Well i live in southern ca so it doesn't get TOO cold ive never even seen snow it just gets a bit colder in winter. the daytime temps usually stay in the mid upper 60s maybe low 70s indoors i was just looking for alternatives to incandescents. would putting the heat mat on the side give off a good amount of heat to keep the temps throughout the vivarium pretty much the same? would the heat affect the foam or silicone if put in the side or would it even penetrate the silicone and foam layers?