# viv set up for snake ... polystyrene under heat mat??



## beardie hunter (Aug 23, 2009)

my snake is due an upgrade from r.u.b to small viv in next few months, want to know, i want to put heat mat inside the viv, should i put polystyrene under the heat mat and what is best for putting on top of the heatmat ?

i use aspen for substrate, just not sure whats best for the under / on top of heat mat . is polystyrene under and a few paper towels / newspaper on top of heat mat ok ?

does the ink in newspaper give off harmful fumes etc when heated?

cheers


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## Oskorei (Jun 15, 2010)

Depends on what kind of viv really!
If it's a glass viv then you'd want to stick the heatmat underneath the viv. *As far as I know* the polystyrene thing is just to have something underneath the mat to insulate it and stop the heat escaping.
The way I've set up one of my Exo Terra glass viv's is with the viv sitting on top of a table and with the heatmat duct tape'd down to the table, then the viv on top.

If you are putting the heatmat inside the viv then I wouldn't recommend putting polystyrene in there, because it might not be very good for the animal, especially if bits of it are swallowed.. also if you put a heatmat inside the viv then there are various methods of doing so.. I'd recommend securing it down so that you can install the thermostat's probe and the mat itself without your animal moving them around.. one method some people use to do this is siliconing a small 'glass enclosure' inside the viv for the heat mat itself.. another method i've seen used is to secure the heatmat down with double sided tape or something, then to put a slate on top of it, the idea is that the slate protects the heatmat from damage / water / poo / whatever else it is at risk from, while retaining the heat from the heatmat..
One thing you should be careful of when putting the heatmat inside the vivarium is thermal reflection (I think thats what its called) which is basically having too much 'stuff' or too much substrate on top of the heatmat, causing the heatmat to overheat, which is obviously very dangerous.
With whatever option you choose I also cannot stress the importance of a thermostat enough, especially if the heatmat is inside the viv...

Oh and with using newspaper as substrate, some people do so with no problems but I personally wouldn't


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## beardie hunter (Aug 23, 2009)

oh soz, ye it would be a wooden viv 

im semi experienced, just got back into keepin em after 10 year gap , mine i used to keep in glass vivs, but this one would be wooden . ive got a matstat already and high - end exo terra thermometers 

just not sure what best off doin , its a childrens python so not a burrower as such but i will put something between the mat n substrate.will prob go newspaper or few sheets of kitchen roll ta


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## beardie hunter (Aug 23, 2009)

been told kitchen sink rubber mat on top of heat mat ??


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

You don't need anything under the mat in a wooden viv, I use a piece of roofing slate over the mat, with a couple of spacers underneath to create a gap just big enough to put the probe on top of the mat, I don't use any substrate on top of the slate but the rest of the viv floor is covered with Aspen.


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