would that cause the plastic to melt, because the base of my aquarium, has plastic covering the whole surface (on the outside) and if i place it on wooden furniture would it leave burn marks? what should i do to deter any of this? suggestions please.
2007-01-31 17:41:03 · 7 answers · asked by trtl03 2 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
Dont'cha LOVE the debate? Never use (fill in the blank) because (fill in the other blank). If you listent o them all, you'll end up without anything!
Heating pads are OK as long as they are a low enough wattage that they cannot fry the animal. They are nice because they simulate sun-warmed soil and are great for animals that dig.
If you use a pad, follow the reasonable precautions- whatever the maker says.
I like the ZooMed series that only warms up 5-10 degrees. It might leave a scorch mark on wood- an older model I had certainly did. It almost might melt acrylic- the older model I had did that as well.
If you HAVE to use it on your tank, I'd use cheap ceramic or stone tiles (the big size) between the pad and the tank. That way the stone will heat up and modulate the heat to the tank. Underneath I'd leave an air gap of about 1/2" between the pad and any nice surface.
2007-02-01 06:29:36 · answer #1 · answered by Madkins007 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A 40-55 gallon tank is good for only one adult ball python to live in comfortably. Heat pads usually come with instructions that tell you as to what size terrarium they are made for. Try a Zoo Med heating pad. Make sure that there is enough space for air to pass between the bottom of your snake's tank and the actual surface that the tank is on. This will prevent the possibility of any fire and the prevent the bottom of the tank from cracking. A thermostat or a rheostat is recommended.
2016-05-24 01:01:02 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are you talking about the plastic strip around the outside of the aquarium? - it won't bother this. If you're saying the entire tank has a plastic/acrylic bottom, then it's more of a problem.
Zoo Med makes a "mini" sized under tank heater that can be used with the plastic critter containers, but it only produces about 4 watts of heating power. This may not be enough heat if your room is really cold.
You may have to resort to a small wattage heat lamp (will produce red light) or ceramic heat emitter (no light).
Below are links to the Zoo Med heating equipment page and a pet store that I use for mail-order (for other options). Don't get a heat rock (they can cause burns to animals)!
http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/product/categoryInfo.web?options.passInCategoryKey=23297
http://www.zoomed.com/html/heating_home.php
ADDITION: The heating pad shouldn't cause burn marks, but it may dry the wood a bit more in that spot. You could put a piece of cardboard underneath or prop the tank up on small "feet" under the corners.
Also ,since your frog-eyed gecko (for those who haven't been following your questions) is a digger and will need some depth to his tank, why not consider getting him a 10 gallon glass tank? Will cost about $10 for just the tank, less if you can find one used.
2007-01-31 18:08:02 · answer #3 · answered by copperhead 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The "hot rocks" they sell in pet stores for terrariums consume a lot less energy and produce a lot less heat than a heating pad.
You probably shouldn't be using a regular heating pad for your terrarium. Too much heat can kill, too!
Is it adjustable? Do you know the temperature it will be producing? Is it an acceptable amount of heat for whatever is going to be in there?
If it is scorching wood and melting plastic, it might be too strong.
2007-01-31 17:46:33 · answer #4 · answered by tabulator32 6 · 0⤊ 3⤋
You shouldn't be using a heating pad in a terrarium. Buy a heat rock, they only get warm, not hot. And they are water resistant, i wouldn't recommend having a heating pad where it can get water dragged onto it, urinated on, or bitten. This sounds like it could be quite dangerous for you , and the reptile, "or whatever you may have in there?"
2007-01-31 17:58:17 · answer #5 · answered by yellow2012 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋
hot rocks should NEVER be used, they can cause burns and insufficiently heat the body which can cause growth deformeties. get a hooded light holder from flukers. this holds the heating bulbs, basking bulbs, and uvb/uva bulbs. all for about 30 bux. this is your best allternative
2007-02-01 02:09:13 · answer #6 · answered by Twilite 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
heat rocks suck they can burn reps easy. whats going in the cage ? i would get an under tank heater and a dimmer switch ya just hook the uth into the dimmer and the dimmer into an outlet and you can set the temps you want
2007-01-31 17:58:08 · answer #7 · answered by joeparker67 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋