just a question, trying to save money!

Is it possible to use a heating pad like the one you use for a sore muscle as a heating pad for the snake because i really don't want to spend $30 + on a heating pad.
the one i have for muscles has high med and low setting and it gets hot jw if i could use it. thanks:confusd:

no. Also, if you do buy a heating pad make sure you get some kind of thermostat or regulator or you will cook your snake. My friend did that to his in high school.

No, you can't... The ones used for humans are simply made differently, so that their minimum heat level is way too hot for a snake. Your snake will probably cook in an hour. Do you realize that 90 degrees (the maximum average "heated" temp for a snake) just feels like room temperature to human skin?

They're really not that expensive. Buy one on reptilebasics. https://www.reptilebasics.com/ultratherm-heat-pads

Before you even get a heat pad though, you need a thermostat (not a thermometer... a thermoSTAT). It keeps the temperature below ~92 that you will set it at, so your snake won't cook and burn. Even the heating pads for reptiles will get up to 110 F and over, which will burn your snake, if you don't have it plugged into a thermostat.

I've never used a heat pad that wasn't designed for use on a reptile enclosure. I would think the ones for humans would get quite hot. I also don't believe one should shirk on buying quality equipment for keeping their animals. $30 for a quality under tank heater is a very worthwhile investment IMO.

http://www.reptilebasics.com/ultratherm-heat-pads

Skimping on the heating element is probably the worst thing you could skimp on in bp husbandry imo. $30 isn't worth potentially killing your snake over.

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Originally Posted by redshepherd

Before you even get a heat pad though, you need a thermostat (not a thermometer... a thermoSTAT). It keeps the temperature below ~92 that you will set it at, so your snake won't cook and burn. Even the heating pads for reptiles will get up to 110 F and over, which will burn your snake, if you don't have it plugged into a thermostat.

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This. Your snake's heat source is not a place to skimp. Get it wrong on either end - too cold or too hot - and you're looking at a vet bill for either a sick snake or a burned snake. That vet bill will run you many times what you would spend on correct heating equipment.

No no no...no. Do it right, a proper set up for one snake will not break the bank.


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Just get some THG heat tape. Rather inexpensive and very easy to wire. They have plenty of youtube videos showing how it is done. If you don't want to do that reptile basics will do it for you. :gj:

http://www.reptilebasics.com/heat-tape/6-heat-tape/

"We can also assemble your order to your specifications. If you would like us to connect you Wire/Clipset for you please also select the heat tape connection option on the wire set and leave us instructions in the comments box when checking out." per reptile basics site.

I bought my under tank heaters online from BigAlspets.com. They were much cheaper than the pet store, or other places, especially since they are often on sale. I think I paid $13.00 for the 10-20 gallon size. (They wanted $25.00 for the same one at my local petco.) For the thermostat, I like to use hydrofarm, or Vivo Sun brand, which I have found on amazon, or ebay, for about $28.00. I like to check both because sometimes you get lucky, like once eBay had a sale and I got one for $20.00. I did recently see a thermostat on amazon for $18.00, but it was a brand I haven't tried. I did see in the reviews that some people were using it for snakes, so maybe you could try it out. The good thing is, you only have to buy it once, and shouldn't need to buy it again for a long time. You can save money by using newspaper for substrate, and making your own hides out of cardboard, and things like that, but heating is so important for a snake. Good luck. I hope you can find a good deal.

Doesn't seem like a bad idea... I mean if it's controlled by a good thermostat it should be at the correct temp no matter the quality of uth

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Originally Posted by ItsAllNew2Me!

Just get some THG heat tape. Rather inexpensive and very easy to wire. They have plenty of youtube videos showing how it is done. If you don't want to do that reptile basics will do it for you. :gj:

http://www.reptilebasics.com/heat-tape/6-heat-tape/

"We can also assemble your order to your specifications. If you would like us to connect you Wire/Clipset for you please also select the heat tape connection option on the wire set and leave us instructions in the comments box when checking out." per reptile basics site.

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I second this. Just get some THG heat tape. Much cheaper than $30 for a heat pad. Will cost you less than 10 bucks.

Forgot to mention though - no matter what you use you will need a thermostat and theres not really a way to skimp on that cheap ones go for around $20-30

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Originally Posted by stickyalvinroll

Doesn't seem like a bad idea... I mean if it's controlled by a good thermostat it should be at the correct temp no matter the quality of uth

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Bad quality uth can cause wide fluctuation in temps on the mat. You could have 90 in one spot 84 in another and 98 in another so if you have the thermostat probe where the lower reading is the higher reading will be even hotter. I've owned 8 brands of uth and 3 of the brands had wide inconsistent temperature areas.

alright thank you i will buy a reptile heating pad

This is a wonderful example of how bad this hobby has become in many was. "I don't want to spend $30 on a heat mat". Amazing. Providing a piece of equipment that will impact the environment of the snake, a piece of equipment that is essential for physiological function and health, is not a "I don't want to" kind of thing. Its not optional, its essential. If you want to skimp on the enclosure of your animal, go buy a hamster and stick it in a wire cage. It will happily live at room temperature. However an organism that requires supplemental heat for physiological function cannot be "skimped" on. You are in the wrong hobby. Alternatively, its remarkably easy to cut $30 from a monthly budget. Alternatively, wait a year to get your animals, and it will require you to save a paltry $2.50 per month.

Absolutely ridiculous.

Warren

If you are in a bind for cash or not, I personally like heat tape style UTHs when I use them. Ones from Flukers or Ultratherm are great. I like Zoo Med stuff but I hate their coated UTHs plus they are overpriced. As for the T-stat, just get a Hydrofarm if you are strapped on cash. But a T-stat is the most important item so I would put priority one for a good one asap. I personally only use Herpstats and got a couple Hydrofarms as back ups. Then hit up any hardware store for a roll of Foil Tape and you are good to go.

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Originally Posted by kcmosnakeman

alright thank you i will buy a reptile heating pad

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and a thermostat