| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| liesela |
Posted - 15/09/2010 : 22:01:14
I have a problem with keeping my viv warm! every night the temp drops to about 20degrees C and I've resorted to putting a towel or jumper over the top andsides to keep poor Mytika warm enough!
I have an exo terra viv - hence covering the top.
my heat mat is on the shelf on some tinfoil insulated cardboard and the vivs on top, i've got a thin layer of substrate over the top and the probe is touching the base of the viv -slightly buried in the aspen.
temp still reads 22 or 23 at warmest! thermostat set to 30C
any ideas? |
| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| mikerichards |
Posted - 17/09/2010 : 23:51:19
quote:
Originally posted by gregDT
Lastly the temperature of the heat mat shouldn't go much above 30 C. That's actually colder than our own body temperature (37 C) so the heat mat will always feel cool to the touch. I doubt that anything the vivarium is made of (glass, plastic, wood) is going to have a problem with such a low temperature.
not having a dig, but do a little experiment for me, and post the results, i assume you have a digital theremometer, take the probe and hold it in your hand, see what temps your hands are.
I did this a while ago, and i will compare my hand temp to yours.
As i said, its not a dig, but more of a little experiment to prove what you said wrong am afraid! Dont take it personally please. |
| Kehhlyr |
Posted - 17/09/2010 : 20:43:35
Dial thermometers are (in my opinion) about as useful as an ejector seat for a helicopter.
In regards someone said about heat-mats possibly cracking glass, although this has been known to happen it has also only ever happened on unstat'd mats. For it to happen with a mat that is stat'd then something would have to be drastically wrong with the stat/mat. |
| liesela |
Posted - 17/09/2010 : 11:43:01
i've bought a digital thermometer which i've been told is in the post today! so i'm thinking because mytika is always on the cold side during the day that the mat is fine and my dial thermometer isn't recording accurately!
he's behaving normally, very active in evenings too so i'm gonna try feed him today! first time for me since getting him so i'm pretty stoked :D hopefully he eats!!!! |
| drchino |
Posted - 17/09/2010 : 10:09:46
Now everyones got their heating on in the floors below us, all the heat rises and we have to open our windows so we don't roast alive in the flat! The breeze blowing in has caused the temperature to drop by about a degree in the viv so I'll have to keep an eye on that as it gets colder. If it gets too bad I may move the mat inside the viv. |
| pompey666 |
Posted - 17/09/2010 : 01:21:22
ive got two of my corns in these types of vivs i have got my heat mats on the inside as long as u have got a stat and a digi thermometre they will be fine and its gettin colder evry day so you might be better putting yours on the inside too. |
| gregDT |
Posted - 16/09/2010 : 14:14:37
A couple of points. First as mentioned snakes are experts at looking after their internal body temperature. If the cold end is too cold they will obviously move up the warm end. As long as there is a hide on the top of the heat mat the snake can go there and get warm. If it moves into the colder end it might just not stay there as long. In the wild Corn Snakes deal with all kinds of temperature ranges from the teens up as high as the low forties.
If the cold end temperature is causing a problem then one solution is to buy a second heat mat and stat. Set that to the appropriate cold temperature and it should be fine. It's an expensive solution but it will get the job done.
Lastly the temperature of the heat mat shouldn't go much above 30 C. That's actually colder than our own body temperature (37 C) so the heat mat will always feel cool to the touch. I doubt that anything the vivarium is made of (glass, plastic, wood) is going to have a problem with such a low temperature. |
| drchino |
Posted - 16/09/2010 : 12:25:18
Hmm good point about raising the heat mat up. I'll look in B&Q for something |
| liesela |
Posted - 16/09/2010 : 12:22:13
not a digital thermometer, I've got an exo terra dial one inside sort of half way up above the mat, only a thin layer of aspen over mat but still if i touch the glass on the inside or the desk underneath him its not very warm :( where can i get a cheap digital thermometer from? I'm skint til end of month when student loan pays out! |
| mikerichards |
Posted - 16/09/2010 : 12:18:42
How are you measuring the temps? Snakes thermoregulate, they know exactly what they are doing, its the same as us, we get too hot, he go cool down, get too cold and we go warm up. 21 degrees is way to cold, too cold for feeding too, do you have a digi thermometer on the bedding at the warm end? |
| liesela |
Posted - 16/09/2010 : 12:16:25
I haven't even had him a week yet! I'm just worried that the warm side isn't warm enough for him, what happens when it gets really cold in winter? |
| bigal |
Posted - 16/09/2010 : 12:07:48
I aint an expert but I can say snake often confuses me. I get up on a cool morning and he has spent the night on the cool side. Next time I go to find him he is on the warm side and seems to have raised his body temp considerably. As I have had him 2 years now and he is a healthy snake I assume he knows what he is doing. As long as they have the choice of warm and cooler places it seems to me that as long as they are in good health it aint anything to worry about. |
| liesela |
Posted - 16/09/2010 : 11:40:38
So if i get a polystyrene square its gotta be same size as base of viv right? then what about air flow between mat and glass cos wont it be squished up against the glass? right now with a towel over top and back the temps 21C. and Mytika's lying on the cool side! I dont get it. Should I be worrying or not?
I grew up in South Africa, the only problem we had was keeping our snakes cool enough inside in summer, I've never used mats and thermostats before! :P |
| bigal |
Posted - 16/09/2010 : 08:55:09
I have the same viv (but larger) I bought the heat mat specially designed for glass viv. It sticks to the outside of the bottom of the viv. never had problem keeping substrate warm and it gets pretty cold in my house at night in winter. |
| mikerichards |
Posted - 16/09/2010 : 08:21:21
I put the heatmat inside the exo's I have, the gap isn't gonna help at all, still use the polystyrene, it will insulate it anyway. |
| n/a |
Posted - 16/09/2010 : 08:15:18
Forgot to say Kehhlyr - on our exo terra viv the bottom is glass but it is raised about 0.5-1cm on plastic feet. We didn't worry about that at first because I'd seen comments about not placing heat mats right next to glass in case it cracked but we're now going to get a polystyrene tile and cut it to size to fit underneath so it sounds like it might be a bit like your atasuki viv once we've finished |
| n/a |
Posted - 16/09/2010 : 08:10:21
My exo terra viv (30cm cubed) seems to be cold as well. Only the past couple of nights when the weather's got cooler. There seems to be a fairly large gap between the glass and bottom of the viv which we thought was fine but last night we put underlay insulation (we're getting a polystyrene tile today from B&Q) and tinfoil under the heat mat to raise it and try and keep the heat near the viv) I'm also worried that Delilah is scared of the amount of glass around her (she's only 10 weeks old so everything is scary right now). We're getting backing to put round all 3 sides but I might just look at a different vivarium. We had a plastic 'viv' as part of a starter kit from the breeder but we thought this one looked better - I may put her back in the old one again and sell this. I'll put the fire on tonight and I might go now and put a towel round her. They're like babies aren't they! (maybe its just us)
Michelle (AndyO's wife - and fastly becoming a corn snake fan!) |
| Kehhlyr |
Posted - 16/09/2010 : 00:00:12
Quick question, what it the bottom of the exo viv??
I've seen some of those and similar designed vivs with what looks like a plastic sheet underneath them, but between the plastic and the glass is a nice 4mm thick layer of 'styrene.
My Atasuki viv is like that, I shall get a piccy when I next empty it. |
| drchino |
Posted - 15/09/2010 : 23:09:48
That's strange though cos my hot end stays at about 28 degrees, even without a towel on top. Although my flat has incredible insulation and is on the top floor so we get everyone's heat rising up! We've only ever had the heating on when it snowed last year!!
I guess I've got a good situation for snakes! The problems you guys are having definitely makes me think twice about getting an exo-terra viv though cos I'm not gonna live here forever. I take it you have the mat underneath the viv? If so, I guess your only solution this winter will be to have the mat inside the viv. |
| rachiepotatoe |
Posted - 15/09/2010 : 22:43:12
Hmmm, that's odd :S
I'm really beginning to hate these exo terra vivs. Definately not getting one again ¬_¬ !!! |
| liesela |
Posted - 15/09/2010 : 22:17:53
my vivs the 30cm cube one, heat mats same length but half size, so dont understand it! the desks not even very warm under it. it was fine for first day or so but now its not and i'm worried about my sanke! he seems happy and active though, most mornings he's in the cool hide anyway and then at night hes al active and snooping around so i'm not sure what to do. its a brsnd new mat and thermostat too. |
