# Lino as a substrate



## Hoppergrass (Jul 31, 2010)

Hi we are building a new wooden viv for our leopard geko. i have been using an exoterra glass tank with the heatmat underneath and newspaper on top. but the tank is really for an arboreal species and he could do with more space. so reading on forum it said to have heat mat in the viv on the floor. based on that is lino a good idea, providing thicker coverage and a more decorative option? i am worried however that having lino direct on the heatmat may lead to melting? would a layer of kitchen towel or newspaper on top of the mat, then the lino help?
Any advice would be much appreciated.


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## manuetaaz (Aug 23, 2010)

Hi, I've had a lino on all my geckos vivariums for about a year now, and none of them has melted yet. Plus it's cheap and easy to clean ^^
But maybe someone else has not had the same experience as I have?


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

If it is a wooden vivarium, the mat wants to be *inside* the vivarium below the substrate.
If it is a *glass* vivarium then the heat mat wants to go outside the vivarium, underneath the tank. Make sure the tank is raised slightly so air can circulate below so there is not a build up of temperature underneath - this can lead to cracking.

And providing a heat mat is correctly thermostatted, there is no reason why it would melt the lino. I've had my girl on lino, in a glass tank, for 8 months and there have been no problems whatsoever.


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## Hoppergrass (Jul 31, 2010)

Ophexis said:


> If it is a wooden vivarium, the mat wants to be *inside* the vivarium below the substrate.
> If it is a *glass* vivarium then the heat mat wants to go outside the vivarium, underneath the tank. Make sure the tank is raised slightly so air can circulate below so there is not a build up of temperature underneath - this can lead to cracking.
> 
> And providing a heat mat is correctly thermostatted, there is no reason why it would melt the lino. I've had my girl on lino, in a glass tank, for 8 months and there have been no problems whatsoever.


thats what I thought, we have always had the heat mat outside and under the glass viv with a space underneath, wood is too insulating to be outside.
we have the heat mat connected to a digital thermostat set at 30c, should i have a layer of kitchen towel on top of the heat mat before i put the lino on? 
I plan to use kitchen lino tiles not stuck down.


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

I've just got lino tiles straight on the floor, nothing between the glass and the tiles. They conduct the heat rather well.
They're not stuck down so I can easily pull them out to clean : victory:
The heat mat wants to be set between 31* and 32*.


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## Hoppergrass (Jul 31, 2010)

thanks for that, we are getting a baby bearded dragon so i am planning to buy 1 pack of tiles and that should cover both vivs. i will notch up the heat a few degrees too.


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