Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Every time I used my infrared temp gun on my leos enclosures measuring surface temps I got highly varying temps, so I just did this little experiment

Here is what Im using:
A infrared temp gun from radio shack, a zoo med heat pad, a thermostat (not relevant to this) and a indoor/outdoor digital thermometer.

I adhered the heat pad to a flat surface; Then I pass my infrared gun about 6 inches above the heat pad (as described in the guns manual for most accurate results). I keep the button on the gun pressed so I keep getting readings as I pass it over different section of the heat pad, and the temps range from 98-120 degrees farenheit!!!!!

To further make sure I use my digital thermometer.
I tape the digital thermometer probe to the middle of the heat pad and get temps around 104F, then I move the probe towards one of the corners tape it again and get 95F!!!

Thats a measure 9 degree variation with only two test with the digital thermometer, and a 22 degree variation when I use the more accurate temp gun.

SO WHATS UP WITH THESE HEAT PADS!!!

I have been using them for awhile with good results but I just keep getting more and more bothered every time I take the temps.

I use the heat pad on different types of rubbermaids and plastic drawers from target, and on the surface I get approximately the same variation.

So what can I use that doesnt have such a high variation????
Also is there something I could maybe put between the heat pad and the rubbermaids for the heat pad to spread the heat more evenly??
The heat pad are kept on 24/7.

What do I trust??? My herps are doing fine but I want more control over what Im doing!!

Does anyone have any info or insight on this, also opinions are welcome.

Thanks
Jack
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0.1 Hypo-Tang Leopard Gecko
0.1 Tremper Albino Hypo Tang Leopard Gecko
1.0 Hypo Tang Leopard Gecko
1.0 Crested Geckos
0.0.1 CB Baby Saharan Uromastyx
1.0 Amel Cornsnake
0.0.1 Spotted Python

this is the whole reason i stopped using zoo med.

1. temps not consistent
2. they do not last long
3. just too darn hot

i switched all my tanks to either human heat pads on medium, keeps the hot spot at about 92 all the way around. or cobra heat mats, keeps hot spot at about 95 but that is heating through half inch plexi glass ass well.

first and foremost i would say get rid of them, go to walmart fork out 7 bucks and buy a human heat pad, they work alot better and are alot cheaper.

froggy
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The next time the shuttle lands, lets all get dressed up in ape suits and charge at the astronaughts yelling and ranting. That way they can try to figure out where they took a wrong turn.

Ive had a couple of human heat pads for awhile to use for herps but I only use them in last case situation since most poeple on other forums always say their better.
I ran the temp gun over the human heat pad and although the heat pad is much bigger which does help its case a little I found a much smaller variation of about 6-8 degrees, much better than the 22 degree variation on the zoomed heat pads.

Although, one of the reasons I didnt use these for the leos was because someone said that the reptile heat pad are made to work 24/7 while the human heat pads arent and that this could lead the human heat pads to become a fire hazard!
Is there any truth to this???
Now that I think of it I remember that someone told me they use nothing but human heat pads for 15 years with herps, but Im not sure if he left them on 24/7.
What do you think is it a fire hazard?? Is it more likely than the reptile ones to cause a fire???

Thanks
Jack
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0.1 Hypo-Tang Leopard Gecko
0.1 Tremper Albino Hypo Tang Leopard Gecko
1.0 Hypo Tang Leopard Gecko
1.0 Crested Geckos
0.0.1 CB Baby Saharan Uromastyx
1.0 Amel Cornsnake
0.0.1 Spotted Python

well i have about 6 of them going right know and three of them have been going non stop for the last three years. i havent had any problems wht them.

froggy
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The next time the shuttle lands, lets all get dressed up in ape suits and charge at the astronaughts yelling and ranting. That way they can try to figure out where they took a wrong turn.

Jack
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0.1 Hypo-Tang Leopard Gecko
0.1 Tremper Albino Hypo Tang Leopard Gecko
1.0 Hypo Tang Leopard Gecko
1.0 Crested Geckos
0.0.1 CB Baby Saharan Uromastyx
1.0 Amel Cornsnake
0.0.1 Spotted Python

Human heat pads certainly do run nice esp since they have temp settings from low-med-high.Like you I thought about them but hear fire hazard so got scared but some sware by them.I am to nervous to do it.I did switch to cobra heat pads which run constant 95 to 100.atleast mine do I got rid of all my zoomed pads which I found terrible they can get so so hot they crack the bottom of the glass tank.
I run my cobra pads without temp control gauge and they run a constant nice snake temp.
Bianca

Youre right about the cobras

The first heat pad I got was a cobra, and its still better than the zoomeds it doesnt get as hot and it doesnt fluctuate or vary as much. For some reason I thought the zoomeds would be better, and I also got one of the exotera which is even worse its basically a piece of heat tape with a plug in it.
Anyways Im done with the xoomeds, and now Ill be using nothing but human heat pads and maybe the cobras although maybe not sinceI have one human heat pad that was 15 bucks and fits two of my leo bins so it comes out cheaper.

Jack
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0.1 Hypo-Tang Leopard Gecko
0.1 Tremper Albino Hypo Tang Leopard Gecko
1.0 Hypo Tang Leopard Gecko
1.0 Crested Geckos
0.0.1 CB Baby Saharan Uromastyx
1.0 Amel Cornsnake
0.0.1 Spotted Python

Jack –

I loved your post! It kind of defines the word obsessive with regard to animal care. And I mean that only in the BEST possible way!

Of course the critical thing in your entire description is “My herps are doing fine…” When you ask “What do I trust?, I think the answer is: your common sense and your leos’ innate basking abilities. If you took that temp gun to your geckos’ native land (if it weren’t so dangerous for Americans right now) and measured around various objects sitting out in the bright sun, you’d get quite a range of temperatures, too. So, as long as you have an appropriate range of temps in your enclosure, those herps will continue to do fine.

I know that’s not exactly what you were asking. So, regarding the varying temperatures produced by the various heating products, I guess you could find a manufacturer to make you some that could hold a temperature to, say, 100 degrees across the entire surface of the heater to within a quarter inch of each edge and constant to within one half a degree. If you had really, really deep pockets. Whether you use high or low quality herp heaters, or human heat pads for that matter, the nature of the beast is that you have to live with SOME variations. With a product like Flexwatt or the Ultratherm heat pads, you can see the conductors running down the edges. If you measure directly over them, the temperature will be considerably less than the (reasonably) constant temps in the middle. Maybe you ought to try one of these brands and see if you can live with their variances

Another way to look at this issue: turn your temp gun on yourself and compare the readings you get on your skin’s surface at various locations versus the 98.6 degrees we consider our “normal” core temperature. There might be a 20 degree difference, yet we would say we feel comfortable.

-Joan

Thanks for the compliment!

I guess what bothers me is that heat requirements of herps have different ranges for different herps, but I could argue that just by pointing my infrared gun at a diffferent spot on the heat pad it meets two or three different requirements!!!

Since I keep the more hardy herps, Ive been guessing that maybe Im GETTING AWAY WITH IT, but now that I experimented more closely and I have a thermostat which everyone says controls temps (hmmm??), I just wonder how people taking care of herps with more specialized and defined requirements and which are more sensitive to them do it!!
Maybe the more expensive heat panels are more stable or maybe just giving allot of room gives for more area for thermoregulation, but what about hatchlings or newborns that need small enclosures to not to get stressed out???

I actually took the above suggestion and tried human heat pads which have less variation, and hopefully I can keep improving to better equipment.

Jack

P.S. I ran the temp gun along my body and the variation was about 8 degrees, still allot less than the 22 degrees from the heat pad!!! LOL
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0.1 Hypo-Tang Leopard Gecko
0.1 Tremper Albino Hypo Tang Leopard Gecko
1.0 Hypo Tang Leopard Gecko
1.0 Crested Geckos
0.0.1 CB Baby Saharan Uromastyx
1.0 Amel Cornsnake
0.0.1 Spotted Python

>> I ran the temp gun along my body and the variation was about 8 degrees, still allot less than the 22 degrees from the heat pad!!!

Now wait just a minute there! The comparison was supposed to be to the 98.6 base. Anyway, I find those IR temp guns extremely helpful in combination with observation of my herps’ behavior in getting the thermal gradients right.

I am using Hagen heat pads stuck to the smooth side of ceramic tiles. I place the tile about 1/4 inch under the cage/tank. Some I control with lamp dimmer switches, and some with thermostats. I ASSUME the ceramic tiles act as a thermal mass and even out the temps. I have not measured variation across the tiles, so I am not really sure this is responsive to your question. Just thought I would throw it out as another way to approach the problem. Frank