Exo Terra HeatWave UTH Q's

[happy gecko]

I was considering getting one of Exo Terra's heat mats. The tank is the 18" glass cube, and I was thinking the 8"x8" heat mat. Should I get the desert or rainforst version? I thought that maybe since the rainforest is lower wattage, it might not need a thermostat to keep it at 90F, as 90 might be its max temp?

 

[breanna-banana13]

i have the desert one (2 actually), i dont have a rheostat/thermostat or anything. they are plugged in 24/7 and they stay pretty consistant. i think the room temperature helps keep them in check...hope this helps
Bre

 

[LizMarie]

I've used the Desert one (10.5x11 it was 16watts) and it has gone past a 105 degrees in my house but then again it tends to be really hot in my apartment. Now I have a Zoomed (8x6 and 9watts) and it can still reach the 100's if I didn't have my rhethostat attached to it.

I really don't think they have a preset temperature that they max out at.

 

[nats]

Ive never owned a Exo Terra UTH but I would go with the lowest
wattage.
Do you have a little digital thermometer w/ prob?
You could test the UTH (after you buy it of course!) by putting the
prob on the mat and monitoring the temp for a few days.
This way, you will get an idea of the true high and low temps w/o
the use of a thermostat.
Unfortunately, most folks are not lucky enough (wide temp swings in
room) to use a UTH w/o a thermostat.

 

[Snowy & Petra de Gecko]

In General

I have read that the UTH will try to add 15 to 20 degrees to the outside air temp.

You just have to watch it.

 

[LZRDGRL]

I also have two desert UTHs from Zoo Med, and I don't use them with a thermostat. I made the substrate thicker, so the geckos can't burn themselves. Make sure they cannot push the substrate aside and lie directly on the hot glass. I have big wood chips as a substrate, over that mesh, and over that the green reptile carpet the geckos sit on. I figured it would be too hot for them if I only used the carpet, but with the "filling" below it, it works just fine. (I have a black heat lamp over it.)

Chrissy