Where to place heat mat

[Artesian42]

Hi

The instructions with my Heat Mat specify that if my Vivarium is in a wooden table that I have to place it on the outside of the Vivarium and on the outside.

What is your advice

I think it's better on the side but on the inside of the Glass Tank/Vivarium I use.

Can you please advise me?

Thanks.

 

[GarField000]

Never put heatmats INside an enclosure. They get way to hot and will burn and dry out your animals.

 

[Artesian42]

Ok thanks.

Does it go on the side though?

Or underneath if the Vivarium is on a wooden table?

Thanks.

 

[DustyD]

I have used heat mats occasionally but never on the inside as GarField000 stated. I place them on a separate piece of sturdy window glass rather than straight onto the enclosure.

This way I provide an extra layer of distance between the heat and the T. Also it makes it easier to adjust the distance as well as the location rather than have it stuck to one side. I believe most manufacturers don’t recommend pulling it off and reusing it.

For my safety I place heavy duct tape around all the edges sometimes more than one layer. In the US either Home Depot or Lowe’s sells the single pane.

Not sure about the UK. It is unclear what size pad you are using. I have not tried using acrylic out of concern for warping but it could be ok, depending on the wattage.

 

[GarField000]

If a tarantula is to hot she will dig down for some cooler temps ( as in nature the sun/heat comes from above).
So a heatmat should be placed on the back or side off the enclosure.

If you can place it straight on the sides or you need a bit of a gap between the glass and the heatmat depends on the wattage off the heatmat and if the enclsoure is glass or acrylic or just plastic.
My girfriend has a very small heat mat in between 2 glass enclosures and 1 on the back of an arboreal.

I heat the complete room as I have almost 100 t's.

 

[Anthony York]

So if your trying to heat it for the tarantula I would say don't use a heat mat. Room temp is fine. But I do have heat mats on a few of my bioactives for plant growth I usually keep the heat mat at around 60f to stimulate plant root growth

 

[Phototoxin]

I honestly have some low temp heatmats (go about 21-23C) under my enclosures sort of half and half. EG I put 2 tanks ontop of one mat so that at least one half is cooler. The reason I do that is to ensure that there is a minimum temperature as I live in a cold house in a cold country. I know people say that they burrow to get cooler although 21C is cool for a tarantula I suspect. I haven't had an issue before. When I did put it on the side when I had just 1 T the spider would often sit to the side on the tank but more exposed. So this way they can go to wherever is comfortable (in hide, not in hide, warmer half, colder half)