Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok well i have a 15x12 human heat mat under my 55 gallon tank. I use astro turf as bedding. For some reason it is reading 97-100 now with my digital thermometer with a prob. Usually its around 90... i think its qwrong ebcause the turf where the heat mat is feels warm not hot at all.....Is there any wat to be sure of this..?
Jake

Jake,

I'm not sure if it is a temporary thing, or just what your plans are for what you use as bedding for your burm, but I just wanted to suggest to you that Astro-turf is something you might not want to use.

This is simply because it just isn't sanitary - that is, it's not easy to clean properly, thereby serving as a sort of incubator for germs in general. So unless you change it with new material on a frequent basis (which you may do?) it's not really a good choice for bedding.

And if you are to use fresh/new turf regularly, the chemical vapors your snake would be breathing all the time from the new plastic outgassing would probably wind up giving him some kind of cancer. I understand that is just conjecture on my part, but I don't like to take chances where I don't have to when it comes to the health of my pets.

Just a heads-up,
- Mark
.

>>Ok well i have a 15x12 human heat mat under my 55 gallon tank. I use astro turf as bedding. For some reason it is reading 97-100 now with my digital thermometer with a prob. Usually its around 90... i think its qwrong ebcause the turf where the heat mat is feels warm not hot at all.....Is there any wat to be sure of this..?
>>Jake

I really question Jake's/Bloodboy's ability to keep burms and promised myself that I probably wouldn't respond any more to his posts because he fails to take good advice, HOWEVER, for the sake of other readers reading this post, HUMAN HEAT PADS SHOULD NOT BE USED TO HEAT REPTILES. THere have been a number of confirmed cases of entire houses burning down due to using these types of heat pads to heat reptile cages; that is NOT THEIR INTENDED USE!! There were not designed to be left on 24/7. Why do people continue to do such stupid things? I'll tell you! They are TOO CHEAP TO DO THINGS PROPERLY. And when you cut corners, you will only end up either killing your snake, or worse, yourself (or personal property).

>>Jake,
>>
>>I'm not sure if it is a temporary thing, or just what your plans are for what you use as bedding for your burm, but I just wanted to suggest to you that Astro-turf is something you might not want to use.
>>
>>This is simply because it just isn't sanitary - that is, it's not easy to clean properly, thereby serving as a sort of incubator for germs in general. So unless you change it with new material on a frequent basis (which you may do?) it's not really a good choice for bedding.
>>
>>And if you are to use fresh/new turf regularly, the chemical vapors your snake would be breathing all the time from the new plastic outgassing would probably wind up giving him some kind of cancer. I understand that is just conjecture on my part, but I don't like to take chances where I don't have to when it comes to the health of my pets.
>>
>>Just a heads-up,
>>- Mark
>>.
>>
>>>>Ok well i have a 15x12 human heat mat under my 55 gallon tank. I use astro turf as bedding. For some reason it is reading 97-100 now with my digital thermometer with a prob. Usually its around 90... i think its qwrong ebcause the turf where the heat mat is feels warm not hot at all.....Is there any wat to be sure of this..?
>>>>Jake
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

Carmichael i respect you....but you cannot get mad everytime someone does things differet;ly than you....I have sucess with human heat pads...bottom line.....I will only be using it for 4 more months anyway before i get my big cage then i switch to some reptile heat mat from online....And for your 411 i do take eveyones advise it may not seem like im listening but I am.....So ploease do not judge me bcause i am just trying to make sure my burm is in good conditon which he very much is...Thanks for listening,
Jake

...to address me. I don't let folks like you get me mad...believe me, I have many far more important things going on at my wildlife center and coming to the forums is just a way to have a little fun and give something back to the herp community for being so good to me (as a hobbyist and as a professional herpetologist). Perhaps IRRITATED would be a much better word to describe how you fail to take good advice but there are many more folks who are open to good advice and take it so I dwell on the positives. As a sidenote to this MINOR rant, if you are going to negate good advice, don't make it public! You set yourself up to some of the hard toned messages after your questions. As far as human heat pads go, once again, tempt fate; I just hope I don't have to say "I told you so". For your burm's sake, I hope everything turns out okay. While asking questions is a good thing, the types of questions you ask should be asked BEFORE you get a burm, not after! You didn't do your homework and unfortunately, it is the animal that will end up suffering. As for you, I just hope you mature and develop respect like most young people will sooner or later (I don't know your age, but by the way you write, my guess is that you are a teenager...right or wrong?)....I think there is hope for you and it seems as though your heart is in the right place.

PS: Do a grammar/spell check when you write! Although we don't expect everyone to use complete sentences (and perfect spelling) on this and other forums, it is sometimes very difficult to understand a word you are saying (at least for me).

>>Carmichael i respect you....but you cannot get mad everytime someone does things differet;ly than you....I have sucess with human heat pads...bottom line.....I will only be using it for 4 more months anyway before i get my big cage then i switch to some reptile heat mat from online....And for your 411 i do take eveyones advise it may not seem like im listening but I am.....So ploease do not judge me bcause i am just trying to make sure my burm is in good conditon which he very much is...Thanks for listening,
>>Jake
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

Yes you are right i am 16. I know it don't seem like i know what i am doing but trust me i do i take esxcelent care of my snake. I always have a weird habbit of asking the same questiona gain over and over to get more varied answers. I even do it in school. But i do take your advise and i do take great care of my burm. I do nothing but put money into this snake and care for it.....I will soon be posting pics of my snake and its habitat so everyone can see....Thanks for listening,
Jake

ps" the only reason i ask allt hese basic questions is because I like millions of opinions fdorm all different experiinced herpists and pick the one that works best for me and my burm....sorry if i can be annoying

do not take advice. I am sure you have good intentions but we have told you over and over not to use human heat pads but you still do. Did you ever think the reoson the temps are changing like that is because the pad is screwing up? I am not saying that is what it is but it would not surprise me if it was. What do you plan on using to heat a 14' or bigger snake on?
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Justin

In about 4 months qwhen i move him to his 8'x2' caGE HE will be using a 2x2 foot online heat pad ...any reccomendation...Human heat pad is only temporarry til he moves up to his permanent cage.....I have a question though... People tell me not to use astro turf....If i use like shavings of wood an all that cant he come in direct contact with the heat pad and get burned by digging under the shavings? What other beddings are there? I was going to use thin carpet from home depot to bedding his 8' cage....

It works better than anything. I realy would not recommend using carpet because I tcan grow bacteria very good. You should put down linolium ( That cannot be spelled right!!!) You know the stuff you put down on the floor in a kitchen. Put newspaper over that. This is for the adult sized cage.

Now back to the heat mat. How long does it take for your house to burn. Well it doesn't exactly take four months does it? You realy should spend about $15 - $20 on a new reptile heating pad ( a real good one) and replace the human pad A.S.A.P. We are only telling you this because we care for the snake but you just don't seem to listen. You already said somethign about the temperature was like between 97- 100 didn't you. In my opinion ( I know it probably doesn't matter much to you ) is that your heat mat just might be screwing up. We are all happy to answere questions no matter how basic but when you ignore us we get a little frustrated. I'm sorry but I just had to say it.
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Justin

Ok FIne I will buy a heat pad...I will get it this weekend......I don;t like Newspaper I think its too much to deal with Espesially in a large cage...Oh and the tremps were noly 97-100 bwecause somethings wrong with the tthermometer...I sued a different one today and it read 92....What other substartes are commonly used I just Want to change mine if everyone gives it such a bad review....

i use shavings....the heat pad shouldnt be so hot that if they manage to push the shavings off they will get burned