Heating mat not heating terranium

[Talenkai]

Terrarium*** My 50watt red bulb broke so I got my ABF a heating mat(for 10-20gallon tanks) and put it on the side of the tank. He is in a 20 gallon and it is staying at room temperature. I have readings from both the thermometer on the inside and the digital thermometer. After 8 hours or so I checked and the mat was warm, but the enclosure was 70°F. I added another heating mat, older one, same size, and still nothing. What am I doing wrong???

[DigitalPunk]

Heating mats are not very effective when mounted on the side of the tank. Best bet is to replace the red bulb, or get a Ceramic heat emitter for the enclosure.

[Talenkai]

Thank you! Could you post a link or the URL to the type of heat emitter you would suggest. Sorry, I have never heard of them before and don't want to get the wrong one.

[DigitalPunk]

Ceramic Heat Emitter

Dome for it - You just want the dome to have a ceramic base because it needs to withstand the heat! The Dome I linked is just an example for what you will need.


You may also want to look into a dome that has a dimmer on it so you can control heat output some or get a thermostat to plug the dome into so it can turn the CHE on and off as needed.

[Talenkai]

Thank you very much Paul

[DigitalPunk]

No Problem. The great thing I love about CHE is they produce heat without producing any light. They last much much longer than red bulbs and provide a radiant heat that will evenly heat the whole space. Look at the product infor before you buy. The amazon listing will show you what temp the particular size of CHE will produce at different distances from the CHE itself.