Heating pad questions

[the_mechanic]

I am finally switching from a heating lamp to an under tank heating pad... I just have a couple questions. Do I have to turn it off at night, or should I leave it on constantly? Also, I've heard to prop the tank up about a half inch so the pad isn't actually touching it directly... is this right?

[Shaun J]

leave it on,u dont need to put it up,as long as you have a couple layers of bedding

[led4urhead]

What kind of heating pad are you getting, human or a speciality reptile one? I would go with a human heating pad. I use human heating pads, and leave them on all the time. As for the gap, i think its almost necessary to get your temps good if you are not using a thermostat. It also provides a bit of security incase you bp decides to burrow under the substrate. Then he will not be in as much contact with the direct heat coming from the pad.

[Shaun J]

my snake has little brown spots on his belly...should i be worried?I know hes gonna shed,So should i wait?

[Shaun J]

oh and they are really tiny

[led4urhead]

I forgot to add that the gap also prevents the heating pad from generating too much heat that could potentially lead to cracked glass ( if you use a glass tank ), or a melted rubbermaid.

[the_mechanic]

Alright, well I had it all set up with a couple pieces of wood underneath so there'd be a small gap, and I bought a human heating pad like I'd read about in the product review section, but when I got home I opened it up and read the instructions, and it turns off after an hour. I was a bit bummed out because I'll have to return it and go to another store and get another one, but atleast I did it before I opened the whole thing so I can return it. Thanks for all your help.

[led4urhead]

You're welcome man. Let us know how it goes!

[Marla]

The reasons to leave a gap between cage and pad are to allow air to circulate and to keep direct pressure off of the pad itself. This prevents the pad from shorting out and/or causing a fire. I had a pad short out on me because there was too much weight on it some time back, but fortunately there was no fire. It is also helpful to be able to somewhat regulate your temps that way, by increasing or decreasing the gap, but ideally that would be done with a thermostat instead.

[the_mechanic]

Ok... I bought a new heating pad that stays on instead of shutting off after an hour, and it's all set up. I'm using a glass tank for my BP, and the glass is about 90 degrees, but the substrate isn't even 80 degrees... it's about 78, and it's on the highest setting. I've taken a lot of the substrate out so there's as little as there can be without exposing the glass at all, and it's still not even 80 degrees. I have 1/2 inch boards underneath each side of the tank so there's a small gap between the pad and the glass. Do I need to change substrates or what?