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Post by snailer on Sept 12, 2010 12:57:03 GMT
I've bought a 12watt heat mat for my baby tigers. It reaches 30-34° right on the surface. I've had a thermometer on it for several hours. I doubt that the snails can burn themselves on it. Does anybody have a heat mat taped inside the terrarium?
It's very plastic but i don't know if it can cope with water, i might wanna wash the slime off sometimes and it's really damp in the box. The reason i wanna have it inside is because i don't think enough heat will go through the box, it's a thick plastic storage box and the mat doesn't get much hotter than what the air temp should be?
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spook
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 274
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Post by spook on Sept 12, 2010 13:36:44 GMT
Tape it to the outside ......... if there's not enough heat getting through then try drilling some small holes in the side of your plastic tank(the side where the heat mat is going to go).....That will allow more heat to get through.. And make sure you have in insulated on the other side of the heat mat as well........ Bubble wrap/tin foil......or any other material that will help direct the heat back in to the tank...  |
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Post by 101100101111 on Sept 12, 2010 14:00:58 GMT
i use a polystyrene tile on the back of mine, just the right size and doesn't intrude on the rest of the tank  |
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Post by snailer on Sept 12, 2010 17:30:33 GMT
Tape it to the outside ......... if there's not enough heat getting through then try drilling some small holes in the side of your plastic tank(the side where the heat mat is going to go).....That will allow more heat to get through.. And make sure you have in insulated on the other side of the heat mat as well........ Bubble wrap/tin foil......or any other material that will help direct the heat back in to the tank... Ok thanks both of you, i dont know what the insulating material i'm gonna use is called in english. Maybe its polysterene. Its like a white, light brick that kinda falls apart in small pieces if you touch it too much?  |
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Post by ness on Sept 12, 2010 17:34:52 GMT
Yes that's polystyrene |
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Post by snailer on Sept 12, 2010 21:05:10 GMT
Yes that's polystyrene great, think i'm gonna upload a picture of the finished set-up next week or so can't wait for them to grow so they can have a really big home with plants and stuff, but right now they wouldn't even find their food..  |
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Post by monkeyboy on Sept 12, 2010 21:16:58 GMT
I would say the same, get a polystyrene layer and that should work out
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millza86
Archachatina marginata
Posts: 33
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Post by millza86 on Sept 17, 2010 17:51:16 GMT
If you place the heatmat underneath the tank on top of the polystyrene be careful not to let the bottom of the tank get too wet or the tank will crack, I have learnt that from experience  |
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Post by crossless on Sept 17, 2010 19:34:36 GMT
It's not natural to heat come from above. Snails bury under the soil to cool themselves and substrate will dry really soon which isn't good for some species. :S
Some heatmats can't be used inside of tank because they are not isolated from moisture and it could be dangerous ue them inside. :/
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Post by snailer on Sept 17, 2010 20:27:43 GMT
I've fixed the heat mat to the side now. The tank temp is around 24-25 so better than before when it was like 21 but i think i'm gonna drill some more holes. A. achatina is supposed to have like 27-29 right? Anyhow the snails are more active already and seem happy so, then i'm happy too. The substrate dries out right next to the mat but most of it stays moist for a really long time. They have doubled their size in like three weeks and eat a lot of cuttlefish. |
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