# Smell from Vivarium



## Grizzly23 (Jun 23, 2013)

Hi All
I have a corn snake that I rescued. Until Xmas he lived in a small plastic tank with a heat pad but was rapidly outgrowing it. My local pet shop advised a vivexotic tank, 100w heater bulb and cage etc. which I purchased. Everything was Ok until the snake escaped a few weeks later. Eventually 3 months after this I came across him slithering across the living room one evening and put him back in is new tank. However, the bulb had gone. I bought a new bulb but there was a really strong smell coming from the tank once it was on and heated up. It was strong enough to fill the room. I changed bulbs a few times but the same thing happened. I checked the connection after a few days and everything seemed OK except perhaps a slight area of melting in the bulb holder (not even melting really but a look of perhaps something having been heated too much). I changed the holder for a new one (both old and new were rated at 150W). The new set up isn't making the room smell but I am still getting a smell when I open the viv. I have no idea whether part of it is the smell of the bark substrate, the tanks walls warming or the bulb being problematical again. I have asked other people but not getting any answers. has anyone else had this issue? Cheers and all the best. Rich


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## Hannah81 (Nov 19, 2008)

What kind of bulb did you change it for?

If you're using a ceramic for instance you need a ceramic holder and heat poof cable as plastic light bulb holders and cable will get melted.

And did the shop advise you buy a thermostat to control it with as well? 
I'm betting not. You need a thermostat for any heat source to prevent cooking the occupant.

For a light emitting bulb you should use a dimming thermostat, a ceramic can be used on either that or a pulse stat.

How big is your bulb guard? 
It's important to have the correct amount of space between bulb and guard so this doesn't melt or over heat. Ceramics need more space than a spot bulb does and require larger guards.

Lastly, pet shops aren't always the best place for advice. You could take the whole lamp set up out for instance and put a mat inside, the corn would be fine. This needs to be on a mat sat at least.


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## Grizzly23 (Jun 23, 2013)

Cheers Hannah

I appreciate your advice. I was told that my 4ft wooden viv wasn't suitable for a heat mat and I should use a bulb. I'd rather have had a mat to be honest. The bulb is a 100W spot in a 150w rated holder attached the ceiling surrounded by 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/ProRep-Heater-Guard-Standard-Round/dp/B008184RJ8/
The cable comes out of the top of the guard and down the back wall....it doesn't contact the guard anywhere else.

All the best

Rich


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## Chance (Jun 14, 2008)

Get yourself an 11x11 mat or around that size and a mat stat. I keep all my snakes on mats and they do just fine. 

Corns and other light bodied colubrids do fine on mats even in vivs. 

Try that and I'm pretty sure you'll be fine. You'll need a digital thermometer too to set your stat to. : victory:


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## Spreebok (Jul 4, 2012)

Smell will be the bark, especially under the lights. Remove the lamps and switch out for a heatmat and therostat to control it, and then remove the bark and switch it out for something like Aspen or Lignocel. They're great for corns, absorbant and great for tunnelling


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## Chance (Jun 14, 2008)

Spreebok said:


> Smell will be the bark, especially under the lights. Remove the lamps and switch out for a heatmat and therostat to control it, and then remove the bark and switch it out for something like Aspen or Lignocel. They're great for corns, absorbant and great for tunnelling


Mine are on repti card and they love it. I like it too and its as cheap as chips. :2thumb:


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## Grizzly23 (Jun 23, 2013)

Hi folks.

I really appreciate all the replies.

I was told a mat wouldn't be ok on a wooden viv- it has to be underneath a glass tank. In a wooden viv it'd overheat the wooden floor and the substrate and be a fire risk, wouldn't it?

My guess is that the smell is coming from a hot bulb holder rather than substrate, as I moved the substrate away from the lamp and so it isn't receiving direct heat, to test that idea.

What do you think?

Cheers

Rich


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## Chance (Jun 14, 2008)

Well I have my heat mats in vivs and as long as you use a thermostat there shouldn't be any risk at all of fire. I have my snakes on repti-card which would be a perfect kindling material and I've never had a problem.

Unstatted mats will of course be a fire risk but with a good stat you wouldn't have any problem at all. Just make sure the substrate isn't too deep on top of the mat. : victory:


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## Grizzly23 (Jun 23, 2013)

Cheers Chance

Can you recommend a make and model for mat and stat for a big vivexotic viv, please?

If recommending products on the forum is a no no can you PM me. 

Thanks

Rich


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## Chance (Jun 14, 2008)

I use Habistat mats and stats. The Habistat Mat Stat is good and I have 6 of them! :gasp:

I do have a couple of microclimate heat mats also. Any are fine and brand new ones will obviously last you longer. 

I'd go for these (swell are having a sale on mats and stats atm I think):
Mat Stat | Swell Reptiles

Heat Mat | Swell Reptiles

The 12w or 11x11 mat should be fine for that size viv. Or the 20w 17x11 : victory:


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## Grizzly23 (Jun 23, 2013)

You star! Good prices....thank you very much

Rich


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## Chance (Jun 14, 2008)

Grizzly23 said:


> You star! Good prices....thank you very much
> 
> Rich


Not a problem. Swell's prices are pretty good anyway but whilst they're having a sale they're great. :2thumb:


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## Grizzly23 (Jun 23, 2013)

:notworthy:


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## Spreebok (Jul 4, 2012)

Swell are good! I ordered 5 vivs from them last month and they came nexy day as I ordered before the cutoff


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## Grizzly23 (Jun 23, 2013)

Great! 

Well I have just ordered the 17x11 mat with thermostat. So how do you folks set it up? Probably a dum question but I have no idea what settings a thermostat has.

Cheers

Rich


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## Hannah81 (Nov 19, 2008)

Grizzly23 said:


> Hi folks.
> 
> I really appreciate all the replies.
> 
> ...


No, this is what a thermostat is for!

When you get your mat, remove all the heat lamp stuff from the viv. Put the mat on the floor of the viv, inside and feed the thermostat probe into the viv so it sits on the mat. Cable tie it to the mat wire works well to hold it in place.
Put it at one end and cover with a thin layer of substrate, about a cm worth. Put your thermometer on top of this.
Plug it all in and turn the dial of the thermostat up quite high. Watch the temp on the thermometer and when it gets to about 28C turn the dial on the stat down til the green light just turns off. This should be set now but may need a tweek or 2 over a few weeks while it settles. (I presume you ordered a mat stat? You cannot use a mat on a dimmer as they have a minimum wattage requirement that is higher than a mat wattage)
Ignore the markings on the dial, they are not calibrated, always set a stat by a separate thermometer.

Of course the shop told you not to buy the cheapest form of heating from them - cos they want you to spent more money there, they're going to advise you buy lots of things you don't really need.


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## Chance (Jun 14, 2008)

The mats usually have a formed plug so in order to get it into the viv you may have to cut the plug off, feed it through a hole in the back of the viv and then put a different plug on it.

As Hannah said cable tie the stat probe wire to the mat wire and it should hold the probe against the mat. Then you need a digital thermometer which you can place the probe of onto the mat. Set the stat using the thermometer so when the thermometer reads around 31c turn the stat til it clicks off (you will need a screwdriver cos they're tamper proof)

Then you'll just need to adjust the mat til you get a steady temp of around 29/30c for corn snakes.

If you don't want to cut the plug off you can pop a vent out of the back of the viv, shove the plug through and cut a nick out of the vent to sit around the wire. : victory:


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## Sylvi (Dec 30, 2008)

I use my mats with my vivs slightly differently. I sit the viv on 2 wide strips of wood, which creates an airspace underneath. Then I just pop the mat right under the viv, the viv doesn't sit on the mat, there is a small space. I drill a hole through the bottom side of the viv big enough for the thermostat and thermometer probe, feed them through to the required spot and just secure them in place with a cable clip. The mat soon heats the wood up and creates the required hot end temperature, controlled by the stat.


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## Grizzly23 (Jun 23, 2013)

Egads! Why did I not come here prior to buying ANYTHING?

Thank you all for your time and advice. I shall give the "in tank" set up a go first, but I do like the "under tank" idea.

I hope the bulb smell has not caused any health issues for the wee fella......

Cheers again, all

All the best

Rich


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## smart bunny (Sep 8, 2012)

Just to agree - I have heat mats in wooden vivs for my corns. The important thing is they go on the floor INSIDE the viv, not underneath, as the heat would not get through otherwise 

I use habistat mat stats, although to be honest the next time I buy a stat I will be buying a pulse stat as they keep the temps so much more accurately (I have one for my carpet and wish I'd got them for the others, but obviously they are a bit more expensive).

Edit: oops, didn't realise there was a second page of replies lol!


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## Grizzly23 (Jun 23, 2013)

Cheers


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