Heating pad experiment.

[runCMD]

Nice, would be great if they would have them with several probes and plugs so you could use it for multiple enclosures.

Yes, I think there are such things but very expensive. Could be a cool project

Due to the increased temperature the water condenses on the window the first few days...You might not have this problem as you heat the backside of the enclosure.

Oh I did...

Give your T a week and she will be living closer to the heat mat

Woke up this morning to find it hanging out over there on the back-side of the hide I added back in!

P.s. You want to measure the temperature of your soil, stick the probe in there. Not the air above it.

In my case the heat pad is on the back, do you still think so?

Nice work so far. Honestly, if I were going this far I'd setup a T cabinet. You would keep the heat in better and it would be expandable if you got more.

I agree and that is what I will likely do too. This was easy and cheap, took minutes, and is unobtrusive to the wife. Once I have this one for a while I will convince her to let me expand my collection

 

[Andrea82]

Nice, would be great if they would have them with several probes and plugs so you could use it for multiple enclosures. I just used a small battery operated one.

On the first picture you see the mat running acros the rear of the enclosure.

I use 2 mats, for the left and right row of enclosures. On the second level I keep desert and mountain species that can handle lower temperatures.

One downfall seen on picture 3, I added some water to the lowest middle enclosure that holds an Avic. Due to the increased temperature the water condenses on the window the first few days. When moisture drops this disappears. Still, keep a good eye on your moisture levels (for T's that give a damn about humidity). You might not have this problem as you heat the backside of the enclosure.

All these are plastic boxes.

Give your T a week and she will be living closer to the heat mat

I wouldn't put the heat mat under an enclosure. Like you are stating, T's burrow down and even though there is space between the enclosure and mat, it can get too warm because of the substrate isolating it.

 

[smitje]

I wouldn't put the heat mat under an enclosure. Like you are stating, T's burrow down and even though there is space between the enclosure and mat, it can get too warm because of the substrate isolating it.

Very true and the soil is a much better conductor that will retain more heat than the air above it. Thats why I was measuring the soil temperature and less so the air temperature. The gap between the enclosure and the mat is, in my case, sufficiënt to keep temperatures well below hot. It definatly needs the gap though or temperatures rise quickly to 35 celcius (maybe over that).

Funny part was even my B. smithi, she never burrowed, started to dig down to the mat. She left a centimeter of soil and can be found in that corner most of the time. Just make sure you measure what you do and its going to be fine.

 

[Andrea82]

Very true and the soil is a much better conductor that will retain more heat than the air above it. Thats why I was measuring the soil temperature and less so the ture. The gap between the enclosure and the mat is, in my case, sufficiënt to keep temperatures well below hot. It definatly needs the gap though or temperatures rise quickly to 35 celcius (maybe over that).

Funny part was even my B. smithi, she never burrowed, started to dig down to the mat. She left a centimeter of soil and can be found in that corner most of the time. Just make sure you measure what you do and its going to be fine.

I know what you mean. When the central heating turns off in the evening, the spiders can all be found on the sides where the heatcable is. I only use the cable to keep the temp around 23°c daytime, and 19/20°c nighttime.

 

[Andrea82]

@Myrmeleon care to elaborate on what you did not like about my post?

 

[EulersK]

@Myrmeleon care to elaborate on what you did not like about my post?

Almost a year later?

 

[cold blood]

Almost a year later?

But the post was just disliked

 

[EulersK]

But the post was just disliked

Ah, I thought she was talking about from all that time ago

 

[Myrmeleon]

@Myrmeleon care to elaborate on what you did not like about my post?

Oops sorry, I was reading this thread because I was going to use something to heat an individual tank and wanted to know how to properly insulate it. I must have accidentally clicked that XD.