Description
Heat pads can be one of the most crucial aspects of caring for reptiles and amphibians. Whether you need a constant high temperature or a little boost to increase the day-time temps, a heating pad or “mat” is a great device to help you achieve your goals. Heat mats are fairly safe, easy to install, and, for the most part, they’re reliable.
One of the great things about heat mats is the number of options currently available.
How To Choose Your Heat Pads
When it comes to choosing the right heat pads for your setup, there are a few factors to consider; that’s what I’ll cover in this section. The goal here is to help you determine the size of the heating element. The wattage is important too but that typically corresponds with the size of the pad.
- The size is important because it affects the amount of heat and whether or not you’ll have enough space to use it. For small tanks, naturally, you’ll want to go with a smaller heater. Select a size that’s fitting with the enclosure. Whether you’re placing the heater on the side or bottom of the tank, be sure it will fit!
- The wattage affects how hot the pad gets. Generally speaking, the larger the pad is, the hotter it gets. That’s not always the case, though. What’s important here is that the heating pad is warming the cage. Likewise, it’s important that it doesn’t overheat either. A quality thermostat will keep it from overheating.
- The price is another factor to consider. As always, you should put the needs of your pet first; get them what they need, then worry about finding the cheapest option. This is a fairly simple section because the price of these under-tank heaters is similar. Most of them fall in the R55.00 – R95.00 range (depending on the size and wattage).
Find out more about reptiles and heat here.
Please feel free to contact us if you need more information or help setting up your heat pads.
Lanzar Williams (verified owner) –
Great quality …. set temperature that will not burn your reptiles