The vivarium should have two heat sources.
How to fit a heat mat in a vivarium.
The main problem being that they only produce a gentle warmth.
Heat mats are used to maintain a constant temperature throughout your vivarium.
It should cover approximately 1 3 of the floor space and definitely no more than 1 2 as you must allow your pet to move to a cooler area if it is getting over heated.
The exo terra heat mat is a terrarium substrate heater that simulates these surfaces heated by the sun.
Most invertebrate keepers and even many snake owners use low wattage heat mats to warm their vivariums.
Exo terra s heat mats are an ideal 24 hour primary or secondary heat source for tropical or temperate reptile and amphibian species and essential as a nighttime heat source for many desert species.
Check your heat mat mains cable and plug for damage before use.
Helpful if you own reptiles.
A basking spot heat lamp that provides the vivarium s general heat along with the hot spot to bask in plus a low level heater to provide heat at the cool end or at night in places where the ambient temperature drops below 75 f 23 9 c.
While these are a safe low cost and generally effective way of providing artificial heat they re not without their weaknesses.
Ensure that the mat is positioned so that it will create a thermal gradient.
On the outside then the wood insulates the mat and slows the heat getting into the vivarium where it is needed.
Well in this video i go through each step on how to do just that.
The heat mat is either mounted on the side of the tank or on the bottom.
Heat mats must be controlled by a thermostat.
Lots of people have mentioned putting a ceramic tile or vinyl flooring over the top of the mat not on this thread or covering with newspaper etc but this is contrary to the instructions that come with your heat mats.
You can use rubber pads which some heat mats come with.
Ever wondered how to install a heat mat if you use a vivarium.
They re a good way to provide gentle warmth and they heat the floor of your vivarium much like the sun would heat the ground in your reptile s natural environment.