BoA_cpt
New Member
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- Location
- London, UK
Hi all, I'm new here but not new to herping...
I've spent the last few months building a new viv and habitat for my leo. I turned it all on for the first time yesterday to test heating, etc. and now, about 24 hrs later (I think it's settled somewhat) am concerned as temps are not quite what I was looking for.
I am using 4 slate roof tiles as a substrate (https://www.travisperkins.co.uk/Esti...0mm/p/763823#b) with a 20W Habistat heatmat and microclimate evo thermo and am managing to achieve correct hot side/spot temps just fine (30-33C at the moment) but as the tiles are separate (i.e. not 1 single piece) heat transfer between them isn't great. The first tile is on the heatmat and as I mentioned, heats to the correct temperature but the 2nd one stays at 24C and the last two at 23C...there isn't really a gradient as such as it just drops off from 30 to 24C. I'd rather not add more heating or use ceramics as I'm trying to increase the efficiency of this build in comparison to the one he's currently in.
I've attached a pic of the setup with habitat, etc. to this thread but for clarity sake, the viv is 100x53x53cm and made of furniture board (Furniture Board - Maple - 2440 x 152 x 15mm). I have a layer of polystyrene insulation on the bottom of the viv, then the heatmat and the slate tiles sit on top of that. The tiles are placed length ways in the viv (i.e. 4 next to each other as opposed to 2+2 which I'd have preferred but due to the dimensions of the viv are unable to place as such).
I was wondering (more hoping) if I could possibly use thin copper bars (similar to these: Copper C101 Flat Bar 30mm x 10mm Available in various lengths | eBay) underneath the slate from halfway under tile 1 to the end of tile 4, to possibly create a better gradient. I would place 3 parallel to each other as conductors to transfer the heat from the heatmat to the other slate tiles. Has anyone done this before or seen it done before? Is copper safe to use for my leo? I know I could use play sand but I don't think I'd achieve much better temps with it and it's also a (small) impaction risk as well as messy.
I can't really fit a bigger heatmat in as the dimensions are slightly small and therefore would have to put it in sideways which would make the sides uncovered (as such).
Any help/suggestions are welcome...
Here's the viv
Thanks in advance!
I've spent the last few months building a new viv and habitat for my leo. I turned it all on for the first time yesterday to test heating, etc. and now, about 24 hrs later (I think it's settled somewhat) am concerned as temps are not quite what I was looking for.
I am using 4 slate roof tiles as a substrate (https://www.travisperkins.co.uk/Esti...0mm/p/763823#b) with a 20W Habistat heatmat and microclimate evo thermo and am managing to achieve correct hot side/spot temps just fine (30-33C at the moment) but as the tiles are separate (i.e. not 1 single piece) heat transfer between them isn't great. The first tile is on the heatmat and as I mentioned, heats to the correct temperature but the 2nd one stays at 24C and the last two at 23C...there isn't really a gradient as such as it just drops off from 30 to 24C. I'd rather not add more heating or use ceramics as I'm trying to increase the efficiency of this build in comparison to the one he's currently in.
I've attached a pic of the setup with habitat, etc. to this thread but for clarity sake, the viv is 100x53x53cm and made of furniture board (Furniture Board - Maple - 2440 x 152 x 15mm). I have a layer of polystyrene insulation on the bottom of the viv, then the heatmat and the slate tiles sit on top of that. The tiles are placed length ways in the viv (i.e. 4 next to each other as opposed to 2+2 which I'd have preferred but due to the dimensions of the viv are unable to place as such).
I was wondering (more hoping) if I could possibly use thin copper bars (similar to these: Copper C101 Flat Bar 30mm x 10mm Available in various lengths | eBay) underneath the slate from halfway under tile 1 to the end of tile 4, to possibly create a better gradient. I would place 3 parallel to each other as conductors to transfer the heat from the heatmat to the other slate tiles. Has anyone done this before or seen it done before? Is copper safe to use for my leo? I know I could use play sand but I don't think I'd achieve much better temps with it and it's also a (small) impaction risk as well as messy.
I can't really fit a bigger heatmat in as the dimensions are slightly small and therefore would have to put it in sideways which would make the sides uncovered (as such).
Any help/suggestions are welcome...
Here's the viv
Thanks in advance!
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