Frequently Asked Questions
General
Do you stock live or frozen feeders?
We carry whole-prey feeders by Reptilinks—available for local pickup only. Check back soon for shippable frozen feeder options for your reptiles as we work to expand our offerings to reptile keepers everywhere and the local herping community.
Do you have live animals?
No, we do not have animals to purchase.
If I purchase supplies online, will Bean Farm ship them today?
Our daily cut-off time Monday-Friday is 2pm CT; all orders submitted by then will typically be shipped from our location same-day. During peak season around the holidays, fulfillment may be delayed to the following day.
Ultratherms
Why do Ultratherms not come with an adhesive?
Ultratherm heat mats do not come with an adhesive for you to attach them to your enclosure. This is preferred so that you may attach and re-attach the heat mat as needed.
Do I need heat tape to attach the UTH to my enclosure?
No, the pads you ordered are plug and use. If you are putting them on the back, use a little duct tape in the corners to hold it to the cage.
Which size UTH should I purchase for my reptile or hermit crab?
Ultratherm size recommendations specific to hermit crab enclosures are listed on the product page.
Keep in mind, for reptiles you have to let them thermoregulate. This means heating only 1/3 to 1/2 of the tank so they have a warm side and a cool side.
Is my UTH heating the enclosure properly?
Since it is an infrared heat and concentrates its energy on heating objects rather than the air, to get the best reading you'd need to test it with a thermometer that has a probe on it and put the probe directly on the pad.
These heaters are low-wattage and only get about 10 degrees to 15 degrees above the ambient temperature. The animals can feel the heat.
A few more troubleshooting questions to review:
- Does your tank have a lid? (Not a screen lid)
- Have you insulated the heating pad? In order for the UTH to heat the air inside the tank it needs to be correctly insulated, otherwise much of the heat is just going to dissipate into the air outside the tank. Aluminum foil or a sheet of styrofoam are both safe and effective insulation materials. The sheet of aluminum foil, styrofoam or duct insulation ideally should be large enough to cover not just the UTH, but the whole wall where it’s placed.
- Hermit crab owners: Is the heating pad attached to the side wall of the tank (not the bottom)? Despite the name, Ultratherm undertank heaters should be positioned on back side of tank above the substrate (to heat the air, not the substrate) for hermit crab tanks, though an inch or so overlapping the substrate is okay.
Heat Tape
What kind of wire do I need to attach the two strips of heat tape?
Just a normal lamp cord will work. We carry cord sets and cord / clips combos for this purpose. For more information, click on the technical information sheet PDF files on our heat tape product pages.
What chemical does Flexwatt heat tape use for the flame retardant coating?
This component includes Pyrocide material for flame and probably some Fluoro compounds. This information has been provided to us by our manufacturer's engineering department.
Should I use a thermostat when heating an enclosure using Flexwatt or THG heat tape?
Absolutely, it is widely recommended you use a thermostat or rheostat to control the temperature. Doing so increases its reliability, longevity, and the safety of your animals' enclosure.
Which side of the strip of heat tape is up?
You can position the heat tape so either side faces up as both sides provide equal effectiveness.
Can I trim or cut heat tape myself?
Yes, simply make sure the heat tape is not plugged in before using scissors to trim the heat tape to your needed length. Do not cut through the heating stripe.
Should I choose Flexwatt or THG (Redline Science) heat tape for my reptile enclosure or snake rack (or other cage)?
Both Flexwatt and THG heat tape work very well and are known to be reliable. While they are each trusted brands, Flexwatt is preferred by many reptile keepers because it has a flame retardant coating applied to it which makes it the safest option on the market for animals, and it is manufactured in the USA.
Zen Habitats Enclosures: Wood vs PVC
The Zen Habitats 4’x2’x2’ Wood Panel Reptile Enclosure is designed for reptiles that require lower humidity levels, such as bearded dragons, uromastyx, and other desert lizards and snakes that require 50 percent or less humidity. Too much humidity in this enclosure can damage the composite wood panels. Zen Habitats offers a similar enclosure that uses PVC panels for high humidity applications. The PVC model also supports under tank heating elements and is ideal for both desert and tropical reptiles.
Kane pet mats
Are the Kane heat pads meant to go inside an enclosure where the snake or tortoise has direct access to them?
In short, yes, Kane heat mats are waterproof and can go inside the enclosure for belly heat as long as it's a good-sized cage (so they can move away from the heat to a cool side) and temps are closely monitored with a temperature controller. We always want to make sure substrates aren't covering the mat.
Sweeter Heater radiant heat panels
Do I need a thermostat for my RHP?
All Sweeter Heaters built since 2015 have a built-in snap thermostat designed to turn the unit off if it should fall on the heating surface so the heat cannot escape. It will simply shut off and restart after the unit cools down. We have customers who use thermostats and timers often, but it is not required.
Is the Sweeter Heater safe for my pet?
As long as it is connected to a ground fault outlet like you would use in your bathroom it is much safer than any other heater. The unit will not get hot enough to do any damage to the animal if it touches it or even chews it. If your pet did damage the RHP, which would be difficult, then if properly installed it would short out through the ground fault or it may just keep working.
What is the difference between the overhead (OH) and side mount (SM) model?
The only difference is where the power cord comes out of the heater. The cord comes out the top of an OH unit and comes out the side of a SM unit. The OH units are designed to be suspended and come with one (OH1111 and OH1116) or two (OH1130 and OH1140) 20 inch chain lengths and three S hooks for mounting. The SM units are designed to be mounted flush to a wall or ceiling and come with mounting brackets and screws.