I wouldn't really say its unnecessary effort for a negligible gain, I agree in the case the OP doesn't have to worry about heat at all but it can be a cost effective way of heating one/two enclosures rather than using something like a space heater to warm up the whole room.
Yes, that is a bit too low for comfort. I've heard placing a heat mat on the SIDE of the enclosure works, because it gives room for the T to get away of it gets really hot. Wait for someone more experienced to reply though.
The safest ways are either to create a microclimate by setting up a heat pad within a larger container (like a larger tank, closet, or cabinet)and putting her enclosure in there, or getting a space heater for the room. You could also put a heat pad on the side of the tank, but that should really be avoided if possible, as it still can create a hotspot that your T may be drawn to that can cause dehydration issues and dry out the tank in general.
Alright I am going to try and put her enclosure in the cabinet I have in my room.. Once in there should I still put the pad somewhat close to her enclosure or does that really matter as long as it's not directly on the cage and keeping the space warm?
The goal is really just to heat the space, so not directly on the cage.
How would I properly use a heat pad because I do need to raise the temp.
Alright thank you
see the quote below
Heating a larger enclosure and placing your ts enclosures within that larger enclosure turns a potentially dangerous direct heat into a much safer secondary heat.
That is what I am currently trying to do thank you.
First of all you should never use a heat mat on its own you must use it with a thermostat, I personally use the microclimate mat stat. What this allows you to do is control the temperature the mat can reach. As others have said you can use it in various ways such as putting it within another enclosure but I personally find the best way is just to stick the mat to a wall or any surface then place the enclosure next to it but not quite touching. Like I said before try to avoid placing it at the same end as the Ts hide because they burrow to get away from heat. That's why it's also a very bad idea to place it below the enclosure not to mention it possibly overheating.
Alright gonna have to get one of those.
As long as it’s not totally filthy you’re fine just topping it off every so often, no need to totally change it.
Agreed, though I remove and clean the dish every other week to remove the slimy biofilm that accumulates over time. (It's probably harmless, but I like to keep the dished clean.)
That's basically the situation I have. Thermostat reads 70 to 71 but in the room that they are in is closer to 66 to 68 most of the time.
Na, you're fine just topping up as needed, I only clean out dishes if they get crapped in/filled with substrate.
And your t’s do fine in this temp?
Yes.