heat under substrate?
- Thread starter July
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July said:
Hi i have a young hermann in a tortoise table she was in a viv at first which came with a heat mat and i used to use it on a night but since i made the table i only use the heat lamp and i am keeping an eye on the room temps as it starts geting colder i will proberly place the mat under the table and use it on a night when the lamp is off but if the room is at the temps the species of tortoise needs at the cooler end then u really do not need anything but the lamp and then i have been told not to place the mat under the substrate as they can dig under the mat and risk burning so its better to place under the table. Hope this helps i am fairly new to Torts my self and still learning so i am no expert.
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i have heat cable under the eco earth with my red foot
I personally do not think heat from underneath is appropriate for any smaller tort (ie. smaller than an adult sulcata, for which its appropriate to use a pig blanket type heat mat with thermostat and spot for them to get off of it). Heat from a bulb above such as a ceramic heat emitter or black light bulb can provide the same result with less risk. Plenty of people here will be glad to give you instructions though.
I use UTH (under tank heaters) under just about all my glass tanks. I find it especially nice with hatchlings to help keep the damp substrate from being cold and damp substrate which is bad. It also helps keep humidity up, which is another important issue with hatchlings. I have not yet experimented with any directly in or touching substrate.
Jacqui said:
What kind do you use? Any pics? I've been thinking over ways to try this.
As mentioned, I am using Big Apple Herp heating cables, pics in the thread posted above. I am also using a thermostat with it.
I appreciate what the cables do for me- gently warm substrate with improved humidity.
There IS a risk to bottom heating- many cables get way too hot (thus the thermostat and I tested the cables beforehand to make sure), many cables cannot handle moisture or work with plastic, and many people have found scorching or smoldering substrate.
Assuming everything is safe, there is also the debate over top or bottom heating. I don't think it is that simple- but it is not really complicated either, and a big part of the debate is where you live.
In nature, the soil in a tortoise's habitat and hide is warmed by the air and sun, and is warmed deeply enough that it holds at least some of that heat all of the time. In captivity, ESPECIALLY for humidity-loving tortoises and us in colder regions, our substrates are often cool or even clammy.
In the wild, tortoises find a quiet but warm place to digest their food- a little 'belly heat' helps with this. In captivity, most hiding places have cool substrate.
Some argue that warming the soil confuses the animal. In the wild, snakes and lizards warm themselves on warm roads at night without seeming a bit confused by it.
In my opinion- if you can do it safely, there is nothing wrong with gently warming the habitat from below- key words- 'gently' and 'warm'.
I appreciate what the cables do for me- gently warm substrate with improved humidity.
There IS a risk to bottom heating- many cables get way too hot (thus the thermostat and I tested the cables beforehand to make sure), many cables cannot handle moisture or work with plastic, and many people have found scorching or smoldering substrate.
Assuming everything is safe, there is also the debate over top or bottom heating. I don't think it is that simple- but it is not really complicated either, and a big part of the debate is where you live.
In nature, the soil in a tortoise's habitat and hide is warmed by the air and sun, and is warmed deeply enough that it holds at least some of that heat all of the time. In captivity, ESPECIALLY for humidity-loving tortoises and us in colder regions, our substrates are often cool or even clammy.
In the wild, tortoises find a quiet but warm place to digest their food- a little 'belly heat' helps with this. In captivity, most hiding places have cool substrate.
Some argue that warming the soil confuses the animal. In the wild, snakes and lizards warm themselves on warm roads at night without seeming a bit confused by it.
In my opinion- if you can do it safely, there is nothing wrong with gently warming the habitat from below- key words- 'gently' and 'warm'.
This past winter was the first time that I used heat under the substrate. I had on hand two mylar heat strips that were made to use under seedling trays. They are water proof and are guaranteed to not get hotter than 80 degrees. I placed the strip under one end of the tortoise tub, on the outside. With the moist substrate about 3" deep, and the heat rising, the babies that were in their hides on top of the strip were very comfortable. The heat rising through the substrate caused a good type of humidity. There was no worry about them becoming over heated, even if they dug down into the substrate. I heat my house with a wood stove, and it sometimes gets a bit cold in here. I never had to worry about the baby turtles and tortoises.
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