Heat lamps or heat pads

[Skits]

This may be an odd question, but is there a general rule for heat pads or heat lamps for certain species, or is it just a matter of preference? Example like corns and milks usually have heat pads, or heavy bodied snakes having lamps, etc

[poison123]

I prefer to use a low wattage heat bulb for most species. Helps with ambient temps and allows me to provide different basking temps for my snakes to choose from. Down side is that they dry out the air. Using low wattage bulbs wont dry out the air as much. Radiant heat panels seem popular too.

[Skits]

I'm just always confused as to which snakes need heat mats over heat lamps. I use heat lamp for my carpet python, heat pads for my royal python, milksnake, ratsnake..

[poison123]

Either one can work for any species depending on how you use it. Some prefer to use one more then the other

[CosmicOwl]

You also have to consider what is the most efficient and economical for the snake's needs. A lot of temperate colubrids will spend most of the time on the cool side, so a vast and precise heating system might be over doing it in some cases.

[Skits]

Yeah definitely. I noticed my CP loves basking on his stick in front of his light so he has a lamp. My colubrids love either chilling on the warm or hot side so they have heat pads.

[Mikoh4792]

Heat lamps need to be removed from snake husbandry for most species. It dries out an enclosure and the bulbs need frequent replacement. Radiant heat panels are the best heat source for snakes that like to perch.

[Mikoh4792]

To answer your question it depends on the snakes needs. If a snake like to hide and bask at the same time, it depends on how the heat pad heats the enclosure. Does it only create a hotspot? Or does it also heat the rest of the enclosure? If it's not enough to create a good thermal gradiant you will need to supplement that with an overhead heat source.

[Terranaut]

Carpet pythons and most colubrids have about the same humidity requirements. You can "get away" with a heat lamp as a temporary measure but long term I would not use one. Even for arboreal snakes that need an overhead heat source there are better options. The lights are cheap and do you use a thermostat with a bulb? Probably not in most cases. Imho a light should be just for light. Heat with a RHP ( my favorite) or CHE (lightless bulb) for overhead heat and a heat pad or heatvtape for ground snakes. No matter what use a thermostat.



Edit: I forgot to add but if you look at all of the posts about poor sheds many of the posters used heat bulbs for heat.

[sharthun]

I just ordered 3 40 watt rbi rhp's to . I was using che's to heat ambient air and heat tape for belly heat. I had 2 of those che's fail that were rated at 20000 hours. My mistake though, chain pet store store brand che's aren't worth a darn! Another lesson learned.


Carpet pythons and most colubrids have about the same humidity requirements. You can "get away" with a heat lamp as a temporary measure but long term I would not use one. Even for arboreal snakes that need an overhead heat source there are better options. The lights are cheap and do you use a thermostat with a bulb? Probably not in most cases. Imho a light should be just for light. Heat with a RHP ( my favorite) or CHE (lightless bulb) for overhead heat and a heat pad or heatvtape for ground snakes. No matter what use a thermostat.



Edit: I forgot to add but if you look at all of the posts about poor sheds many of the posters used heat bulbs for heat.

[LiL Zap]

I use a heat lamp for both snakes (my corn and brother's hognose) and it works fine. Heat pads kinda scare me because I've heard too much stories about the wiring going bad and burning the snake. It's just preference.

[Mikoh4792]

I use a heat lamp for both snakes (my corn and brother's hognose) and it works fine. Heat pads kinda scare me because I've heard too much stories about the wiring going bad and burning the snake. It's just preference.

You won't have that problem with ultratherm heat mats. They work similar to heat tape in that they don't have the wiring you see in zoo med heat pads and such. But they also don't get as hot as heat tape. Either way an ultra-therm hooked up to a decent T-stat should do the job well.

[EL Ziggy]

I use uth's for all my snakes but will turn on a heat lamp sometimes too when its really cold to create a basking spot or to assist with viewing the snakes at night

[jarich]

While Im not as sure with snakes, as I have not researched them as much as lizards, I am moving towards going back to lighting with my snakes. (I used all radiant heat panels and UTHs before) The more I read about the light requirements of reptiles, the more it seems necessary to provide them with a source of UVA and UVB for optimal health. For instance, both UVA and UVB affect the immune system and hormone production, so it is of benefit to them. Reptiles, including many snakes, can see UVA1 also, so leaving this out of their enclosures means they are seeing the world much differently than they normally would. Fortunately, UVA penetrates glass, so if you have sunlight coming into the room your snakes are in, there should be at least a small amount getting in.

As said above though, they do make it more difficult to regulate the necessary humidity. Its not super difficult, but it is a consideration that needs addressing if using lights.

[Terranaut]

If you feel they need UV then add a UV tube light fixture lile for a beardie. Just keep light and heat seperate.

[Donnie]

Heat lamps need to be removed from snake husbandry for most species. It dries out an enclosure and the bulbs need frequent replacement. Radiant heat panels are the best heat source for snakes that like to perch.

It would be great if we had a selection of RHP's over here but they are almost non existent. I use a ceramic for all my carpets without any shedding issues and I never mist or do anything to increase the humidity. My only reason to get away from a CHE and go to a RHP would be so I don't have to look at a bulb and guard all the time :(

[Mikoh4792]

It would be great if we had a selection of RHP's over here but they are almost non existent. I use a ceramic for all my carpets without any shedding issues and I never mist or do anything to increase the humidity. My only reason to get away from a CHE and go to a RHP would be so I don't have to look at a bulb and guard all the time :(

Man I wish I had the pm, but a member here(I forgot) makes his own RHP's using common materials that work just as good.

[Donnie]

Man I wish I had the pm, but a member here(I forgot) makes his own RHP's using common materials that work just as good.

When I'm ready (and have the cash) to move mine into plastic vivs then I am going to do some serious research into getting hold of some. I know of a place in Germany that sells them but they are not cheap at all. It may even be cheaper shipping them over from the states.

[Terranaut]

Man I wish I had the pm, but a member here(I forgot) makes his own RHP's using common materials that work just as good.

Larry makes them.

[Mikoh4792]

Larry makes them.

Ah right it was him. Shouldn't have deleted the message, I was going to try to make one using his guideline.

[jarich]

If you feel they need UV then add a UV tube light fixture lile for a beardie. Just keep light and heat seperate.

UVB tubes have very poor UVA production, you only get the good UVA production when you have a brighter burn, like with an MVB or HID bulb.

[Lankyrob]

Heat lamps need to be removed from snake husbandry for most species. It dries out an enclosure and the bulbs need frequent replacement. Radiant heat panels are the best heat source for snakes that like to perch.

What do you call frequent replacemennt? My CHE's have been running for almost four years without being replaced. Have also used them in high humidity vivs where i only needed to spray once or twice a week so drying out wasnt an issue.

(i will say that i originally had my high humidity snake in a viv that wasnt well sealed and needed spraying once a day but once it was in a "proper" viv there were no issues)

[Mikoh4792]

What do you call frequent replacemennt? My CHE's have been running for almost four years without being replaced. Have also used them in high humidity vivs where i only needed to spray once or twice a week so drying out wasnt an issue.

(i will say that i originally had my high humidity snake in a viv that wasnt well sealed and needed spraying once a day but once it was in a "proper" viv there were no issues)

Right I said that without putting che's into consideration.

But even if I had to choose between a CHE and a RHP I'd always choose an RHP for most snake species. They just don't get as hot and heat the enclosure equally well.(Since most snake species don't need hotspots over 90F)

[Terranaut]

I also think RHPs are the way to go.
Lower wattage.
Still safe to touch even when on full.
Easiest type of heat source to mount.
Should last the lifetime of the snake.
But cost a bit more initially.
Nothing wrong with CHEs that are shrouded but I do think once a person has used RHPs , they will not go back.
JMHO.

[Mikoh4792]

I also think RHPs are the way to go.
Lower wattage.
Still safe to touch even when on full.
Easiest type of heat source to mount.
Should last the lifetime of the snake.
But cost a bit more initially.
Nothing wrong with CHEs that are shrouded but I do think once a person has used RHPs , they will not go back.
JMHO.

100% agree. When there are so many pros than outweigh the cons there's no reason not to go this direction.

A lot of people at first think installing an rhp might be technical/difficult but it's really nothing more than two screws to hold it in place.

[Terranaut]

Also they are very light in most cases.

[knox]

Those of us who were into the hobby in the 70's and 80's know that over head heat lamps are perfectly fine for keeping North American Colubrids.

When I do use heat lamps, I have a piece of tile or flat rock under the lamp. The lamp not only provides heat from above, but just as the sun warms the earth, the tile or stone beneath the heat lamp warms for a nice belly heat.

I rarely have trouble with shedding when I use heat lamps for kings and corns. In fact, with desert species like Cal Kings or Desert Kings, or even Great Basin or Sonoran Gopher Snakes, Heat Lamps are ideal for pulling excess moisture from the air.

It's not hard to spray the enclosure once a day for adding humidity.

People have been saying, only recently, that heat lamps are horrible. That just isn't the case.

Heat Lamps have the advantage of controlling the heat in a safe way - different wattage bulbs. The only caveat I would add is do NOT use heat lamps if you have dogs or cats that could knock them off and onto carpet or other flammable materials.

30 years in the snake hobby and I still use heat lamps when I use glass enclosures (which are also perfectly fine for North American Colubrids). I use Flex Watt for Racks and Plastic Bin enclosures.

[EL Ziggy]

I'm considering switching from uth's to rhp's for my colubrids but was wondering how well the rhp would heat the inside of the warm hide. Right now I'm using the uth's for belly heat and a heat bulb a few hours a day for basking.

[Mikoh4792]

I agree, no one's knocking on heat lamps for all snake species. Just most, or those that require more than low-moderate humidity.

[Mikoh4792]

I'm considering switching from uth's to rhp's for my colubrids but was wondering how well the rhp would heat the inside of the warm hide.

How tall is the enclosure?

[EL Ziggy]

How tall is the enclosure?
40 gal tank is 36x18x16 I believe.

[Mikoh4792]

40 gal tank is 36x18x16 I believe.

Should heat it just fine, I think Terranaut heats his ball python's hide with an rhp.

I only have experience heating perches with RHP's(Several inches away) as opposed to heating hides on the floor.

[knox]

And I certainly agree that heat lamps are not the best option for high humidity species. This is a great conversation and lots of good info in this thread.

[Terranaut]

The reason people are now saying heat lamps are no good is largely because of the sharp spike in keeping ball pythons vs keeping colubrids like you mentioned. More and more people are keeping pythons of all sorts that even just 10 yrs ago. The whole hobby has shifted more towards higher humidity snakes. Aquariums with screen lids were also common if not the norm.

[Lankyrob]

Right I said that without putting che's into consideration.

But even if I had to choose between a CHE and a RHP I'd always choose an RHP for most snake species. They just don't get as hot and heat the enclosure equally well.(Since most snake species don't need hotspots over 90F)

No worries, i would also choose a RHP over a CHE in future. I would alsomchoose plastic over wooden vivs given the funds but thats another discussion :)

[MrGetLifted]

I use 22 watt heat cables and an eco stat thermostat,on my one set up and its alot more easy to keep the humidity up, rather then when i used a heatlamp. id think cables are to heatpads, dont snakes like belly heat?

[sharthun]

I also think RHPs are the way to go.
Lower wattage.
Still safe to touch even when on full.
Easiest type of heat source to mount.
Should last the lifetime of the snake.
But cost a bit more initially.
Nothing wrong with CHEs that are shrouded but I do think once a person has used RHPs , they will not go back.
JMHO.

Ditto! I just made the switch from che's to rhps! I won't ever go back!