Best heating method?

[trickyspark]

My mother bought me a leopard gecko for my birthday today (35, ugh...). I have had a bearded dragon for about a year and a half as well as a red bellied cooter (turtle) and a razorback musk (turtle) for a few years. I've done well with all of my reptiles and would like to keep this streak going.

I have several spare tanks along with screen tops, reptile carpets, various aquarium type decorations (logs, hidey-hole type caves, etc.). I also have one of those ceramic type heaters that screw into a lamp. It's a 60 watt heater and the lamp has a dimmer. I have it dialed in to approximately 88-90 degrees. I plan to get a thermostat (one ordered) like my bearded dragon has on his lamps.

I have the lamp clamped to my desk and the heater right next to the glass. I have one of the old caves from my aquariums setup next to the heater and a temp probe inside of the tank. The heater is doing a good job of keeping half of the tank about 88-90 and the other side is around 70-75 depending on time of day.

I feel a bit uncomfortable with that heater clamped on my desk, a bit afraid that it could fall off and into the carpet. I wanted to get a different heating method and was unsure what to really get. I have read reviews on different methods and the under the tank heating seems to be the most common one. I read the heated hides crack or cause burns. I do not want to cause the little leopard ( about 4-5 inches) any trouble.

It seems almost every UTH I find (browsing Amazon) has a few reviews mentioning they shorted out or had electrical issues.

Which UTH should I get? The gecko is currently in a 10 gallon tank. Also, later I plan to build an enclosure from wood at the same time I build one for my bearded dragon. Would a UTH be safe to use with wood? It would have to be placed inside the tank I would assume with something over it like tile maybe? I am using reptile carpet, would a UTH work fine under the glass tank, or would it need to be placed inside under the carpet (I would assume under the tank, just curious if the carpet provides an insulating effect)?

Thanks for any info. I try and take the best care of my family (I never call them pets) as possible.



**edit**

I also forgot to ask, with UTH's, does one need to place anything between them and the surface they sit on. For example, if I put it under my tank, do I need to put anything between the heater and the wood (that cheap Wal-Mart particle wood stuff) surface of my desk?

This is a glass aquarium that he is in. I hear that the UTH's can cause the glass to crack and break. Is there any truth to that?

 

[Lindz0518]

The UTH goes directly on the bottom the tank, if you don't spill water on the bottom of the tank, it shouldn't crack. I use a zoo med brand and have had no issues, you would need a mini or a small in a 10 gallon and a thermostat to control the surface temps. Your floor temps should be 89-95 on the hot side, you can use a temp gun to measure surface temps. The UTH will also come with plastic nubs to put on the bottom of your tank to provide air circulation a to prevent the cord getting pinched with can cause a short. The instructions will take you step by step how to set it up. Do not place it on the inside, it will have adhesive strips to attached it to the bottom of the outside of the tank.

 

[Ozy]

Yea, if it's going to be on wood, you need to put something under the tank. I just put a cheap square of PVC plastic under there and it works fine.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

Some of these questions I can't answer, but I'll do what I can.

I have the lamp clamped to my desk and the heater right next to the glass. I have one of the old caves from my aquariums setup next to the heater and a temp probe inside of the tank. The heater is doing a good job of keeping half of the tank about 88-90 and the other side is around 70-75 depending on time of day.

That sounds like a good gradient. Just make sure to provide three hides - one on the cool side, one on the warm side, and a humid hide.

I feel a bit uncomfortable with that heater clamped on my desk, a bit afraid that it could fall off and into the carpet. I wanted to get a different heating method and was unsure what to really get. I have read reviews on different methods and the under the tank heating seems to be the most common one. I read the heated hides crack or cause burns. I do not want to cause the little leopard ( about 4-5 inches) any trouble.

Well, I'm personally a fan of UTHs plus lights. UTHs are nice because they provide belly heat, but they don't do any good for a day/night cycle and, in my experience, don't generate as much heat (or maybe the heat just escapes more because there's nothing blocking it from escaping). Lights provide more overhead heat but obviously not much for belly heat, though they can warm rocks or the substrate so the leo can get belly heat that way. Plus they provide a nice day/night cycle, which I personally like to give them as it best mimics their natural habitat. Both are perfectly viable options, and so is using them together. I personally wouldn't trust a heated hide for the same reason I wouldn't trust a heated rock. I don't feel comfortable putting a direct heat source in with my leo.

It seems almost every UTH I find (browsing Amazon) has a few reviews mentioning they shorted out or had electrical issues.

Which UTH should I get?

They're all bound to have some bad ones. I've always used ZooMed and have never had issues, but I don't have experience with others.

I also forgot to ask, with UTH's, does one need to place anything between them and the surface they sit on. For example, if I put it under my tank, do I need to put anything between the heater and the wood (that cheap Wal-Mart particle wood stuff) surface of my desk?

This is a glass aquarium that he is in. I hear that the UTH's can cause the glass to crack and break. Is there any truth to that?

The glass can crack if there's a buildup of heat/pressure, which could be caused by, for example, sandwiching it between two flat surfaces (a tank and a desk) without allowing any room for excess heat to escape. Most UTHs will come with little rubbery domes that you can stick on the bottom of your tank to elevate it slightly to allow any excess heat to escape. If you read the instructions and follow them, there shouldn't be any issue.

~Maggot