Light as heat source

[adamanteus]

I always use heat mats or cables, on a thermostat. Lighting is always strip lights which produce very little heat. I find the temperature is easier to contol this way, without effecting the photo-period. As Roy said, Garters like to bask, and sometimes I do worry about this, but as the hot-spot is in a brightly lit area of the viv, my animals generally seem to be fooled.

[poissonguppy]

Stefan-A, I have a light bulb socket from a hardware store. Ha ha, heat through the glass! (Why didn't I think of that?) Anyway, I'm going to return it for another socket that can be clipped near the tank.
By the way, how do you go about making a homemade lid?

[Stefan-A]

This is the simplest model: Wooden frame with the inside dimensions that are the same as the tank's outside dimensions, then just attach a mesh by any method that suits you. I used a stapler.

After a minute of thinking, I have a few more ideas including hinged lids and lids that lock on to the frame of the tank.

There is one thing that is pretty popular and that's to tip the tank onto its side and make a sliding or hinged glass door in the front with ventilation holes in the ends. I'll see if I can make a picture.

edit:
don't know if you can make anything out of this picture, but this the general idea of tipping the tank over and making the top into a front.

[poissonguppy]

Thanks a bunch! I'll think about it.

[drache]

I use basking spot lights on my garter tanks. I put them into dome fixtures, so the can just sit on top of the screen top. The wattage depends on how tall the enclosure is. and its total volume. I'm not that precise though. I just make sure that there is ample gradient, so the snakes can regulate themselves.

[RedSided]

Is a regular spotlight ok to use in a reading lamp? or does it have to be a special reptile bulb?

[drache]

a regular bulb is totally fine
I'm not sure about regular spots, but I don't see why not

[RedSided]

Its a 25watt one at the moment and about 5-6 inches away for the "basking spot" , shining through the glass sliding door. If I put my hand on the basking spot I can feel modrate heat on the back of my hand but not too hot. She has not basked in it yet and just seems to crawl up the glass to try and use it like a heat matt . I will give it a fair tiral for a few days and if shes still a little apprehensive I will revert back to the heat matt.

The 25watt seems to make it hot enough from the distance I have it at.

Any suggestions?

[GarterGuy]

Not much a suggestion as a warning. Shining heat lamps through the glass walls of a tank can actually cause them to expand and crack. I had this happen in a leopard gecko tank I once had (it was a 20gal)...so you do want to be careful of this. As far as the wattage, as long as the snake is not constantly sitting in the heated section of the tank, it should be good enough. Your snake will pretty much let you know if it's too hot or too cold. If it's constantly at the heat source, it's probably too cold; if it's constantly away from it and buried or sitting in or around the water dish, it could be too hot. Usually a snake will sit at a warm spot a while to get its self up to "opperating temp." and then move off. If it's just fed or if it's gravid, it may bask more extensively....but will still move around and such. Hope this helps.
Roy

[RedSided]

Success I just caught her catching a little heat from it, she is very active, more so since Ive been testing the light as a heat source. She did use to just sit on her heat mat a lot, not all day but still for a fair amount of time.
At the moment she just seems to slither around, digging, climbing occasionaly stopping to bask for a minute or two and then returning to exploring.

I will keep an eye on the burrowing becase as you said it may mean she is too hot.