Wooden viv/what heat source do you prefer?

[NebulaJam]

Hi everyone, I’ll be moving my bp into his new bigger enclosure next week. His current set up is a tub with a heat mat.
Just wondering what you people have as heat sources on your viv’s? Would a heat mat be ok if using the protective glass holder or do you rate heat lamps, ceramic heaters?
Thanks.

[Ookoodoocoo]

I've seen some British sites that advertise these glass covers or sleeves for this exact reason, so the heat mat has a glass barrier when in a wooden cage. I currently use a ceramic heat emitter and had problems at first with the cage being too dry, but things seem to have settled and I am now usually at low to mid 50's humidity with very little misting... maybe 2x a week. I use cypress, and while it started out very moist, it quickly dried out. I have the water bowl pretty close to the heat emitter and it's not a small water bowl either, so i'm sure that helps. If I was starting from scratch, i'd get a heat panel. Never tried one personally, but I hear good things about them... specifically that they do not dry out the enclosure like a CHE does. I live in CA in the bay area and I don't have A/C in my home. I guess where you are and the environment the cage is in plays a big role on humidity.

[CloudtheBoa]

Out of everything I've used, RHP's are my favorite. Provides both belly heat and ambient heat, and doesn't require a protective cage like a CHE does. Heat mats/tape have been my least favorite, and that includes for my ball python.

The lamp is the base that you plug bulbs into, it doesn't itself provide any heat. You can put a CHE in it (I suggest a lamp with a ceramic base so it doesn't melt), halogen bulbs, Tungsten bulbs, basking bulbs, etc. Though I avoid any type of bulb that produces light of any color, as they can't be left on at night.