Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hello!
i have a question on heating setups, i have a 30gal glass tank, i bought a under tank heating mat for it, stuck it on and i can feel its warm but its definitally not raising the tank temp to what is needed, its actually only a few(1 or 2) degrees above room temp. are these undertank mats just generally not great for heating? or perhaps i purchased a substandard model? i have heard that lamps can be bad for thier skin but i have no experiance with heating for snakes so i really dont know. fortunately i dont have a snake in there yet but i was hoping to have the tank setup and runnin so that i could bring one home from an expo this sunday. so any help or advice will be greatly appreciated!

...your heat mat is exactly what you need. Don't be concerned with the air temp. Heat mats, or under-tank heaters, are designed to heat the substrate in a localized area in order to provide a warm surface for your snake to use when needed that they can easily move away from. This is what they need as opposed to a warm air environment that they can't escape. Their bodies are in constant contact with surface temps, which is a more efficient means of thermoregulation, they can easily move to a cooler surface when they no longer need the heat, and they will need a significantly cooler area to use. Being that your kingsnake will need to be able to move away from that heat when it isn't needed and retreat to a cooler surface area of the tank, be sure to position that heat mat on one end of the tank and provide hiding places on both warm and cool ends.

If you use lighting, be sure it is relatively low wattage or use it with a dimmer, and use a standard incandescent type that is not a basking or spot lamp that will heat up an area. Kingsnakes don't need to bask in warm light unless that is their only source of heat to use. Position your lighting somewhat away from the cool end, even standard incandescent type bulbs generate heat and you don't want to heat up the cool end of things too much if you can avoid it.

So, your heat mat will do the job just right... bring that awesome kingsnake home TOMORROW!!!

Mike

That is great advice and some awesome mexicanas!!!
Todd Hughes

Thanks Todd, and that's a pretty awesome mexicana you have there yourself... great saddles!

Mike

Thanks, Mike!
Todd Hughes

nice kings i exp like the bottom i hope my little yellow thayeri turns out like that one day thanks for sharing them

Thanks... and no matter how your thayeri turns out, it's gonna be mighty nice and will definitely be well worth having in your breeding group. I remember seeing it in the Mexicana forum.

I also spotted your recently built racks... excellent job! Man they really turned out nice.

Mike

2003 Jonel Lopez female.....

Nice Thayeri.
-----
RBICHLER

thanks. i have 2.3 thayeri now but one is a female that i am keeping as a non breeder due to incubation trouble that caused a slight kink. if it is an incubation error can it still be past on geneticly? look at her pic and you will see my pain in not breeding her in the future. that 03 Jonel Lopez is awsome. i wanted to buy some from him last week but my wife put a lockdown on the snake funds lol. i got to produce some now to get snake money. i,m sue i am not the only snake keeper on this diet HEHEHE. jason wilson

...it was caused by an incubation situation, I wouldn't hold her back. She is way too nice in all respects not to give her a chance. Head pattern, saddle pattern, color... she has a whole lot going for her. Very nice looking female!

Incubation abnormalities regardless of what they are (skeletal deformities, unusual patterns, etc...), aren't a genetic issue and therefore can't be passed along to offspring. Skeletal problems generally shouldn't cause too many problems with a breeding female unless it is a situation where there is severely restricted movement, or a restricted pathway for the eggs to pass during oviposition. Give her a couple years before you decide to throw in her towel for breeding. There is always the chance her situation is transitory and she can grow through most of it.

Mike

P.S. I've been off that diet for a while now, so I am way out of control over here!

thanks mike. i think she has come a long way in the last few months. maybe i will rethink it when she is older. her egg was to close to the heat in the incubator and got to dry from my understanding. she has been a good eater.and has out grown any signs of the kink. the other hatchlings were in great shape.
jason

thanks for the advice! first snake for me so im worried about having the right setup. i am using aspen bedding, should i put anything below it to keep the snake from sitting on the glass and burning himself if he burrows? also is any type of sand substrate ok to use for these snakes? calci-sand or such.

sorry for all the questions! and thx for the help=)

You're welcome. And I know the feeling of wanting to do it right the first time, so no problem with questions.

As long as your snake has plenty of that room I talked about for it to move away from the hot spot, there won't be a problem. It will burrow around and find that perfect spot. And sand is perfectly fine as a substrate, a little harder to clean but it is perfectly safe as long as you don't feed on it. I use aspen sani-chips and I feed in separate empty plastic containers to eliminate any chance of substrate ingestion along with the food item.

Mike

thanks again, hopefully i'll find what im lookin for at the expo tomorrow!

At the advice of markg, I've gone to Eco Earth for a big part of my bedding. I actually use four different types of substrate, but I'm being a bit extreme. However, Eco Earth is a great substrate material, and my California kingsnake loves it. I've thought about adding Calci-sand as another option in another part of my cage.

Bill
-----
It's not how many snakes you have. It's how happy and healthy you can keep them.

I have fallen in love with that third snake. Beautiful!