Quote Originally Posted by A.D. View Post
Wow! Thank you guys for all your very quick yet detailed anwers! Im going to look into everything recomended. I live about 15minutes from Tinley Park, IL. Also, do you recommend heat pads or lamps? which is cheaper/last longer. And what is the bare min. for supplies to begin with.
Heat mat/tape (belly heat) is generally preferred over a heat lamp. Some of us use a combination of both. Those that do use heat lamps often use them to raise ambient air temps when they are kept in rooms that are cooler. The downside is that they suck the humidity out of your enclosure, so keeping your humidity up can be a bit of a pain (should be some helpful info on that subject in the care sheet that was posted). So which you use will depend on factors such as that. As far as longevity and efficiency, heat mats/tape win hands down. Heat bulbs generally use many times the electricity and will burn out in time, just like a light bulb.