to settle an argument - your views.

[kelboy]

Originally Posted by Morgoth

I can afford it, certainly. But ten years of experience tells me not to spend money on something I can do perfectly well myself.

You can control the temperature of your heat mats constantly? You could make some money with that talent Uri Geller

[C4VEMAN-5AM]

Originally Posted by kelboy

You can control the temperature of your heat mats constantly? You could make some money with that talent Uri Geller

Uri Gellar is fake every single trick fake.

He does not bend metal with his mind, i have proof.

[kelboy]

Originally Posted by C4VEMAN-5AM

Uri Gellar is fake every single trick fake.

He does not bend metal with his mind, i have proof.

And Morgoth can't control the temperature of a heat mat with their mind, I can't say I have proof, but I'd bet my kidneys on it

[C4VEMAN-5AM]

Uri Gellar buys rigged heat matts

But seriously he is a fake.

[Ssthisto]

Originally Posted by ratboy

Maybe you should change your rep shops ? All the shops I use have stats.

Ditto. Even the ROPEY shops up here have at least ONE thermostat. It might not be used correctly (the case I'm thinking of has one thermostat per level of vivariums regardless of what's in the vivs and the thermostat probe is positioned four inches above the floor in vivariums heated with heat mats - which, although nearly completely useless, I suppose it would switch off the equipment if a fire started in the tank with the probe in it), but they're at least making a show of having them.

Out of curiosity, Morgoth, would you mind PMing me with the names of the shops you use?

I'm quite happy to say that not only does my "local" shop Tyrannosaurus Pets use thermostats, but it has one thermostat per vivarium, with each thermostat visible and adjustable (although you won't see lights dim; the tanks are heated with ceramics and use appropriate-wattage UVB tubes for lighting). That was something we commented on the first time we went - that EVERY tank has a thermostat probe, every tank can be adjusted on the fly to suit what's going in it, from Russian ratsnakes to monitors.

[Morgoth]

Originally Posted by kelboy

You can control the temperature of your heat mats constantly? You could make some money with that talent Uri Geller

Yup, after all, supressing the heat by placing something over it has got to be a world class magic trick.


As for Ssthisto, I would rather not get my main local shop on the receiving end of a load of reptile goody-two-shoes wrath, as I know the guy who owns is is genuine and knows his stuff. Its not 100% he doesn't have thermostats, its just I've never seen a probe, wire or anything externally to hint at there being one.

As for the only other shop I can guess the name of, its the one in Exeter 'southwest reptiles', perhaps, though that might be a completely different shop...I remember going there once and the guy offered me a heatmat with no mention of a stat. And I'm sure people on here know, those guys are geniune and know their stuff.

[elliot ness]

a lot of smaller shops will supply a set up without stat.....just viv,decor,substrate and heat mat.It is up to us to read up on what animal we are getting and buy the appropriate gear.No good saying "the rep shop said it would be ok"....it does not wash.it is the keepers responseability,no one elses
paul

[kelboy]

Originally Posted by Morgoth

Yup, after all, supressing the heat by placing something over it has got to be a world class magic trick.


As for Ssthisto, I would rather not get my main local shop on the receiving end of a load of reptile goody-two-shoes wrath, as I know the guy who owns is is genuine and knows his stuff. Its not 100% he doesn't have thermostats, its just I've never seen a probe, wire or anything externally to hint at there being one.

As for the only other shop I can guess the name of, its the one in Exeter 'southwest reptiles', perhaps, though that might be a completely different shop...I remember going there once and the guy offered me a heatmat with no mention of a stat. And I'm sure people on here know, those guys are geniune and know their stuff.

So, to summarise, heat mats maintain a constant temperature, and can't and won't develop faults?

Good luck, but I'm gonna play safe with my animals, the cost of a stat is unsubstantial compared to the value of my reps

[The_Real_Moreliaman]

Originally Posted by Ssthisto

Did you, Morgoth, miss where I said that burns are not actually ALL that an "overheating" heat mat can do to a reptile?

An unregulated heat source *brain damaged* one of mine while he was at the vet - but there were and are no visible marks of this, just permanent behavioural changes.

An unregulated heat mat resulted in the death of a ratsnake due to the snake getting into a regurge cycle - because it was spending all its time on the *cold* side of a faunarium in winter... the heated side was too hot.

I'm personally a lot less concerned about burns - they heal if you get them sorted in time. Death isn't curable, and neither is heat-stress-related brain damage.

Its obvious to me that your vet caused the demise of this animal with their inexperince, perhaps you should have used a better vet that had experince in reptiles! Obviously they didnt otherwise this wouldnt have happened .......would it !

The problems with the rat snake are clearly down to an inexperinced keeper who didnt check temps before he/she added the animal, so they are the cause of this snakes demise..........if they had checked it then they would have known the temps werent right before the damage was done!
Sorry but i always check temps before anything is added..(thats part of experince telling me it should be done).....if its too hot i can then add a smaller heating element or put a stat on it if need be.

Originally Posted by Ssthisto

I'm quite happy to say that not only does my "local" shop Tyrannosaurus Pets use thermostats, but it has one thermostat per vivarium, with each thermostat visible and adjustable (although you won't see lights dim; the tanks are heated with ceramics and use appropriate-wattage UVB tubes for lighting). That was something we commented on the first time we went - that EVERY tank has a thermostat probe, every tank can be adjusted on the fly to suit what's going in it, from Russian ratsnakes to monitors.

Its called common sence...remember that thing i was chatting about earlier ?? My shop had a stat on every viv too...because when your selling reps & your stock is changing every week then it makes sence to have adjustable heating on every viv because you can then adjust it to a wide range of temps acording to which specie is being housed in it at that time, Its different when the same viv is housing the same specie on a more permanent basis (bearing in mind that specie doesnt require a more precise control on heating & ive temp checked it before any animal has been added)

To people that think heat doesnt travel through wood.....have you tried it ??? Because it does....infact sometimes its better because it spreads the heat & you dont have the danger of any animal sitting directly on the matt. Ive never used a heat matt inside a viv, always on the side or underneath with an air gap. To me, putting the matt inside is just as dangerous as the muppets that use duct tape inside a viv to hold the matt down.

[Ssthisto]

Originally Posted by Morgoth

As for Ssthisto, I would rather not get my main local shop on the receiving end of a load of reptile goody-two-shoes wrath, as I know the guy who owns is is genuine and knows his stuff.

Given you mentioned Exeter, and that's about as far away as Albuquerque when it comes to "I don't drive" it's hardly likely that I'm going to go all wrathful-ballistic at your local. I just wanted the name so that I could have a look, see if they had a website, anything like that - and if they had a contact e-mail address, politely enquire if they would advise a new reptile keeper buy a thermostat with their heat mat.