How much of my tank should be heated? I have a 20 gallon tank that houses a rosy boa and the heat pad probably covers less than 1/3 of the tank. Occasionally I would like to move the water over the heat pad to encourage him to soak (like when he is going to shed soon) since he can't seem to stand the cold water but there isn't enough room for both the water dish and the hide to be in the heated area. Do I need a larger heating pad? Or how do you suggest I arrange my cage...perhaps my hide and bowl are too large (I'm sorry that I do not have a digital camera...you will have to guess by the fact that it's a 20 gallon and they will not both fit over the heated area).
if you put 1/2 your water dish over the heating pad, it should warm up the water enough so that it is comfortable. also, you can just empty it and add warm water daily when your rosy is sheding. having 1/3 of the tank floor covered by a heating pad is ideal, but it dosen't sound like that alone is enough for your setup (your water gets cold??). you might want to try adding a 50W heat lamp to the top of the cage. that will dry out the air a little, but nothing a few squirts of a water bottle wont fix. ~Will.
