Heat mats

[mark cope]

I've ordered some thermostats for Martha and Neo.........but in the meantime do I switch off the mats at night time?

[Didymus20X6]

I would. Unless it gets really cold where you live.

I keep my lights and heating pad on a timer - like $5 at your local hardware or department chain store.

[guidofatherof5]

Nothing wrong with that.

[mark cope]

Ok,will do, and check on the room temp now and then.........thanx

[chris-uk]

We have timers on all our thermostats, the exception is if one of the snakes seems to be ill then we keep the heat on at night as well.
I got some relatively cheap digital timers, but the next batch of timers I resorted to the mechanical type. One of the digital timers just kept resetting a couple of times a week. The mechanical timers are reliable, I don't need different times on different days, and the mechanical ones are cheaper - I won't bother with digital ones again.

[mark cope]

We have timers on all our thermostats, the exception is if one of the snakes seems to be ill then we keep the heat on at night as well.
I got some relatively cheap digital timers, but the next batch of timers I resorted to the mechanical type. One of the digital timers just kept resetting a couple of times a week. The mechanical timers are reliable, I don't need different times on different days, and the mechanical ones are cheaper - I won't bother with digital ones again.

that is why I love this site, new to the hobby ....but loads of advice as you need it

[EasternGirl]

My thermostat on my tank for my albinos recently broke...and until I get the money for a new one, I haven't been using the heat mat and I turn the lamp off at night. If it gets really cold...I leave the lamp on at night...but I wouldn't leave a heat mat on at night. Just make sure to watch your thermometer during the day and yes, I would shut the heat mat off at night. As long as temps don't drop too low in your house at night...you should be fine.

[chris-uk]

My thermostat on my tank for my albinos recently broke...and until I get the money for a new one, I haven't been using the heat mat and I turn the lamp off at night. If it gets really cold...I leave the lamp on at night...but I wouldn't leave a heat mat on at night. Just make sure to watch your thermometer during the day and yes, I would shut the heat mat off at night. As long as temps don't drop too low in your house at night...you should be fine.

Why would you not leave a heatmat on at night, but you're happy to leave a light on? Is is a perception that a heatmat is more likely to burn the house down? I think it's better to supply overnight belly heat than overhead radiant heat at night - in nature the ground can retain heat at night, but you don't get much warmth coming down from the stars and moon.

[Light of Dae]

I leave my heat mat on all the time, but my house temp drops to 17c at night so it's kinda needed. But I do move the substrate away and touch the mat myself every other day to be sure.

[ConcinusMan]

Oh boy, what did you start Mark? Too many variables!

For the most part, I tend to switch off all heat sources for 8-10 hours at night during their simulated (or real) summer. And by night, I mean, complete, or nearly complete darkness. (red reptile bulbs will be seen as darkness by the snakes) This is done assuming that the night time temperatures will drop to no lower than around 60 F (about 16 C ) And use a timer. Garters are very tuned into the rising / setting of the sun and time their activities accordingly. Sunrise / sunset should come about the same time every day unless you're trying to simulate a change of seasons, in which case, you adjust each day to be longer or shorter by just a few minutes each day, according to the change of season you're trying to simulate (fall or spring)

If you just want to keep garters happy and healthy and aren't concerned about breeding, give them 8-10 hours of uninterrupted darkness every night with a drop in air temperature at night and make their "sunrise" and "sunset" be the same time every night, to within a few minutes. You can keep the heat pad on for baby snakes, elderly snakes, gravid or sick snakes, etc. if you expect the air temperature to drop lower than 70 F (21 C). Those temps are just a general guideline. They don't have to be precise.

Bottom line is, turn off the lights at night, every night, same time every night. Bed time is bed time. You only need to leave the heat pad on if it's going to get cold (below 60 F) or for other reasons which I've already mentioned.

Too many people ignore this and keep their garters uniformly warm 24/7 and also do not provide a wide enough temperature gradient during the day. This can cause immune issues. A garter snake can catch a nasty RI by being kept nice and toasty warm just as soon as it can by being kept too cold and/or damp. You can love your garter to death by keeping them warm all the time. You also will confuse their sense of seasons and interrupt their biorhythms by turning lights on and off at odd and unpredictable times.

Night is supposed to be cooler than than the day, and it is certainly dark from sunset to sunrise. Do that, and your garters will sleep well at night as they should. Even during the hottest part of a summer day, garters should be able to choose a range of body temperature nearly 30 degrees (F) wide and they should know when to expect sunset and sunrise. They have evolved to these cycles of day, night, winter, summer.

I don't even use thermostats for the snakes. Thermostats for your snake heating devices aren't necessary if the room temperature is relatively stable and comfortable for you. In other words, the only thermostat necessary is the one that controls the temperature in your house.