises in the warmer months i just pop the central heating on in winter to boost the room temp if i need to