Slate tiles questions...

[paulnattress]

Hi there,

I've decided to use a combination of slate tiles and paper towels for our new Leo. I want to line the entire bottom of the vivarium with the paper towels and place some slate tiles on top of it. I don't intend to cover the whole surface with the tiles (there wouldn't be any point in using the towels if I did) but I was thinking of using 2-3 irregularly shaped pieces of slate tile spread out in the vivarium.

The vivarium is 4 foot by 18" so there's plenty of room in there for several large tiles. Before I do this I'd really appreciate some advice and opinions on the following:

Are tiles from a hardware store ok to use? The ones I'm thinking of are intended for use as stepping stones in the garden (but cut down to size).

The edges of the tiles may be sharp (a characteristic of slate I think) and this concerns me. Are there ways to solve it?

With regards to heating, I have a heat mat. Would this be ok directly beneath the paper towels (is there a chance it could burn them?) Would it also be ok directly beneath the slate tiles? By "beneath" I mean inside the vivarium, with the tile or towel sitting directly on it. I also have the option of using a heat lamp. I was thinking that this *may* be better as it could heat up the tile so our Leo could sit on it (which mimics what happens in the wild). I intend to stick a termometer directly on the tile that would sit beneath the lamp/on top of the heat mat so I could monitor the temperature.

So many questions!! Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[GeckoMandi]

Slate, Ceramic tiles hold heat really well so you don't need to put it inside the tank, just make sure you get some that aren't slick because it could have trouble walking around the tank.

I think with any UTH heat you need to hook up a thermostat to be even safer, hope this helps So you don't need a heat lamp leo's require belly heat only and don't like light, they are nocturnal

 

[Scott&Nikki]

Tiles from a hardware store are fine to use. I personally do not know where else you would find them. I used sandpaper to sand down the edges. It would take forever to get them exactly rounded, but it didn't take me long at all to sand them down enough that it wasn't sharp. I deffinately agree with Mandi that the heat mat does not need to be inside and either way, you need a thermostat. I have a heat lamp right now and it heats the tiles fairly well, but some people feel heat lamps stress them out. If you have a UTH and you still want a light, I would say using a low wattage would be a good choice.

 

[paulnattress]

The heat lamp is a red light which the Leos can't see apparently so it shouldn't stress her out. Thanks for your advice!

 

[Californiaman]

Discontinued Tile

Often tile companies will have discontinued tile that they set aside for disposal. Just tell them what you want them for and they'll just give them to you. This has been my experience.
I've used real stone tiles like Tavertine to complete my latest set-up.
Arizona Flagstone (landscape supply company) works great too.
I believe that different heat zones can be created as a result of breaking up the tiles and using a fine sand (Repti-Sand) as a grout-like substance in between the tiles.
It works for my Geckos and they seem happy.
Good luck.