PantherVeileD
Avid Member
Which brand heat pad are you using? I have a few brand and some of them really suck! Which brand do you guys like best? Which one sticks well. This is for breeding dubia roaches and I want to keep it at about 100degree.
To all heat pad users out there/please read
- Thread starter PantherVeileD
- Start date
reptilemancan
New Member
yep my friend has one of them and says it works great, just a quick question, do you use a heat mat in cages?
Malicious
New Member
ColorCham427
Avid Member
i use nothing but red lights for my dubia. works the best imo, ive also been told that by well known dubia breeders.
PantherVeileD
Avid Member
ok thanks for the info! But are you wasting more energy with red bulbs then heat matts? 75w is good for a big bin?
No heat matt in the cage... this is for breeding dubias and other reptiles like snakes/leo gecko etc.
ALso I thought the red bulbs are invisible for herps? This applies for roaches as well cause I know they breed better in the dark with high temps.
No heat matt in the cage... this is for breeding dubias and other reptiles like snakes/leo gecko etc.
ALso I thought the red bulbs are invisible for herps? This applies for roaches as well cause I know they breed better in the dark with high temps.
PantherVeileD
Avid Member
thanks champion I'll take your word for it.. most heat pads sucks tho...but there are a few that are really good quality
martyllian
New Member
I use a leg heating pad from meijers. IT actually didnt have the 2 hour shut off timer, and keeps them nice and toasty
Dave Weldon
Avid Member
Howdy,
Funny that I should just now read your post. Minutes ago, I just finished reading the May 2009 Reptiles Magazine article "Catching Wavelengths" written by Dr. Baines. In the 9-page article, she covers issues about UVA/UVB as well as the visible spectrum and how it affects our reptiles' biological and physiological functions.
If I understood the issues correctly and if I am deriving a correct answer; if you can see the light, regardless of its color, so can your chameleon
. In fact, they have a wider spectral perception range than humans. This is why if it is ever necessary to add nighttime heat, do it with a ceramic heat emitter rather than a heat source that also outputs any visible light.
Zen Reptiles
Avid Member
Reptiles Magazine can be bought at most chain pet shops, they are pretty good too.
I think dubia don't really care about red light, even if they can see it. They'll breed regardless. Most zoos with roach displays use red light and they seem to do well, so I don't think that's too much of an issue. Though I wouldn't use red light at night for reptiles unless that's all I had.
I would recommend ceramic heat emitters instead of red lights. They last longer too, so they end up being cheaper. Use a dimmer (costs about 10$) to keep it at the desired temps.
I have tried heat pads, but after almost 5 years of constant use, they bugger up and over-heat. After I found a bunch of dead roaches one day and warped plastic, I figured maybe heat pads weren't a safe approach...(I've also known many others who have had bad experiences like this with heat pads, and I never recommend them unless you've got a thermostat or something to control it.)
As far as heat tape, I hope those of you know that since you usually have to rig it up yourself, it is not covered in most Insurance packages if there is a fire.
ANYWAYS..what I do now is have a space heater set up under a wood shelf. It is on concrete, against a concrete wall in a storage room. I've enclosed the space by hanging some sheets, but in time I will build it into a little room with some plywood or something. The space heater heats the shelf the roaches are on, and because there is a little downwards-lip on it, the heat gets trapped and keeps it at about 90-100F.
Works great for me, uses a decent amount of energy though, but in my opinion it is the safest way to go about it.
I would strongly advise against using heat pads, especially 24/7 for long term.
If you do, get a thermostat or dimmer.
I think dubia don't really care about red light, even if they can see it. They'll breed regardless. Most zoos with roach displays use red light and they seem to do well, so I don't think that's too much of an issue. Though I wouldn't use red light at night for reptiles unless that's all I had.
I would recommend ceramic heat emitters instead of red lights. They last longer too, so they end up being cheaper. Use a dimmer (costs about 10$) to keep it at the desired temps.
I have tried heat pads, but after almost 5 years of constant use, they bugger up and over-heat. After I found a bunch of dead roaches one day and warped plastic, I figured maybe heat pads weren't a safe approach...(I've also known many others who have had bad experiences like this with heat pads, and I never recommend them unless you've got a thermostat or something to control it.)
As far as heat tape, I hope those of you know that since you usually have to rig it up yourself, it is not covered in most Insurance packages if there is a fire.
ANYWAYS..what I do now is have a space heater set up under a wood shelf. It is on concrete, against a concrete wall in a storage room. I've enclosed the space by hanging some sheets, but in time I will build it into a little room with some plywood or something. The space heater heats the shelf the roaches are on, and because there is a little downwards-lip on it, the heat gets trapped and keeps it at about 90-100F.
Works great for me, uses a decent amount of energy though, but in my opinion it is the safest way to go about it.
I would strongly advise against using heat pads, especially 24/7 for long term.
If you do, get a thermostat or dimmer.
Dave Weldon
Avid Member
Howdy Syn and Brock,
Syn: The "Reptiles" magazine came from LLL Reptile, one of our site sponsors.
Brock: You are right about the benefits of using dimmers. They are very handy for reducing the energy going to heat pads and ceramic heaters. I haven't looked at what dimmers are available on the market that are already assembled with in/out power cords. It's not very hard to wire-up your own wall dimmer by just chopping-up an extension cord. Some places sell what amounts to be a "dimmer" under the fancy name of "Router Speed Controller". They provide the same dimming functionality as a regular wall-mount dimmer but are corded, socketed, switched and fused!
This one comes on sale every once in a while for somewhere between $12 and $20: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=43060
I usually test the dimmer with an ordinary light bulb to see its dimming characteristics before I use it with a heat pad. I just use a digital thermometer or infrared temp gun to set the dimmer/heat pad temperature.
Syn: The "Reptiles" magazine came from LLL Reptile, one of our site sponsors
.Brock: You are right about the benefits of using dimmers. They are very handy for reducing the energy going to heat pads and ceramic heaters. I haven't looked at what dimmers are available on the market that are already assembled with in/out power cords. It's not very hard to wire-up your own wall dimmer by just chopping-up an extension cord. Some places sell what amounts to be a "dimmer" under the fancy name of "Router Speed Controller"
. They provide the same dimming functionality as a regular wall-mount dimmer but are corded, socketed, switched and fused!This one comes on sale every once in a while for somewhere between $12 and $20: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=43060
I usually test the dimmer with an ordinary light bulb to see its dimming characteristics before I use it with a heat pad. I just use a digital thermometer or infrared temp gun to set the dimmer/heat pad temperature.
