# used heat mat & lamp.how to check they work properly?



## MissRosyBoa (Jul 23, 2009)

i've just been given a vivarium from a lovely lady i work with, including lamp and heat mat. its been in her shed for at least a year she say's. and as i am new to reptiles in fact i am a reptile virgin. i was wondering whats the best way to make sure that the light and the mat are working correctly i dont want to find the bulb isnt giving out the right rays or something, gets too hot or that the heat mat is too cold or, heaven forbid something shorts out and causes a fire.....

sorry to be a bit dum but apart fom checking for obviouse damage i dont quite know what to do with it before i try to use it.


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## reptiles-ink (Nov 4, 2006)

Check for any visible damage to the items or wires.
If they look fine then plug them into the thermostat and make sure the mat heats up.
As for the bulb if it is just a heat bulb you just need to make sure it turns on but if it is a UVB/A bulb you will need to know how long it has been used for or fond someone with a UV meter to check it as they have a time limit for them being effective.


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## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

Hello,

What does it say on the lamp, and what do you plan to keep in the viv?

John.


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## MissRosyBoa (Jul 23, 2009)

Thansk for the replies guys, 

John i cant see whats writen on the bulb except phillips 40W most ofthe writing is rubbed off but i think it might actually just be a normal bulb not uv/a. The light fitting is a bit loose! but i can tighten that up i think!
can i just get a uv bulb and put that in the normal light fitting or do i need a special fitting? do i need a light and a uv light both? as i will need to rig a seperate socket. whihc i'm sure i cant do lol.

oh and i am hoping to get my first snake a Mexican Rosy Boa, to live in the viv at the end of the year. 
the viv etc was a free gift, so if its not suitable i've lost nothing but storage space and i'll get something better. i'm in no rush to use it i'm still learning about snakes


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## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

Yes that is a standard household lamp. No u.v

You will need to regulate the thermo via a stat to make it safe. many people use heat matts but a well and safely guarded heat lamp either halogen or ceramic use seems to be growing.

For general lighting we are committed to reccomened what we consider to be the best for the animal. So do snakes need u.v? In most cases the inclusion of u.v at the right wavelength and power is extremely useful. Snakes can obtain D3 from the livers of the prey source. But access to u.v provides so much more. There are scores of chemical and hormonal changes in the body of a reptile when exposed to u.v. Reptiles are also tetra chromatic, this means that they use the u.v.a wavelength in the visual field. So in short no u.v.a means no colour vision.

Our lighting has been exensivly tested on rosy boas, these lovely little snakes are commonly seen basking in full sunlight in the wild. If a reptile could have access to natural sunlight in the wild it can only benefit from exposure in captivity.

We reccomend our natural sunlight 2% u.v.b lamp. 

All questions welcome

John.


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## MissRosyBoa (Jul 23, 2009)

Thansk for that john, i may come back to oyu when i'm a bi more ready to go ahead with the set up. i defo think U.v is the way to go anyway


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