Size of heat pad?

Hi Girls

What is the best size heat pad to get for a 4 x 2 x 2, should it just be enough to go under the igloo/puch area or should i be looking at half the size of the viv?

Any help would be great and if someone could point me in the right direction of a good mat and stat it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

Amy xx

id say just under the bedding area....well mine is...

Mines only 11*11 so just fits under bedding area.

yeah sames as mine leanne...

Hi Amy, the one I use can either cover the full half of a large zoozone, or if you turn it the other way will cover about a 3rd of the zoozone. I put it under the sleeping area and they can move away if they want to.

I also have a habistat that I can use, however I don't always use it.

However, it's only really Puddin' that needs to use it as I find that Ernie Holt and Little Miss Daisy Splat are all warm and toasty on their thick liners and pouch. Puddin' Features has a log cabin with fleec in it. I'm going to talk to Helen about having something specially made for log cabins. Depending on which fleece liner Puddin' has, determines whether she sleeps under the fleece and directly on the plastic of the zoozone or stays in her log cabin.

xoxox

Thanks Mel. What heat pads do you all use and what stats?

i find flint prefers to sleep under his liner directly on the wooden floor of the viv, dont ask me why, im only assuming it heats up with body heat????

If I need to use them I have the 11" x 11" - have a couple of my hoggies who sleep under the liners and they are toasty warm when lifted out.

i use this heat mat:

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and this thermostat:

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but i havnt need to use them yet.

Flake isnt to bad at the moment as her zoozone is on top on the bearded dragons viv and the heat from his heat bulb comes up through the wood and warms the bottom of her zoozone.
But when she moves into the viv stack, the beardie wont be underneath her so she wont be getting that warmth; so I want to get her a heat pad

my house has an average of 20c so they are always toasty warm in their double fleece pouches and liner.
their cages are normally around 18-22c.

tayer wrote:

i find flint prefers to sleep under his liner directly on the wooden floor of the viv, dont ask me why, im only assuming it heats up with body heat????

My bambam does exactly the same tayer lol strange boys

My heating is set to 20 all the time as well and she seems fine. I just want to be 100% safe I suppose. I would rather her get too warm and move to a cool spot than be freezing her hoggie bum off lol x

I tend too up my temps in the winter for my older hogs to be on the safe side .. it can take a while to bring around a hedgie that is attempting hibernation ... and i would rather not take the risk .x

amy i use a armoured heat pad in case of hedgie chewing through wires. Petnap do one called Flexiguard, it is 33x22cm. heatpads only need to cover a smallish area of the viv as your hoglet will need a cool spot also incase he gets too warm.
i team up my heatpad with a thermostat to make sure there is a constant temperature, mine is a habistat mat stat.
also i pop a thermometer up the other end of the viv so i know the temps throughout it xxx

Another tip is that if you purchase a larger heat mat you can tape it to the back of the viv - provides and ambient temperature throughout the whole of the viv instead of one concentrated spot - if using viv stacks, the heat will flow through the entire stack as the heat from the top one flows through to the next one etc etc.

Helen,

If I go for that option (taping to the back of the viv) should I site it inside or outside the viv?

When I was looking at mats in P@H someone was talking about the benefit you mention - heat conduction throughout her tower. I'm not sure what was in it - just that they were nice and warm...

Also, with the whole area warmed should I put a cool tile or something similar in to provide somewhere for the hog to escape to if needed?

As ever, thanks for your advice.
Elaine

I'm pretty sure Helen does it to the back of the viv Elaine .

I personally don't think a cool tile is needed ..then tend to just move to a cooler part of the viv .

Yep! Same answer as Lou, Elaine... Taped to the back of the inside of the viv. Because I use a heat mat under the zoozone, I just have it at one end so that there is a choice of where Mr, Mrs or Miss Choggie would like to sit, warm end or cooler end

xoxox

Thanks folks.

I'm gonna go with that. aside from the stated advantages, I like the idea of it being out of the way of Annice's determined cleaning efforts! Honestly, that kid should work in hospitals - MRSA would be wiped out in a week!

I bought the extra vents today - was going to put the viv together today, but the thought of all those eager helpers was enough to make me leave well enough alone!

...I'll have a go on Monday...They're in school on Monday....

Ahh...Thank God for schools

LOL
Elaine

You could always go for a heat Cermanic heater ..

I looked at them when I was looking at lamps.

I may go for a more sophisticated source once I'm up and running - but for now I want to keep it simple.

Thanks for taking the trouble to suggest it though.

I have both .. and find the heatmats equally as efficient . Thermostats are essential . You seem to have everything organised.

I think Elaine has definitely gone the extra mile in researching and getting organised! Fantastic to see too!

xoxox

What every responsible owner should do .