# new lighting / heating



## jackmorris (Oct 13, 2006)

i have 2 new vivs, but i would like to renew my lighting and heating etc, what is the cheapest most effective way and what to buy????
not from ebay if poss...
for a red tail boa and a carpet python.


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## jackmorris (Oct 13, 2006)

anyone please?


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## mark67123 (Jun 11, 2006)

This is what I'd do:

Two of these:

http://www.camzoo.co.uk/pd1523480994.htm?categoryId=12

Two of these: (wattage depends on size of the viv and how warm the room is)

http://www.livefoods.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=132

Sockets:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?criteria=porcelain es&doy=12m6&source=15

Two of thesealthough you could make your own a lot cheaper)

http://www.livefoods.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=519

Then you'd just need some heat resistant cable which you can get from some B&Q's or electrical trade outlets - costs less than £1 a metre.

No need for any lighting but you could use low wattage bulbs or small flourescent tube units - the kind of thing they put in display cabinets, etc.

So you be looking at just over £100 if you made the guards yourself (PM me if you want instructions). 
Not necessarily the cheapest way to do it but definitely the best for the snakes.


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## welshgaz (Dec 12, 2005)

I think you could be better off going with a normal filament lamp and some heat mats.... Get a bulb, wire & fitting from B&Q for less than a tenner, then you just need some mats and a thermostat....


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## mark67123 (Jun 11, 2006)

It would be cheaper to use mat/lamps but I've seen too many pics of heavy bodied snakes, such as BCI's, that have been burnt by mats.

http://www.livefoodshop.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=51838
(may have to register to view it but it's worth a look - very graphic though)

Even if a stat is used, a large snake such as one of the above could easily dislodge the probe and move it off the mat causing it to overheat.

Admittedly, I'm talking worst case scenario, but these things can and do happen.

You could still use bulbs without mats but they'd need to be decent spot bulbs and you'd still need stat(s) and guards - bulbs would be cheaper but it's usually false economy as ceramics generally last longer.

If both of the vivs were the same size and required the same temps you could run both ceramics off one stat and save £30.


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## markhill (Sep 22, 2006)

you could use those little cable tacks to stop them moving the sensors,I have in my royals viv.


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## jackmorris (Oct 13, 2006)

excellent, thanks for your help...both the vivs will be the same size. so yes using the same habistat would be ok, 

and ive decided to use red/blue bulbs as i have had trouble with mats before, they have natural daylight as they are in the bedroom so these can be on day and night now yes?


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## mark67123 (Jun 11, 2006)

Red/blue bulbs 24/7 should be fine as long as they are fairly dim and don't give out much light during nighttime.
Have the stat probe entering the viv a few inches off the floor though to prevent the snake laying on it - which could cause the stat to increase the heat as the probe would be shielded by the snakes body.

Mark - you could use a cable clip but the probe could still move even if on a short length of cable, or the clip could work loose.

I should now have access to the pictures so I'll try to post them or at least put links up.


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## mark67123 (Jun 11, 2006)

Just a few of examples of what heat mats in vivs can do to heavy bodied snakes. Two of the same royal, one of a boa and one of (I think) a burm.

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m109/mark67123/burnvictim1.jpg
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m109/mark67123/burnvictim2.jpg
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m109/mark67123/smallersickroyal3.jpg
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m109/mark67123/smallersickroyal3a.jpg


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## jackmorris (Oct 13, 2006)

thats horrific, those mats really do suck in my opinion. i will be using this:

http://www.livefoods.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=153

for both tanks) aswell as a red or blue bulb in each. i really do not want to use a mat at all...so these will be on day and night..i use red at the moment for my boa and seems fine. plus they are indoors so its not like the overall temp of the cage drops to low figuires...


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## mark67123 (Jun 11, 2006)

They are pretty bad. Mats are ok if used for right species in the right way, but you can't just put them in as they are, with just any snake, without it being a risk to some degree.


One thing to bear in mind when heating two vivs on one stat is that if you have the vivs stacked then the top one will get a bit warmer than the bottom - so maybe put a layer of polystyrene sheet between them and if one snake needs/can handle higher temps then put that one on top. If vivs are side by side then no problem.

If the vivs are different size you should be ok as long as it isn't a huge difference. If the smaller viv is getting too hot you could use a lower wattage bulb and maybe add more vents near the ceiling.


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