Heat mats and wood

[Yellow Turtle01]

Is it safe to use a heat mat under substrate... on wood?
Thanks

 

[Yvonne G]

I go by the instructions they give you for human electric blankets: don't put anything on the blanket. And if you have one on your bed, do you notice how hot it gets if you lay your magazine on the blanket for a bit?

So I have substrate on the floors, but the pig blanket sits on the substrate, and I sweep them off daily. Now, ask me about a big tortoise sitting on top of the pig blanket. I don't know the answer to that. But my tortoises have been on pig blankets every winter for many years and I don't have any tortoises with misshapen shells or harmed by the pad in any way.

I also have seedling heat mats in a couple of the baby tort tables, and I DO have substrate on top of those mats. Also, no problems.

My pig blankets are on 1/2" thick rubber mats and the seedling trays sit right on the wood.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Yes, that's what I was thinking, the little heat mats for smaller torts
Pig blankets are great, super toasty I was just wondering if it could be safe to give my russian underneath heat, via either a heat mat or heat rope
Thank you!

 

[Yvonne G]

I really don't think you need underneath heat for a Russian tortoise. They get along quite well in lower temperatures.

 

[Earth Mama]

I really don't think you need underneath heat for a Russian tortoise. They get along quite well in lower temperatures.

I agree. I don't use any supplemental heat for my Russians during the winter. My inside temps are fine.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

I understand completely! He doesn't really need any extra heat, it was just an idea I had

 

[Mark L]

I go by the instructions they give you for human electric blankets: don't put anything on the blanket. And if you have one on your bed, do you notice how hot it gets if you lay your magazine on the blanket for a bit?

So I have substrate on the floors, but the pig blanket sits on the substrate, and I sweep them off daily. Now, ask me about a big tortoise sitting on top of the pig blanket. I don't know the answer to that. But my tortoises have been on pig blankets every winter for many years and I don't have any tortoises with misshapen shells or harmed by the pad in any way


I also have seedling heat mats in a couple of the baby tort tables, and I DO have substrate on top of those mats. Also, no problems.

My pig blankets are on 1/2" thick rubber mats and the seedling trays sit right on the wood.

I go by the instructions they give you for human electric blankets: don't put anything on the blanket. And if you have one on your bed, do you notice how hot it gets if you lay your magazine on the blanket for a bit?

So I have substrate on the floors, but the pig blanket sits on the substrate, and I sweep them off daily. Now, ask me about a big tortoise sitting on top of the pig blanket. I don't know the answer to that. But my tortoises have been on pig blankets every winter for many years and I don't have any tortoises with misshapen shells or harmed by the pad in any way.

I also have seedling heat mats in a couple of the baby tort tables, and I DO have substrate on top of those mats. Also, no problems.

My pig blankets are on 1/2" thick rubber mats and the seedling trays sit right on the wood.

hi Yvonne, how much orchard bark do you have on top of the seedling heat mat. I assume just a couple inches ? i have two, 2 month old leopards and wanted to use a seedling heat mat just to boost the temps a lil at night time. i have a 100w CHE but they dont sleep near it. so i bought a 20.5" x 20.5" seedling heat mat to bury. it would lay under all their sleeping spots and hides. any thoughts or ideas would be great. i love and take all your posts and utilize them to better my tortoise health and lifestyle...so i thank you Yvonnee

 

[Yvonne G]

I put the mat directly on the floor of the tort table, then I tape down the edge so the tortoises can't dig or root around under the mat. Then I add the substrate. There's about 3" on the whole floor, but I pull it away a bit over the mat so they can get the benefit of the heat. I occasionally have to scrape away some of the substrate off the mat. I keep it wet, so the moist warm air comes up into the hiding place, which is over the mat. Be sure your cord is up above the substrate. I fold that end of the mat up the side wall a bit to keep the cord up and above. The first one I ever used rusted out the cord and wires, and I didn't know that had happened until I was cleaning out the tort table at the end of the season.

 

[Mark L]

I put the mat directly on the floor of the tort table, then I tape down the edge so the tortoises can't dig or root around under the mat. Then I add the substrate. There's about 3" on the whole floor, but I pull it away a bit over the mat so they can get the benefit of the heat. I occasionally have to scrape away some of the substrate off the mat. I keep it wet, so the moist warm air comes up into the hiding place, which is over the mat. Be sure your cord is up above the substrate. I fold that end of the mat up the side wall a bit to keep the cord up and above. The first one I ever used rusted out the cord and wires, and I didn't know that had happened until I was cleaning out the tort table at the end of the season.

Awesome thank you so much. thats todays project !

 

[Mark L]

Here is a pic of my leopards table....

 

[Yvonne G]

You've got a lot of substrate in there. I wouldn't put the mat all the way down on the bare wood in your case. Just scrape away a couple inches and put the mat, then cover it back up with the 2" of substrate. You can feel it with your hand after a while and see if the heat is coming up to the top of your substrate. If not, you need to scrape away a bit more.

 

[Mark L]

Absolutely Yvonne i was thinking the same thing. ill pull some bark out and save it to replace later on. i will keep just a small layer and i will be checking the temps often throughout the day. last night was a lil too chilly for them. im working on finding something to cover it at night too.......
thanks again