new mat and thermostat

[sawyers]

ok i bought a new heat mat and thermostat for mu first set up i do not own a gecko yet as i want to get everything perfect. ive put the heat mat under the tank i also have tiles as substrate but the heat is not getting through i havent bought a thermometer yet because im trying to find a good one but i can tell its not comming throught at the right tempreature. the mat is shorter than halfway shall i get a longer one? tink il put the heat mat under the tiles and see if the heat gets through then. the tank is 30inches long by 12inches wide and 15" high i will be putting two platforms in before i get my gecko basicly i would just like some advice! what heat is best?? how big should the mat be what gallon is my tank or how do i calculate thanks!!!!

 

[ledhead]

well,
Is the glass under the tile getting hot?
What kind of tiles are you using?
How thick are your tiles?
Are they heat resistant tiles? (like pot holders)
Do you have anything between your tiles and the glass?
Does your tile fit flat against the glass?

I have slate tiles. My hot side tile is pretty thin (less then 1/4 inch) and the hot spot is in the center but isn't overly noticeable. It feels less cool then the edges but its 90-92 degrees. My hot side tile sits flat on the glass nothing between it and heat. My little guy/gal likes it fine enough.

My tiles feel cold to the touch even when they are warm. You'll need a thermometer to know for sure. The little zoomed/zilla digital ones are like 12$ US and have a 3 foot probe. My zoomed had a little suction cup for the probe and one for the readout unit also. My zilla is identical except they didn't include the readout units suction cup

Underbelly heat is best. You've got a 20 long guessing my your dimensions, at least the 30x12 part. Same as my setup. The pads will list what size they are for. I use the 10-20 gallon zoomed pad. The 20-30 won't fit on the bottom glass its at least a half inch to wide if i recall.

http://geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=7980 is a quick post of some of the things i had go on with heating while setting up. might help some.

*edit*
forgot http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/aquarium_sizes.php gives dimensions.