Heat mats

[Emilia&Mose]

hello, so I have a heat mat under my tort’s tank that does not stick to the bottom, it just radiates heat up. Also, he has dirt over the area that has the heat mat. This helps to keep him warm overnight and maintains the heat during the day. Is this mat dangerous for him? It only makes the dirt warm where he lays so it doesn’t get cold from being kept moist.

 

[Tim Carlisle]

I'm not a big fan of heat mats. In my experience, they evaporate the moisture within the substrate too quickly and are not particularly effective at keeping the tortoise warm.

 

[kazjimmy]

Use planet heat mat. Put it outside under the tank

 

[Big Charlie]

It is better to have heat from the top than from the bottom.

 

[waretrop]

Since Alice has come to my house she has been using Kane heating mat. We got 2 for her, 1 to use and one for a back up. She was about 17 pounds 4 years ago and now is 65 pounds still using the first one. I love it and so does she. We also have 2 heat lights on a 100 gallon horse tank, laying on it's side, and a dome light just hanging over a cement floor. She gets heat from the bottom and top and can move to the areas that she wants for the special areas...We live in Pa and she lives on a patio off the back of the house with a greenhouse sitting on it. She also has her own private furnace for the room.

I know first poster has small ones but I wanted to add my 2 cents sharing for different sizes and needs...

 

[Tom]

Heat mats should not be used for indoor enclosures for smaller tortoises. They are not safe.

Use a ceramic heating element or radiant heat panel, either one set on a thermostat, to maintain your ambient temperatures.

When your tortoise is large enough to live outside full time, Kane heat mats, used correctly in a well insulated night box in addition to an RHP, are one good way to go. At least during the warmer NY months...