Newbie Heat Mat Questions

[Leilani]

Hi guys! I've got 5 question for ya!

1) I was recommended this (Ultratherm 11''X17'' UTH) heat mat for my 40 gallon breeder tank (the floor space on the cage is 36''X18''), does that sound like the right size? It would cover about 1/3 of the cage floor I think, which I hear is good.

2) How do I use the Ultratherm mat? (I'm using tile as flooring for the cage.) It's not sticky so would I put it IN the cage under the tile?

3) Do you guys have experience with the Ultratherm mats/do you like them?

4) What thermostat do you recommend? This is the one I have the least of a clue about

5) And lastly, where do I put the humid hide? On the hot end or the cool end, or middle? Should I have two humid hides maybe since the cage is so big?

FYI: One leopard gecko will be living in this tank. Thanks in advance!

 

[ManReptile]

Ive got 5 answers for ya.

1) Yes that heat mat would be perfect for that size cage, 1/3 of the cage floor covered is what is needed.

2) You can put it in the cage, but better would to buy some heat tape (its silver and can be found at almost all hardware stores) and tape it to the bottom.

3) Not personally with Ultratherm, but the Flukers heat mats are the same design and that's what i use. There great and movable if you ever want to change the cage design.

4) Im cheap personally, so i do DIY heat pad controllers, if your interested in this will give you a guide on how to.

5) With the size of the cage, i would put 1 on each side of the cage.

 

[Leilani]

Yay, thanks so much for the answers!

2) Like aluminium foil tape? Or reptile heat tape that actually emits heat?

4) I'm cheap too so I'd love to here your DIY guide.

5) Perfect, I'll get another one then!

 

[ManReptile]

2) Yes aluminum foil tape, couldn't think of what it was called.

4)
Get ready to read

What you will need:
-Gang box
-Light switch cover
-Light dimmer
-6ft extension cable
-electrical tape or wire caps

Step 1) Remove the nails from the gangbox.

Step 2) Cut the extension cable about 1 foot from the plugin end

step 3) Break 2 of the port covers from one side, put one section through one hole the other through the other hole. Attach wires accordinly, attach to the gangbox, put the over over it all.

Step 4) Plug it into the wall, heat pad into the plug in. And then spend an hour or so adjusting it (only downside of it all).

 

[ManReptile]

And because i described how to do it so terribly, I'm gonna provide you pictures.

You don't use the green wire, black wire to one end of extension cable, another part of extension cable to part of the other, extension cable to black. If this is your first time doing electrical work and ill do a much more in depth guide for you. If you are confused on ANYTHING ask me.

 

[Leilani]

Wow, thank you so much for the guide! I'm not sure if my parents would be okay with a hole in the wall, and I rearrange my cage setups often enough that a wall-mounted controller might not be worth it. But still, thanks, if I ever decide to do this I'll look back here! Thanks for all of your help Hamilton!!!!!!

 

[Leilani]

ManReptile: could I just use the dimmer switch though? Is it any different if I were to follow your steps?

 

[indyana]

2) How do I use the Ultratherm mat? (I'm using tile as flooring for the cage.) It's not sticky so would I put it IN the cage under the tile?

Ultratherm is a little different than normal under tank heaters. I suggest reading through their FAQ, which is very helpful:
Ultratherm FAQ: Reptile Products You Can Trust | Reptile Basics Inc

Short answer is that you should tape it to the underside of the cage. If you are using tile, most people put a thin layer of sand in the bottom of the cage and lay the tile solidly over it. The sand helps conduct the heat from the vivarium floor to the tile. You will have to see if the pad puts out enough heat to make it 90 on the top of the tiles though. As mentioned in the Ultratherm FAQ, it's a low-wattage heating element designed to be used without a thermostat, so it may not be possible for it to put out enough to heat a tiled cage floor.

4) What thermostat do you recommend? This is the one I have the least of a clue about

As mentioned, Ultratherm mats are not supposed to need thermostats, BUT you can always have one as a safety measure in case of overheating or malfunction. The two most economic options are Hydrofarm and Big Apple Herp brand thermostats, both of which you can find only (for example, Amazon.com carries them).

 

[Keeboard]

I have answers to your first, second, and fifth question: yes, the mat should cover one third. The mat should be UNDER the tank so as not to burn your gecko. Your gecko would probably only use the humid hide if it was on the warm side. Hope I helped!

 

[ManReptile]

Wow, thank you so much for the guide! I'm not sure if my parents would be okay with a hole in the wall, and I rearrange my cage setups often enough that a wall-mounted controller might not be worth it. But still, thanks, if I ever decide to do this I'll look back here! Thanks for all of your help Hamilton!!!!!!

You dont need to put it in the wall, you use an extension cable so its not hardwired, you can plug it into any outlet.

 

[ManReptile]

ManReptile: could I just use the dimmer switch though? Is it any different if I were to follow your steps?

Yes, you can just use the dimmer. But make sure that there are no live/exposed wires. But a gangbox and a light switch cover would only cost around $2.

 

[Leilani]

I might buy this Flukers mat instead, it's reviews on Amazon say that it gets pretty hot, so I could probably get it down to the right temperature for my tile cage. ManReptile, you said you like the Flukers mats.

Idyana: I like the price of the Hydrofarm thermostat, I'll probably just go with that. I was getting a little worried that I'd have to pay 100+ dollars for a thermostat!

Thanks for all the help guys!

 

[ManReptile]

All of my tanks have Flukers heat mats, they are made to be around 100 degrees naturally, so you need a controller.

 

[JoulesBurn]

I have an ultratherm on one of my tanks that can make the tank floor 110 in cool weather on a slatted shelf, so definitely just have to check temps like you would anywhere else.