Heating

[Luthien]

Hey guys, so I'm having some difficulty heating my huge home made viv for my corn snake. Just a quick question for you, has anyone ever used a human heating pad inside the viv with the snake. Setting it with a thermostat to be 80F and laying it under the substrate?

My biggest fear is her laying on/brushing against it and harming herself so just wondering if this can be done or not?

Thanks!

[reptiledude987]

whats the viv size and current method of heating?

[pdomensis]

Probably could be done, but...I'd stay away from any product not designed to handle getting wet in case your snake dumps his bowl. Also, putting it under the substrate is risky in my opinion since the snakes burrow so much. I'd spend the $20 to get a decent pad that goes under the tank. If you do use a heat pad in the tank, I would check it frequently with a temp gun.

[Luthien]

whats the viv size and current method of heating?

Diameter in inches is approx 51 Long, 26 High and 26 wide. It's a home made viv made of wood, plexi glass and screen. I don't have a heating method right now I'm trying to figure one out. The bottom is solid wood so no heat matt will go through it, I've tried a CHE but the viv is to tall, a 150 watt doesn't even raise the substrate past 69f.

That's why I'm wondering about in tank heat somehow?

[pdomensis]

Something may have been wrong with your CHE. I can heat my well-house with one. I had a very similar sized/constructed cage with my bearded dragon and heated it with a CHE just fine. Especially since you're dealing with a corn, a non-tropical snake, it shouldn't take much of a warm basking area to meet his needs. You may be over thinking it.

[Luthien]

Hm well I just bought the CHE and plugged it in, I had it on high my thermometer (also new) said that the CHE itself was 210f and the substrate was still 67f.

I'll try it again though