Workin out logistics now and I’m wondering if I should place the thermostat probe directly on the mat, or somewhere else?
It’s a 12w heat mat that covers just under half the viv.
The way to properly instal a UTH and a thermostat is by having the UTH outside the enclosure and the probe sandwich between the enclosure and the UTH.
Obviously no electrical device should be in an enclosure for the obvious reasons, BP can urinate large amounts, they are also very good about tipping their water dish over.
The reason the probe should be directly on the UTH is for the same reasons, if it was in the enclosure instead it could be dislodge, cool down by urine or water which would make the temperatures shooting up.
Once installed it will be about playing with your t-stat settings to achieve proper temps in the enclosure.
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As you can see in my picture, I unfortunately won’t be able to use it under the viv, since it’s a wooden enclosure. I’ve got a water resistant mat though, so that may help with a few safety issues. I might be able to isolate the probe with some duct tape or something, but I’m fairly sure I have no other option for heating here.
NEVER use tape in an enclosure that is the number one rule of keepers, last thing you want especially now is having a snake with scales ripped off by tape.
You will have to hot glue it to the UTH and again it will not prevent the fact that it will be cool down by urine and water meaning the temps will shoot up.
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This is why I prefer using tubs for my BPs. They may not be as pretty, but they are more practical, and safer for using a UTH.
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If you don’t have hot glue you can use plain silicone but you need several hours for it to dry. Hot glue is quick and easy!
It can’t reach a temp higher than 33 celcius, I’ve tested it without a stat. Also is tape the same as a mat?
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I know the problem you have since I also have three wooden terrariums. I put some advice already in you burn progress posts. It really wouldn’t advice on hotglue-ing on the heatmat. If you also have the one with plastic layer than I don’t know if the plastic will not melt from the hot glue and damage the water resistant layer and this is vital to use it insite the enclosure. Put the water dish on the cooler part where there is no mat. Pee you can not stop so you really have to check the mat regularly. As soon as you seen damages or think it is not water resistant any more than remove the mat. I don’t know what they cost in britain but here I can get a new one cost 13 euro so no need to risk anything.
I put the some pieces of wood on the floor with space between them. The probe I put in between. The mat on top and on top of that a bathroomfloor tile so the snakes are not directly on the heatmat and most of the water doen’t reach the mat. Because of that the heatmat also doesn,t move and it protects the wires so the snake doesn’t get to them directly. Wooden enclosures are very common here in the Netherlands and some keepers use silicon glue to keep the heatmat really closed of from water. I prefere myself to be able to see with my own eyes that the heatmat is still oke and be able to remove it within minutes when there is something wrong. The tiles get nice and warm and the probe is covered with heatmat and tile so that one is going nowhere.
Indeed, no tape in the enclosure, did it once with my leopard pastave with shocking result. He was fully trapped in tape I thought he could never get to. They are like Houdini’s when they want to get to something. Trying to get free he got his whole mouth full off coco husk and was stuck in a way I though his whole spine was broken. It took me almost an hour to get him lose and he lost the top layer of many of his scales. One of these stupid mistakes you make as a beginner.
One advice, I also posted today in burn update post, get a infrared temp gun. Because without tape you can never really place the probe on the surface the snake is on, and tape is a no go thing, it is really difficult to know the heat of the surface your snake is on. With a temp gun you can check it extra. I always go for 31 celcius for the surface. In all the three types of enclosures I use I have to set the thermostat different to get it. In the wooden ones I have the thermostat on 33 celcius to get 31 celcius bellyheat with a 18 watt heatmat that covers about 1/3 of the enclosure. The wooden and glass terrariums are 100 cm to 50 cm floorspace so the mat is about 45 cm to 30 cm. Our biggest ballpython of about 140 cm and now about 1600 gram fits easily on it.
The holes where the wire comes through lookes quite big, or is it just in the picture? Check double if your snake can not get through. The can sometime squeeze themself through very thight holes, even more when they are young. If it is that big, then it is better to close it.
Good luck with it.
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