Heat Mat Safety Advice Needed

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Jesse_H

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Hi there,

I'm about to start a breeding colony of woodies as soon as my Fluon arrives from Herpshop. I have just been reading on a thread here that heat is needed to promote maximum breeding activity. I'm in Melbourne and will be keeping them in the cold garage outside, so I'm guessing a heat mat or similar will be in order. Truth is I've seen so many house-burnt-down pics I'm terrified to get one, I don't know where to start! Please help me with some advice on what to do here!

- I'm using a large plastic tub from a $2 shop, about 1m x 0.5m. It has variances in clearance under the tub, ranging from 5mm - 10mm.
- I only need to keep the the warm, in the high twenties
- As this is only for woodies, I'd prefer not to spend hundreds and hundreds on a heating unit if possible, but then again I'd prefer to avoid burning my house down with a cheap and nasty model.
- Can anyone please offer advice on where I should begin in solving this final hurdle before commencing breeding? If anyone can recommend brands of heat mats etc I would be much obliged.

Cheers!
-Jess
 
Woodies don't really need extra heat and they are incredibly hardy. Mine did perfectly fine without it. If you really desperately want to heat them though maybe you can just get a little desk lamp and run a 25W globe above it.
 
Couldn't you just sit the tub on top of the enclosure above the heat source? That should keep it warm enough, doesn't cost anything and you won't have to worry =p.
 
flamers

25 watt heat cord. no thermostat needed. about $20. lizard feeding for the next few years....priceless

edit, sorry i'm in adelaide, we are cold....25watt could be overkill if you are north of us.....maybe 15watt is enough.....test and try mate
 
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Woodies are more active in the dark so if you use a lamp, get a globe that does not give off much light. I personally agree with the 15 W heat cord. Loop it around on a base of wood (melamine or MDF) same size as the container. Play with it as was suggested. Temporarily tape it into position and check the temps, in situ, at night and in the morning and during the day. If it is too hot, use less of the cord underneath – not hot enough, go up to the 20 W and repeat the procedure (and keep the 15 for when the weather warms up). You can attach the cord to the base with aluminium tape or plastic lead holders that you nail in place. Seeing as how you are safety conscious, ensure there is a minimum 5 mm gap between the heat cord and the bottom of the container. A few small battens nailed to the base will do it. Keep the container off the floor as concrete will take up the heat. If the garage gets fairly warm during the day, use a simple electrical timer ($10 max) to turn the heat off when it starts to warm up and on when the garage gets cold .

Good luck with it.
 
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I live in sydney and noticed during winter they stopped breeding. so buy the smallest watt heat cord you can find and put it under the tub.
 
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