Advice on heating my new viv

[snailcrazy]

Hi, I've recently bought e beech effect viv. I've only had glass or plastic before and not sure of the best way to heat it. I have various heatmats but am unsure if they will heat through the back of the tank with it being thicker that glass or plastic.

I have a 20w and 30w matt, would these be suitable to use on the back or willI need to drill holes in to let the hea through?

I had though of putting the heatmat on the inside stuck to tha back but not sure again if this would harm the snails (be too hot) when they slime over it.

Any advice woule be geat, thanks.

Jo xx

[stixandsnailsyork]

The viv i have for my snakes i just have the heat mat on the back of it the heat seems to get through fine, I don't know how else you will do it. x

[Alisha]

Well put the heatmat on the back, put a thermometer in the viv, as far away from the heatmat as possible, and just see what temperature it is, and keep monitoring it and see if it's suitable for what you want to keep in there.
If not, then get a bigger heatmat

[feebix]

I`ve noticed with my snakes that a heat mat can heat up the inside of a wooden viv surprisingly well. I`d chuck it on the back (Inside) or the roof (Inside) and moniter the temps with a thermometer placed away from the mat itself as someone else has said. One thing I would point out here though... Those wooden vivariums are terrible when any amount of water is involved. They`re made of chipboard and even though they have a melamine barrier, they just fall apart reeealy easily. At the very least I`d reseal the edges, at best, sell it and get a glass tank. I`ve had a lot of experience with those tanks, they`re a NIGHTMARE when the SLIGHTEST amount of water is present.....

[snailcrazy]

Thanks guys, yes Feebs I though they'd be bad with the moisture thing. It came with a few other things I wanted and wasn't really bothered about the viv so might sell it and get a glass one like you said I find them much better.

Cheers
Jo xx

[stixandsnailsyork]

My big stach has fallen to bits its a 4 foot one with 3 vivs, I used it for the snails for avout 6 weeks and now the glass won't slide very well it has all swollen I have had to tank the snails and the viv is used for storing a few tanks and foods and so on. What size is the viv? I am after another one for my snakes not that they are big enough yet but getting ready for when they are. x

[snailcrazy]

It's 61 x 49 x 45 cm approx and I've just gone and chipped the corner of one of the glass panes trying to get them back in as the person I bought it off had already taken them off the sliders. I now have about a 2" chip off one corner. The bit would probablyglue back on if I had some glass glue but will have to wait as we're away to Scotland tomorrow,

;D