advice on heat mat

[louby13]

hi

we have just got a heat mat for yoshi as our flat is getting cold and the temps are getting to about 65 my question is whaty temp do i need to keep it at at night time

advice is much appreciated

louby

 

[Jess]

Around 70*F is fine. They do need a night time temp drop, so you don't want it to get too warm.

But get a CHE instead of a heat mat.

 

[louby13]

hi thanks whats a CHE and are the heat mats dangerous

 

[Jess]

A CHE is a ceramin heat emitter. You put them in a heat lamp, but they only give off heat and no light.

And beardies can't sense heat from below them, so a heat mat can easily burn their tummies.

 

[louby13]

ok cool thanks

 

[angeldragon]

A CHE is a ceramin heat emitter. You put them in a heat lamp, but they only give off heat and no light.

And beardies can't sense heat from below them, so a heat mat can easily burn their tummies.

I was thinking of getting a CHE but what wattage do I need?

 

[Jess]

Depends on what size tank you have. I have a 100 watt CHE that I use with a dimmer, and it has worked well for my 40 breeder and my 4x2x2 viv.

 

[angeldragon]

Depends on what size tank you have. I have a 100 watt CHE that I use with a dimmer, and it has worked well for my 40 breeder and my 4x2x2 viv.

Thank you also, I know your an extreme poster so I was just wondering, whats the ideal set up for a beardie? right now he's in a 40 gallon tank or so the substrate Im using is sand which I know is bad he has a heat mat, a red 100 watt night bulb, a uvb bulb and fixture. He has a fake cactus, a clay pot, and a log he can hide in also of course a water dish. Im gonna upgrade for him fairly soon Im in the process of building a Plexiglass tank which will have tiling in it and sliding doors in the front. Any thing you DONT recommend? Im also going to build him a castle.

 

[Jess]

Thank you also, I know your an extreme poster so I was just wondering, whats the ideal set up for a beardie?

LOL, it could just be that I have nothing better to do with my life... :lol:

You're on the right track with getting rid of the sand and replacing the red bulb with a CHE. Make sure you have a bright white basking light as well! You don't need the UTH either now that you are getting the CHE.
Personally I would just go with glass instead of plexiglass though. It will hold up better against glass-dancing and general beardie abuse.

 

[BlueDevil]

I use heat tape on the basking end of my 4x2x2 terrarium. It's covered with linoleum and then covered by my slate flooring and controlled by a HerpStat 4 thermostat. My beardie never comes into direct contact with the heat tape and it's programmed to not get very warm but will automatically shut down if an alarm goes off. I have it rigged to a spare laptop so it updates a website I can access every couple of min's. It's up to you if you want to run a set up like mine but don't skimp on the thermostat!!!!

 

[KristenT]

I use heat tape on the basking end of my 4x2x2 terrarium. It's covered with linoleum and then covered by my slate flooring and controlled by a HerpStat 4 thermostat. My beardie never comes into direct contact with the heat tape and it's programmed to not get very warm but will automatically shut down if an alarm goes off. I have it rigged to a spare laptop so it updates a website I can access every couple of min's. It's up to you if you want to run a set up like mine but don't skimp on the thermostat!!!!

Now THAT's a high tech beardie set up! Love the idea, but no where near able to set something like that up! lol closest I've got is a timer for basking/uvb light off or on!

 

[BlueDevil]

I use heat tape on the basking end of my 4x2x2 terrarium. It's covered with linoleum and then covered by my slate flooring and controlled by a HerpStat 4 thermostat. My beardie never comes into direct contact with the heat tape and it's programmed to not get very warm but will automatically shut down if an alarm goes off. I have it rigged to a spare laptop so it updates a website I can access every couple of min's. It's up to you if you want to run a set up like mine but don't skimp on the thermostat!!!!

Now THAT's a high tech beardie set up! Love the idea, but no where near able to set something like that up! lol closest I've got is a timer for basking/uvb light off or on!

Thanks it's a pretty sweet and automated set up. I have the lights set for a simulated sunrise/sunset, LOL. When the lights start to dim (over the course of 5 min's or so) she finds a spot and assumes her sleeping position. :mrgreen:

 

[KristenT]

I thought that would be cool for Taz, but never did it. I don't have the time (which is why I got the timer I DO have) at the moment to reasearch how to do all that and get it set up, but it would be neat.