ok I just wanna know whats better with red tails heating pad or lamp?

i have been using under tank heater's for..my big snakes..i have just grew up with ppl saying they take in more belly heat then light hitting them..idk
and heating pad's do raise the humidity more then lamps..-.-
reason why im asking is cause I just want my baby's to be tip top shape
im always willing to learn new things!

also is gut loading mice/rat/rabbit's a good way to provide extra vitamins then just the store bought powder's?

and what would you feed them?

merlin im counting on your advice aswell! !

ive been feeding my crickets tomatoes,and there big and fat and none have died on me in the week ive had them

I' more for overhead heating with lighting or Ceramic Heat Emitter's it's a more natural way of heating and though it lowers the humidity (based on the substrate you use) it provides more control over ambient temps that are also important to reptile health. Bell heat is great but if proper ambient temps normally are hard to get with undertank heating alone and let the enviorment get too cold over all.

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i meant gut loading rodents for my boa's lol

I am with Titus. I personally prefer to properly heat the over all environment.
With an Under Tank Heater you are creating one single warm area and only on the surface itself. This doesn't heat the rest of the cage. So while the snake may be laying on a warm spot, its breathing cold air. This is setting up the possiblity of a repiratory infection.
If you wish to use the Under Tank Heater in addition to ambient heating to provide a warmer basking area thats fine.
I feed all my animals with f/t rodents and do not supplement. The prey animals have to be fed and maintained. This is all the gutloading they need.
The reason to gutload insects is other wise they are nutritionally inadequate.
The only time I would consider supplementing is if there was a health problem and then under the supervision of a vet. To much supplementing of anything is dangeous.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Ollie- Feeding only tomatos is doing nothing to make the insect more nutritious to feed to your animal. The insects are only a carrier to get the proper nourishment into your animals.
Do a site search on gutloads to see the recommended items to feed.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!