| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| n/a |
Posted - 06/08/2010 : 08:01:11
hi forum, I'm setting up my large Viv ready for when my little corn is big enough to go in and I've just got 2 digital thermometers for it, 1 for either end, I've got the ones with a long probe that you put at the back of the viv with the wire leading round the sides and the screen in view at the front, few questions though, where should I put the probe? high or low at the back and how far along? and also what's the best way to pin the wire to the side? should I use household speaker wire pins? the ones with a c shape plastic cup and a nail or should I use a staple? I'm not sure what to use coz I don't want to poison my snake with any toxic metal, or should I just leave it 'loose' tucked against the side and conceal it behind the logs and under the substrate? thanks for any help
edit...moved to general section |
| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Stacii |
Posted - 09/08/2010 : 15:52:30
i know you probably already have your stat but i just wanted to say, just because your snake LOOKS ok in the plastic viv with no stat doesnt mean they are
my first snake died because of exsessive regurgitation caused by the heatmat being too warm (i too was a complete noob) and i had no stat.
she was fine when i brought her home and my "reptile specialist" (later found out to be money grabbing beeeeps) had said i had everything id need,( faunarium, aspen, water bowl & heatmat) so off i went and for the first few weeks she was fine but then she was regurging every meal and not drinking, at one point her water dish (metal) which was in the COLD end burnt me when i was doing water changes.
please think of your snake as others have said if the mat feels AT ALL warm to you then your snake will be BURNING but not necessarily visibly burning.
please dont let anything like the pictures above or my story happen to you.
i know we are all here to learn but when advice is given and you ignore it then people will be really reluctant to help when you have any further problems.
S xx |
| Kehhlyr |
Posted - 09/08/2010 : 15:04:04
quote:
Originally posted by BurnedAtTheStake from another thread
Hi, me again. This may be just me, but the first time I set up a thermostat, it drove me mad! Excellent stat - Habistat mat stat - but the little gismo in the centre that looks like the top of a screw for adjusting the temp ...? No indication as to how to set it, in instructions or on website ... mind you I don't seem to have the necessary Adobe software to access info that might have told me.
Whatever. I sussed out that I would have to use something like a precision screwdriver to turn it to required temp, and trial and error told me the top setting (and asking questions at the shop), but when you haven't used one before it's a bit frustrating ...
Also, why do they market heatmats that reach excessive temps, so that another piece of equipment is essential to keep the mat at a safe temp? Sorry, slightly off-topic here, and I'm sure better minds than mine will have some answers, but it does puzzle me!
ps, not meaning to have a rant or open a can of worms or start debate. But it's a subject that has bewildered me since starting to set up equipment.
It's a valid point, and one with an answer that is genuinely hard to give.
I've had shops in the past tell me that stats aren't required for mats, and 10 minutes later in a different conversation they'll ask if you have a stat setup correctly.
To be honest, as i said in my post directly above this is what I think is the answer. Yet AFTER you've got the snake and have had it at home for a short while that's when they'll ask about your stat, then finding out (even though they knew) that you didn't have one, that's when they tell you it's necessary.
A rep shop up the road from me had someone working there that told people that stats weren't needed for hatchies but were for bigger snakes, can anyone see the poor logic in that??? Or are baby snakes more experienced at not getting burned.
I think the reason he was doing that is because 99% of people were going in for their first hatchie, normally a corn as well.
As it stands, he no longer works for that shop, I don't know why but I don't think it's hard to work out because they were one of the very few shops that let you know exactly what was needed, and on occasion would refuse to sell to someone if they thought they hadn't done enough homework themselves. |
| Kehhlyr |
Posted - 08/08/2010 : 14:25:11
quote:
Originally posted by reggie_69
haha man this guy is getting abit ripped! i think he has the point!
and hey pompey snake! i hope everything goes ok!!!!
It's not about getting 'ripped', it was actually about putting our point across that 95% of reptile shops don't tell you that a stat is not only needed but is essential, just in case the extra cost of having to buy one costs them a sale.
It's a sad time when most don't. |
| matty18714 |
Posted - 08/08/2010 : 11:14:19
Im glad that you have decided to get a stat, it really is the most important peice of kit.
I apologise if you thought te forum was "mobbing" you here, but it really is a forum full of people who care and many have been keeping snakes for a long, long time.
Im glad that you chose to get digital thermometers too, I dont know why pet shops still sell the dials with heat mats, thats not what they are for. If you were using one to measure your heat mat and had it flat on the floor, the temp was probably 5*C more than you thought. If it was upright, then it wasnt even measuring the mat.
I was in exactly the same boat when I got my first snake. I called my local shop, and got told that I didnt need a stat and to just turn the heat mat off during summer.... |
| reggie_69 |
Posted - 08/08/2010 : 10:50:11
haha man this guy is getting abit ripped! i think he has the point!
and hey pompey snake! i hope everything goes ok!!!! |
| n/a |
Posted - 08/08/2010 : 09:42:19
I'll get a stat today |
| n/a |
Posted - 08/08/2010 : 09:32:03
sorry, bit harsh, I'll get a stat today, I know you only care but bloody hell give me a break, I'll get a stat this very day, can't get much fairer than that. |
| n/a |
Posted - 08/08/2010 : 09:24:53
look, I told you I don't know, ok, yeah you are all experts but I'm not, I'm only going by what the shop says, I'll get the stat right now, jesus christ just shoot me in the face for not having a stat. |
| Kehhlyr |
Posted - 08/08/2010 : 00:24:48
Stats are ESSENTIAL, end of.
I've been keeping reps for close to 20 years, but evidently I don't count as an 'expert' either.
If you don't want any help/advice/info, then don't ask.
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| lee2308 |
Posted - 07/08/2010 : 23:11:58
we know your going on advice from people who you think are "experts" and its hard to know who to listen too,but a lot of shops dont tell new owners about stats as it puts the price of the kit up and then new buyers are put off altogether,i would like to know which shop is giving you this information if you would like to email me and tell me then the forum is not being involved. |
| gmac |
Posted - 07/08/2010 : 22:46:54
quote:
Originally posted by pompey snake
and as I say i'll get a stat tomorrow if I need one, believe me I want the best for my lad and I'll get whatever is needed, trust me I will!
seriously how many people does it take to tell you, you NEED one, you say you want whats best, a stat is best, the entire forum is not wrong.
I hope you get one before you realise you should have have got one.
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| n/a |
Posted - 07/08/2010 : 22:38:43
its not too hot, its about 25-27c, I've got a perfect warm and cold area, the sergeant seems happy enough so I guess its ok, I'm still learning but I do take on board fully what you lot say
and as I say i'll get a stat tomorrow if I need one, believe me I want the best for my lad and I'll get whatever is needed, trust me I will! |
| mikeyd_26 |
Posted - 07/08/2010 : 22:34:27
its for the welfare and correct care for your snake, now thats got to be worth £25 quid! Has'nt it? |
| n/a |
Posted - 07/08/2010 : 19:19:41
I'll go and buy one if I need one, I really did.nt know and I'm certainly not ignorant I'm just following the advice I got, by the way the mat is under the plastic viv not inside it and I know he won't get burnt coz it ain't hot enough but I'll look at them tomorrow and get one if I need to, they do know what they are talking about coz they are all snake owners not just selling them, I'll investigate |
| hillzi |
Posted - 07/08/2010 : 14:06:31
I've heard some people can call the test that Phil (and others) have done as a hoax...
This thread is probably the best on that forum. > http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/snakes/174166-do-i-really-need-thermostat.html
For the sake of £20 odd pound, it'll be a lot cheaper, and less of a shock than treating a burn or waking up to find it, it aint worth the risk mate.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HABISTAT-heat-MAT-STAT-Reptile-Vivarium-THERMOSTAT-NEW-/290421207349?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Reptiles_Spiders_Insects&hash=item439e73f135
Thats exactly what you need, no ones trying to scare monger you, burns are rare, but they happen all to easy, prevention is better than the cure.
I just think some people may get a bit irritated when you ask for advice and ignore it. |
| gingerpony |
Posted - 07/08/2010 : 07:07:09
even if you just use your hand if the mat feels remotely warm to you, a human at 37*C, then its too hot for your snake................ |
| lee2308 |
Posted - 06/08/2010 : 19:25:35
76c = 168.8f still think your mats safe as it is? |
| lee2308 |
Posted - 06/08/2010 : 19:12:27
Im sorry but if you take that advice then please dont ask whats happened to your snake when you find it like this
totaly irresponsable of any shop to not recommend a stat.
this was posted by Kehhlyr to show what temps a mat can reach,bear in mind its in celcius not farenhiet.
quote:
Originally posted by Kehhlyr
I would like to draw your attention to the following pics, they were taken about 5 mins ago, on a mat that I left without a stat to see how hot it would get.
Even I was suprised at how hot it got, yet with the stat it sits happily around the 29c mark.
There is a variation of about 10-12 degrees C across the mat.
This mat was left on the carpet with a feeding rub on top, to emulate a mat without a stat without risking damaging a snake.
However not all mats might hit this temperature, but is it a risk worth taking?
A £20-30 stat, or potentially hundreds of pounds on vet treatment, I know what I'd go for.
I'm not trying to scare-monger you, but a stat is essential, and it should be something that is purchased at the same time as the heatmat.
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| CSN |
Posted - 06/08/2010 : 18:14:33
pompey snake - listen to these guys u really need a stat!! people who own pet shops usually talk rubbish, this site is the best i have been on for snake information and if these guys say you need something then you need it. dont be ignorant. you will learn alot here if you are willing to listen and take advice please be careful!!! |
| DannyBrown91 |
Posted - 06/08/2010 : 16:53:48
If these "snake specialists" were really that, then they'd have told you to get a stat. You really do need to get one, not to is not only seriously stupid but ignorant aswell.
If you read through the forum then you will probably gather what most people think of most pet shops and their so called "reptile experts"... |
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