How To Fit A Heat Mat In A Vivarium

Most invertebrate keepers and even many snake owners use low wattage heat mats to warm their vivariums.

How to fit a heat mat in a vivarium.

Heat mats are used to maintain a constant temperature throughout your vivarium. The heat mat should be placed in the hot zone of the vivarium. The heat mat is either mounted on the side of the tank or on the bottom. They re a good way to provide gentle warmth and they heat the floor of your vivarium much like the sun would heat the ground in your reptile s natural environment.

It should cover approximately 1 3 of the floor space and definitely no more than 1 2 as you must allow your pet to move to a cooler area if it is getting over heated. You can use rubber pads which some heat mats come with. Lots of people have mentioned putting a ceramic tile or vinyl flooring over the top of the mat not on this thread or covering with newspaper etc but this is contrary to the instructions that come with your heat mats. The exo terra heat mat is a terrarium substrate heater that simulates these surfaces heated by the sun.

Heat mats must be controlled by a thermostat. Check your heat mat mains cable and plug for damage before use. On the outside then the wood insulates the mat and slows the heat getting into the vivarium where it is needed. While these are a safe low cost and generally effective way of providing artificial heat they re not without their weaknesses.

Ever wondered how to install a heat mat if you use a vivarium. The main problem being that they only produce a gentle warmth. Ensure that the mat is positioned so that it will create a thermal gradient. The problem with heat mats.

The vivarium should have two heat sources. It specifically says that the heat mat should be left uncovered. A basking spot heat lamp that provides the vivarium s general heat along with the hot spot to bask in plus a low level heater to provide heat at the cool end or at night in places where the ambient temperature drops below 75 f 23 9 c.