Securing substrate via Velcro?

[Alkaurkharim]

I was just thinking about this now. Someone earlier made a comment that sooner or later my BP will find its way under the substrate. If I were to put velcro thingies on the bottom of the tub, the 4 corners and maybe 1 or 2 in the middle, and matching velcro thingies on the bottom of my substrate, would this be a safe and secure way to keep him from going under and possibly getting burned?

With Velcro it shouldn't be to difficult to pull it off and put another one in to replace it while I clean the soiled one right?

Any comments/suggestions?

[First_time_herp]

Well I think an adult bp would be able ot get under the substrate even with velcro. I'm planing on putting somehting under the reptile carpet, just so he dosn't get like burned or overheated.

[JamminJonah]

Yeah Velcro might work but it could just be one more thing to scrape your snake unfortunately. I bought some astro turf sort of carpet and just cut it to fit the bottom of my tank threw some newspaper underneath in case anything leaks through my carpet and I've had no problems with burrowing or anything.

[Smynx]

Smulkin found some plastic pegboard at Lowe's which he original cut to fit the tops of our aquariums as an alternative to putting contact paper over screen tops. He later came up with the idea of cutting the pegboard to fit the bottom of the tank to provide a baffle between the substrate and the bottom of the tank. The snake might burrow down to the pegboard, but he won't get underneath that to the bottom of the tank. It works great!

[RobertCoombs]

Smynx very good idea ! I am just curious though why not use a thermostat to keep the bottom of the tub/tank/cage from getting hot enough to burn?

[gen]

Yeah Velcro might work but it could just be one more thing to scrape your snake unfortunately. I bought some astro turf sort of carpet and just cut it to fit the bottom of my tank threw some newspaper underneath in case anything leaks through my carpet and I've had no problems with burrowing or anything.

That's exactly what I do.

[Smulkin]

Smynx very good idea ! I am just curious though why not use a thermostat to keep the bottom of the tub/tank/cage from getting hot enough to burn?

Just a question of numbers required vs budget - a good 2x4' piece of the plastic board is only $7 or so and will prep a number of enclosures. Also the thermostat should be set to regulate the temp gradient in the cage and not geared towards the surface temp of the bottom, it is quite possible that in order to maintain reqd heat within the cage the bottom will get a good bit hotter - hence the baffle.