Heat mat problem

[guilletto]

Hi. Yesterday I installed a medium heat mat cause the vivarium temperature was 20.5 C. I turned on this morning and the actual temperature is 21.3 (4 hours later) and it doesn't seem it is increasing...
I put it in a lateral (tree frog) but out of the glass and I only remove the white paper stocked to itself.
Did I do anything wrong?
This devices increase the temperature 7 degrees (to 27-28C) or I had to have bought a heat bulb?

[Mentat]

Hi. Yesterday I installed a medium heat mat cause the vivarium temperature was 20.5 C. I turned on this morning and the actual temperature is 21.3 (4 hours later) and it doesn't seem it is increasing...

Unsure what frogs you have in there and their requirements. Mats are not efficient; but only 1C degree difference seems low. Does mat feels hot when you touch it? Have you tried covering screen areas with saran wrap (taped to tops edge) or polycarbonate plastic sheet cut to size to reduce heat loss? If doing so, just keep it away from heat sources by 1 cm. or so.

I put it in a lateral (tree frog) but out of the glass and I only remove the white paper stocked to itself.
Did I do anything wrong?

Sounds like you installed it right.

This devices increase the temperature 7 degrees (to 27-28C) or I had to have bought a heat bulb?

Don't understand this sentence. In my opinion bulbs heat better than mats. If you do not have a light fixture getting one will help raise temperature in enclosure. If you tell us the type of enclosure and size, maybe we can make recommendations. If using to heat, try to get either red or black bulbs so you can use them 24 hours on without disturbing frogs. Good luck !

[guilletto]

Unsure what frogs you have in there and their requirements. Mats are not efficient; but only 1C degree difference seems low. Does mat feels hot when you touch it? Have you tried covering screen areas with saran wrap (taped to tops edge) or polycarbonate plastic sheet cut to size to reduce heat loss? If doing so, just keep it away from heat sources by 1 cm. or so.
Mat feels hot, not much cause is tropical mat. Yes, I could cover with saran wrap. Maybe I get to balance the lost of humidity because of the heat.


Sounds like you installed it right.


Don't understand this sentence. In my opinion bulbs heat better than mats. If you do not have a light fixture getting one will help raise temperature in enclosure. If you tell us the type of enclosure and size, maybe we can make recommendations. If using to heat, try to get either red or black bulbs so you can use them 24 hours on without disturbing frogs. Good luck !

Sorry for my english (im from Spain :P) I meant if mats can be able to increase 7 degrees (up to 27-28ºC) or if i wanna get this Temperature, i must use a bulb.
I gotta a friend who can lend me a ceramic bulb, but I have read these bulbs are problematic...


Enclosure is 45x45x60 and my frog is a milk frog (with what it supposes: coco fiber and husk fiber, so many natural plants, 80% humidity...)
Black bulbs dont heat too much... do it?

[avshenton]

I find exo terra mats do nothing.

Komodo is a much better brand of heat mat i use it in conjunction with a sun-glo light from exo terra

[Mentat]

...I gotta a friend who can lend me a ceramic bulb, but I have read these bulbs are problematic...
Enclosure is 45x45x60 and my frog is a milk frog (with what it supposes: coco fiber and husk fiber, so many natural plants, 80% humidity...)
Black bulbs dont heat too much... do it?

How are ceramic bulbs problematic? According to my experience ceramic heat emmiters work fine. You have to ensure they are the correct wattage for enclosure size and because of their higher watt rating are usually used with either a manual rheostat or automatic thermostat.

Black bulbs heat according to their wattage rating. They just emit little light due to their design. Have a nice weekend !

[maxQ]

My mat has never felt hot to the touch, I can be wrong but I have read and was told to be careful with heat lamps as they can dry out the frogs skin.

[dmallia]

If it is an exo terra mat it will not produce enough heating. I had serveral once including desert but never got my temperature up. You want to buy an infrared 15W-20W heatmat. In my 45x45x45 vivarium with a 14W heatmat temperature goes up to 27.4 degrees with a thermostat @27 degrees. Make sure to have a thermostat or else you'll fry the frog.

My mat is attached to one side of the vivarium(it was attached by tape to see if it is good enough to heat the terrarium). Make sure to have all the heatmat surface in contact with the glass of the vivarium or you will loose thermal conductivity.