# Heating a RUB



## solid (Nov 20, 2007)

How do people heat their RUB's?

I have a RUB with two heat mats attached and the temp still only reaches a high of 74F which is like 10 degrees lower than it should be.

The mats are both running off a habistat matstat set to 85F and it never turns off.

Only weird thing is that i have a mat in one of my vivs that if you touch it and keep your hand on it for a few seconds it gets really hot - these two are only warm to the touch, you can easily keep your hand flat on it without it being to hot. The one i have in my other viv you wouldn't be able to keep your hand on it for long.

They are different sizes though - the one in the viv that is really hot (the mat not the viv) is small (can't remember exact size) but the two on the RUB are both 11" x 11".

Just so you know, the RUB is a 64L.

Cheers.


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## PendleHog (Dec 21, 2005)

The plastic on really useful boxes is a pretty good insulator, so if the mat is on the outside of the tub as it should be you may struggle to keep the temps up.

Are the boxes enclosed in a rack? This would help keep the heat in. Using polystyrene to back the mat may also help as this directs all the heat into the tub and prevents it radiating out into the room.

I have heated an 84l RUB with the same sized heat mat in a warmish (74F) room to 84f using a polytile-backed heatmat.


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## snickers (Aug 15, 2007)

Where are you putting the probe?
Heatmats don't heat the air well, or probes for that matter. I attach the probe to the heatmat and then put a thermometer in/by the hot end hidebox.

If the heatmat is too hot to put your hand on it's probably too hot for a snake to lie on.

I have a 64L rub on half of a 35*11 mat which work fine with a hot spot of 90 ish


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## solid (Nov 20, 2007)

Cheers guys, will try to find some polystyrene to back it.

The temp gauge is in the middle of the RUB so maybe i'll try taking the temp nearer the hot end.

My point about the heat of the mat was just that i was trying to find out why one mat is too hot to touch for long while the two bigger ones i have you could keep your hand on indefinately without a worry?


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## crafty (Aug 13, 2007)

is the mat in the viv on a stat ?
if not then its an uncontrolled heat source
there have been some cases on here where people have had the mat surface temp getting up to over 100f
what are you using to measure the temps a digital thermometer is really the only accurate way to do this


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## solid (Nov 20, 2007)

crafty said:


> is the mat in the viv on a stat ?
> if not then its an uncontrolled heat source
> there have been some cases on here where people have had the mat surface temp getting up to over 100f
> what are you using to measure the temps a digital thermometer is really the only accurate way to do this


Yep, the temps are measured by a digital thermometer and the mats are all attached to Habistat Matstat's.


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## solid (Nov 20, 2007)

OK, so the mat is on a stat, i have a digital thermometer over the mat and the hotspot ranges between 85-90F which is ok.

The ambient temp is still only 73F which is too cold - that is basically the temp in the room so the mat isn't heating the air (which i know it wouldn't).

There's no way i can heat the room to 85F which is what the daytime ambient should be so how can i up it safely - and do i need to or will the snake be ok in those temps as long as he can move to the hot end?

I just don't want him to get an RI because the temps are too low.

Please advise!


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## emerald (Nov 15, 2007)

*tricky*

if you have your mat underneath the tub and the probe sat on a piece of plastic the same thickness as the tub this will compensate for the heat goiung in to the tub the snake will either sit on it night and day telling you its to cold increase the temp if it goes to the cool end for a few hours and then back to the warm end you have it set up right it only gets more tricky with arboreal snakes wen you need to be directing heat down and not up the best system is the one that your happy with trial and error


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## solid (Nov 20, 2007)

I guess i'll keep an eye on him then! He has a hide at the cool end with some moss in it and he's been in shed since i got him last week so he disappeared into the hide and has been there ever since - about a week now.

I'll wait for him to put in an appearance and then keep an eye on him.

This si the first time i have set up a RUB for one of my snakes, i usually use vivs and with a combo of mats on stats, heat lamps on stats and the AHS heaters, all my vivs are heated perfectly, i have no eating issues with any of my royals etc.

I just don't want my first experience using RUB's to be a nightmare!


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## captaincaveman (Nov 6, 2006)

My 50litre rub's are heated with heatmats and statted with thermo control 2's, i tape the sensor directly onto the mat and then using a digital thermometer and both the hot and cold ends(on top of the substate), set the temps, and my stats are set pretty low to accomodate the correct temp gradient inside, mind you im using them for corns which aren't the hottest needing snakes you'll come across:no1:


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## solid (Nov 20, 2007)

Captaincaveman - thats basically how mine is setup but in a 64l RUB, because its for a Royal i think the ambient is too cold. I think for corns as you say its probably ok.

I am picking up a T+ Albino Beauty Snake after Xmas and the temps required for those are similar to corns i think so would be perfect for them.

Cheers for your help everyone.


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## chris_b (Nov 27, 2007)

i've just set up a Rub for a carpet python i'm getting very soon...

my hot spot is fine...so is the cooler end... even the amb temp is fine now.... its just a matter of keeping your room temp up with a Rub if its not in a rack.

pendlehogs advice about poly backing is a good one....im using some left over kingspan...perfect


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## captaincaveman (Nov 6, 2006)

solid said:


> Captaincaveman - thats basically how mine is setup but in a 64l RUB, because its for a Royal i think the ambient is too cold. I think for corns as you say its probably ok.
> 
> I am picking up a T+ Albino Beauty Snake after Xmas and the temps required for those are similar to corns i think so would be perfect for them.
> 
> Cheers for your help everyone.


yeah, ive never racked royals, ive kept em for 15+ years and have always used ceramics for all my boas and pythons:no1:


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