| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| bpluv |
Posted - 23/07/2011 : 21:45:56
As above really, what weight should a royal be to not be put in a viv with a heat mat?
Thanks guys
Neil. |
| 14 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| anatess |
Posted - 25/07/2011 : 15:56:51
"As above really, what weight should a royal be to not be put in a viv with a heat mat?"
Zero grams.
It is not advisable to put a royal in direct contact to a heat source - that includes heat mats, heat rocks, heat bulbs (hence you need guards), and any other heat stuff.
The only way you can use a heat mat on a vivarium is if you put it outside the viv - that is, on the outside of the floor for belly heat. That means, that you have to have a 1/4 inch gap for air circulation on one side of the mat.
In RUBs, you can attach the mat under the RUB (between the RUB and the shelf it is on). But, you have to put something hard around the mat (like blocks of wood) because the plastic will bend when you put something heavy on it, especially if it is heated and could potentially "sink" to the shelf to trap the heat mat.
In the US, most big breeders use belly heat instead of back heat (putting the heat source under the snake instead of over the snake). They say it is better to aid in digestion. Something about the royals in the wild do not bask - they pick hot ground at night and lay on it to absorb the heat then go back to the burrow.
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| bpluv |
Posted - 24/07/2011 : 11:58:00
Thanks bats, I'm sure I'll get there weather it be a false floor or false cieling.
Thanks for the help guys |
| n/a |
Posted - 24/07/2011 : 11:43:23
Aw thanks Bob.
Though I got the idea from this forum - actually the spacers were a necessity as the light fitting flexes had to come out of the ceilings - that was the only way to give the bulbs room to fit into the guards. The top spacers are chunks of polystyrene left over from packaging; they're plenty strong enough but look ugly, hence the tape. Keep meaning to get some sort of veneer strip.
They do work though - though the top left hand viv has a mat (small corn) the IR temps stay consistent although the middle viv bulbs tend to be dimmer, which doesn't matter.
Good luck with your project Bpluv. |
| bpluv |
Posted - 24/07/2011 : 10:54:49
I did that with the spacers before aswell but had to be 6 small 2 inch blocks or the heat would get trapped, that was when I was just stacking single vivs but I want one complete unit just need to work it out first :/ |
| Lotabob |
Posted - 24/07/2011 : 00:29:20
This is BATS solution to the same problem and to be honest probably the best way round it.
http://www.theroyalpython.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6267&whichpage=2
See the spacers, the gap isn't massive but the air can free flow through the gap dispersing any rising heat. |
| bpluv |
Posted - 23/07/2011 : 23:33:36
all my vivs are to be the same heat, i,e 90* hot 80 cool. i cant help thinking even if i make a wooden box with loads of holes in it to let the heat out it will still get too hot and be a waste of time and materials.
i need to sort it though as i want to get a adult female soon and will need the top viv for her and have him in the bottom viv.
idk, bit late now to think strait on the subject but i need to keep thinking as i dont want to use rubs cause it gets quite cold sometimes in our house.
thanks and night all |
| Lotabob |
Posted - 23/07/2011 : 23:02:08
Mats, vivariums and royals dont mix in my opinion. Air gaps are the way to go, free flow of air between the roof, the insulation/air gaps only really needs to be in the vicinity of the bulb, they kick the heat upwards but at the other end on the vivarium there will be very little heat transfer at that side. Positioning is everything in a viv stack, the hotter vivs go up top and cooler ones at the bottom. |
| bpluv |
Posted - 23/07/2011 : 22:43:35
lol, i tried it before formy boas but was 3x1s with rep rads, even with the proper insulation from peter at habistat and siver tape on the roof and with a 90* basking spot the floor above got to over 130s.
maybe false floor with a mat will bebetter, but would i stick the mat under the false floor or down on the bottom with the air gap above?
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| Lotabob |
Posted - 23/07/2011 : 22:32:44
Yeah false ceilings are the future, lol, you can also buy thin reflective insulation from B&Q. I'm designing a vivstack at the moment and started off with a false ceiling it soon turned into gecko vivarium and cupboard. |
| bpluv |
Posted - 23/07/2011 : 22:20:04
ok thanks for the replys, reason i ask is i have a 4x3 viv converted into 3, 2 2x2s at the bottom and the 4x2 at the top.
i have mats in the small bottom vivs cause of the floor of the top viv getting too hot with anything else and a ceramic setup in the top.
i have a leo gecko in one 2x2 and was going to put my 1300g male into the other 2x2 and use the 4x2 for a female when i get it and breeding etc, but dont want to put him in direct contact for obvious reasons. i was thinking of thermal blocking but wanted confirmation really.
might have to put a false ceiling in the lower viv.
my male is 4ft ish but doesnt look too big in the 2x2.
thanks agin guys.
Neil |
| n/a |
Posted - 23/07/2011 : 22:15:33
quote:
Originally posted by Lotabob
I'm going to have to disagree, if the Royal is in direct contact with the mat, ie a vivarium setup with the mat inside, then thermal blocking can and does occur, a stat can only do so much to prevent it too, if the snake is on the mat but not on the stat probe the blocking will occur away from the stats watchful eye. I would say if you have the setup where the snake would be in direct contact with the heat mat then save your money dont buy the heat mat and just go straight for the bulb heating route. In a RUB or rack the snake is no in direct contact with the mat so the chances of a burn are greatly reduced.
(BATS we overlapped again, we are going to have to stop meeting like this  )
LOL - you and me and Hodgie too ... |
| Lotabob |
Posted - 23/07/2011 : 22:10:38
I'm going to have to disagree, if the Royal is in direct contact with the mat, ie a vivarium setup with the mat inside, then thermal blocking can and does occur, a stat can only do so much to prevent it too, if the snake is on the mat but not on the stat probe the blocking will occur away from the stats watchful eye. I would say if you have the setup where the snake would be in direct contact with the heat mat then save your money dont buy the heat mat and just go straight for the bulb heating route. In a RUB or rack the snake is no in direct contact with the mat so the chances of a burn are greatly reduced.
(BATS we overlapped again, we are going to have to stop meeting like this ) |
| n/a |
Posted - 23/07/2011 : 22:05:09
Umm, not sure about the precise weight, but, if the snake's too big to crawl inside the mesh of a bulb guard, you might as well get a heat bulb fixed up.
Tbh I hate heat mats - unless you catch them at it, snakey can make a fine mess and wee, and all the moisture can get dried out so that you think you've cleaned thoroughly ...only you haven't. Plus with a larger snake, even a slim one that is safe to leave with a heat mat, a huge wee can cause big problems as heat mats aren't fully waterproof. Imo, heat mats are better underneath rubs, not snakes ... |
| hodgie |
Posted - 23/07/2011 : 22:03:38
Impossible to say. people say they aren`t recommended for large snakes, but there is no info on what wieght this starts at. I would assume that a large snake was a large Boa or a Burmese. Considering that Royals need 2 hides (unlike Boa`s) and one is at the warm end then if the warm end is the correct temp it probably isn`t an issue, i say this on the principle that it isn`t an issue if you have a 3kg + Royal in a rack system on mats. |
