Another look at UTH mats

Captive care and husbandry.

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Kelly Mc
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Joined: October 18th, 2011, 1:03 pm

Another look at UTH mats

Post by Kelly Mc »

I think it would be good if a company made heat mats in neutral earth tones, and maybe a nice leaf green as well.

They would integrate better in an environment when used on the walls, which is something I like to do helix radiant panel style. It works well especially if you use 2, and corner them. But they dont look good.

Looks arent everything, but in a small room with naturalistic vivs its kind of nice to have the cords nice and the gear discreet.

I tried putting paper, etc but I dont like it, would just rather they be almond color, or green etc.

Ive thought the same about aquarium gear. Green or slate blue filters, green tubing among the plants.
Kfen
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Joined: June 17th, 2010, 5:51 am
Location: CT

Re: Earth Colored UTH mats

Post by Kfen »

I really like the leaf shaped heater idea! Do you put the heat mats on the inside or outside of your vertical enclosure walls? Are they effective in raising the ambient that way? Eheim canister filters come with green tubing, and Ive always thought that was a good idea, in addition to them being great filters. I haven't shopped for it in a long time, but years ago you could get silicone airline tubing in different colors.
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Kelly Mc
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Re: Earth Colored UTH mats

Post by Kelly Mc »

Hey Kfen!
presently in my guys' encl which are glass, they are all outside, paired, in a V, creating a very warm inner sanctum that lightens outward.

in some wood enclosures I used them that included skinks, geckos and snakes, ie guys that dont claw things, i mounted them on glass and used them inside. I had alot of glass squares at my disposal, exo terra doors beta tank partitions so it all kind of came together that way
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Kelly Mc
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Re: Earth Colored UTH mats

Post by Kelly Mc »

My phone is really being wonky I cant even tell if there are crazy typos in my text, sorry Kfen and thanks for your reply and interest , its always fun talking with you
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Kelly Mc
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Re: Earth Colored UTH mats

Post by Kelly Mc »

I wanted to add that 'belly heat' isnt lost with the wall method, used with deep sub. There is a really nice suffusion of warmth through the bedding and I've watched with pleasure a kind of enlargement of repose options and multiple tunnels created by snakes which they seem to use flexibly through digestion. Occasionally I see my kings and have been reported that there is lateral positioning for more heat for periods. But if I observed they Needed to do it, and did it as a primary obligate to being comfortable, I would have discarded it as a method.

I also like it because for hotter guys you can use a more finessed radiant source, because of the nice ambient which I think is better managed and easier to create zones.
Kfen
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Joined: June 17th, 2010, 5:51 am
Location: CT

Re: Earth Colored UTH mats

Post by Kfen »

Its interesting you brought up heat mats on the vertical walls, because I was considering trying that out soon. I am in the process of building a 3/4" wooden cage that I wanted to raise the ambient slightly. I did not want to mount anything to the ceiling (lights that give off heat or heat panels) because I am going to have some cages directly on top. Because the wood is 3/4", I didn't think an undertank heater would do much good. This will be for terrestrial turtles so mats mounted on the inside walls seemed like it might work.

To hide your heat mats, just paint the outside of the glass before putting the mats on. Ive almost always preferred painted backs over the store- bought backgrounds.
Jimi
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Joined: December 3rd, 2010, 12:06 pm

Re: Earth Colored UTH mats

Post by Jimi »

There's quite a lot of material online about radiant heating for human homes. We also like it in ceilings and walls, not just floors. Some of the available reading material is not just for marketing purposes, and it has lessons valuable for our practice.

And of course, plenty of what's online is pure crap.

cheers
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Kelly Mc
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Re: Earth Colored UTH mats

Post by Kelly Mc »

Most of the species I keep happen to be coastal, or marginally heated guys. Not a deliberate choice just happenstance.

Mats and linear cables have come in very handy especially when turned 'modular' and mounted on pieces of glass. I can change them, see them, and move them at will, and they stay in mint condition. I dont have to default to cooler spectrum temps as the over-all for my frogs. They can enjoy the warmer band of their ranges and its metabolic and immunity benefits.

When using mats this way underneath an environment you are using the heated air produced by the mat to create a warmed temperature zone in the environment. Its No Contact. Safe, easy to finesse with temperature control devices. I found its a better way to use mats, strips, cables.
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