heating a wooden viv?

how do i heat a wood viv cus im going to be making one soon an im going to be working with making a fake rock back round an hides for my leo

You should be able to heat a wooden viv the same as a tub or a glass viv, with a heat pad. You'll have to do a little experimenting though, I'm not sure exactly how well a heating pad would go through the wood. Though, if you make the bottom thin enough as long as you have a rheo or thermostat you should be able to keep a good handle on it.

i was thinking about some thick tile an puting them on the inside under the tile

With something like quarter inch plywood or other wood that thick, plus tile, a heat pad covering 1/3rd of the viv on a thermostat would be just perfect.

you think i can make the whole viv out of quarter inch plywood

Probably not. The bottom, sides, and back? Yes. But, you'll probably want to put glass and a hinged top on it with screen in the top to let out humidity. So, 2x4 framed for the front notched to have sliding glass doors and the top maybe could be plywood with a square cut in it large enough to resemble the top of a regular viv.

ya i got it im gonna make it with sliding glass like this https://youtu.be/SW-870CAWxQ an heres part 2 if you wanna wach it https://youtu.be/5GKmbwxlNKo

do u no how big im going to have to make it for one leo

Yeah, I'd say melamine would be a better material to use than plywood like in part 2. Her DIY is pretty spot on.


I'm eventually going to be making a rack out of melamine, it's a great material that does well to being heated.


For one leo, a 10 gallon tank dimensional is the minimum. So, if you are going to make your own out of wood: go big or go home. It's not something that's cost effective, its an alternative to get specific measurements that you want. So, if you're serious about this then make it sizeable and make lots of little hiding spots.

an it isnt that pricey out by me so i think its goonaa look reallly good when im done one more thing do you think i can use plexy glass instead of grass

I don't see why you couldn't, but I'm not very sure about the plexiglass.

i was gonna use 3/4in plexi

Thinking about it now, as long as you have either vents drilled or like in the video DIY you posted you leave a gap at the top, the plexiglass wouldn't matter either way. The ventilation is what I was worried about, but you'll need a vet or the gap and that will take care of it.

im going to take wire mesh an cut a hole in the top an put it on that way for a vent i cant wate to do this sou guys can see it lol stubs is gonna be so happy

Sounds like it! You should do a DIY how-to thread for us, with step by step as you make the viv.

thats my plain an thx alot for the help lol

No problem, if you run into any problems along the way don't hesitate to ask.

Just to expand a little on what's already been said here... if you're heating THRU a wooden floor you're likely not going to reach the temps you want. wood is a horrid conductor of heat then top it off with a ceramic floor which is an insulator not a conductor and then with a thickness fo approximately a half inch thick, your UTH is gonna have to work overtime to barely make the high 80's if you're lucky. A better alternative would be to build a false floor in the wooden viv and use a water proof uth such as an ultratherm or trex brand cobra heat mat. What you would want to do is adhere 4 1x1 tiles to another tile either 12,16, or 18 inches wide depending on how wide you're making your viv, then put the uth under tha tile on TOP of the wood floor inside the viv. Use a natural stone such as slate, shale, marble, granite etc. to make sure you're getting optimum heat conduction.

I would worry a bit about using melamine because it takes about 2-3 years for the off gassing process to take place. Keep in mind that melamine is composed with formaldehyde and that is carcenogenic (causes cancer) in people so you certainly don't want that around your herps. To read more about melamine click here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melamine Formaldehyde emissions come mainly from the exposed edges of Melamine but I doubt it would be possible to use it in a viv with out making a cut somehwere. The most effective solution is to seal all edges with an encapsulating sealer. The best product for this purpose is AFM Hard Seal. Both were specifically designed to seal about 90% of the formaldehyde emissions in the adhesives as well as other volatile organic compounds used in the stains or finishes. You may have to apply two or three coats depending upon the humidity in the air, amount of formaldehyde in the furniture, and your sensitivity. Always use thin coats and let each coat thoroughly dry before applying the next. Once the sealer has fully cured in about a week, you should notice almost no off-gassing.

Drip55 wrote:i was thinking about some thick tile an puting them on the inside under the tile

I know some people who use these. http://www.bigappleherp.com/Kane-Heat-Mats_2

While the Kane heat mats are really TOP of the line in uth, they are really pricy for someone trying to do a project on a budget. A TRex or ultratherm cobra heat mat will cost about $25-$40 for a size that would be appropriate for the viv the op is thinking of building plus provide a constant consistant heat source (they operate at a consistant 100*F and is ALL I will use) and a water resistant mat. Big apple herps does carry ultratherm but I found them cheaper at reptilebasics.com http://www.reptilebasics.com/ultratherm-heat-pads

then what kind of wood would u suggest im going to put tile in the bottom not the stick on ones like tile that ceramic an place my uths under them

If you're using the false floor tile method I would suggest first off not using porcelain or ceramic... they are insulators... think coffee mug here. I would use regular untreated sheet wood for the bottom of the viv as MDF or particle board is bonded with a formaldehyde based epoxy that would e bad for your leo as it would off gas for quite some time unless sealed with the sealant I mentioned above. Make sure to put the little 1 inch square tiles on the corners of the tile you place the uth under so the uth can breathe and doesn't burn out.

ok yhx

You're welcome. Any other questions feel free to post 'em up

best way to heat a wooden viv is to stick the heat mat inside the viv and cover with substrate of your choice, thats how i used to heat my viv's that housed gecko's and some of our snake viv's now