Questions about heat tape

[SarahSaur]

Hi everyone! So I've been told I need to heat up my tank some more, I decided heat tape would be the best. I have a few questions.
First off, how much would I need for a 20 gallon and a 15 gallon?
Secondly what all do I need? I know the wire, the clips the instaltors, plus the tape its self (Which I found it all here
THGHeat Wire/Clip/Insulator Set | Mr Herp Canada
6" Heat Tape | Mr Herp Canada )
But do I need anything else?
Is it significant enough to heat up a 20 and 15 gallon tank separately? The reason I ask is because I always see it being used for racks and not tanks.
Is there a certain thermostat I should use or can I just go to home depot and buy the cheapest one? Is that okay or should I buy a more pricey one?
I probably wont be the one installing it, it'll probably be my dad(unless it's foolproof and I can do it. He's just really good with wires and stuff) is there anything he should know? Are there any good website or videos I could watch to help me out? Is there anything else I should know? Phoenix and I thank you!

 

[DrCarrotTail]

You want to cover about 1/3 of the bottom of your tank with the tape. Heat tape MUST be used with a thermostat or it will cook your leos. No exception. I don't think Home Depot will carry the type of thermostat you need. You'll need one you can plug the tape into, Best bet is a reptile supply store online. They run $35-$120. The tape is fairly straight forward and easy to use. It will be more than enough to heat up two tanks.

 

[DrCarrotTail]

You'll probably need some way to attach it to the bottom of your tank as well. Most UTH have an adhesive side but the plain tape does not. I wuldn't use anything like Duct tape as it's an insulator and gets kinda icky when hot for a long time.

 

[tb144050]

Heat tape MUST be used with a thermostat or it will cook your leos. No exception.

^^^This is NO JOKE!! Absolute truth!! Just for a goof, I put a digital thermometer on the heat tape....it gets up to about 120F (maybe higher). Proper use of a thermostat will stop the heat at the right limit (about 90F on hotside).

I am interested in hearing about your tank setup. Typically, an UTH will provide more than enough SURFACE/belly heat...recommend a thermostat on these also (90F on hotside). If you are discussing the AMBIENT AIR temp, just be sure the AIR is not below about 70F on the cool side.

 

[SarahSaur]

Thank you guys! Can i have a few suggestion on some good thermostats?
I was wondering if my dad would be able to wire a home depot thermostate into the tape wire? I guess i should word this differently i guess as it ever been done before? as i said my dad is very good with wiring so the chances are pretty good hed be able to if it is possible.

 

[SarahSaur]

I‘m interested in hearing about your tank setup. Typically, an UTH will provide more than enough SURFACE/belly heat...recommend a thermostat on these also (90F on hotside). If you are discussing the AMBIENT AIR temp, just be sure the AIR is not below about 70F on the cool side.

I think because i bought the tank and the gecko off someone else they didnt know well enough to buy a proper heat source(its only a 4watt uth) (actually they didnt know much at all i had to buy a calcium supplement for the poor little girl and take her off sand and onto tile.) So now i want a cheaper, reusable heat source.
The highest i can get the hot side of the tank is only 80 degrees. Also because i have paper towel, tiles and the a rubermaid container for her moist hut theres a lot blocking the heat.

 

[tb144050]

Thank you guys! Can i have a few suggestion on some good thermostats?
I was wondering if my dad would be able to wire a home depot thermostate into the tape wire? I guess i should word this differently i guess as it ever been done before? as i said my dad is very good with wiring so the chances are pretty good hed be able to if it is possible.

The thermostats are homedepot are a different type of thermostat. I am not a "home ac/heat" specialist, but I believe they have an internal thermometer that monitors AIR temp...(??). The thermostat you NEED is one that has a probe so it can be placed to touch the FLOOR and measure SURFACE (floor) temp.

I think because i bought the tank and the gecko off someone else they didnt know well enough to buy a proper heat source(its only a 4watt uth) (actually they didnt know much at all i had to buy a calcium supplement for the poor little girl and take her off sand and onto tile.) So now i want a cheaper, reusable heat source.
The highest i can get the hot side of the tank is only 80 degrees. Also because i have paper towel, tiles and the a rubermaid container for her moist hut theres a lot blocking the heat.

You don't have to achieve 90F inside the moist hide. If you achieved a surface temp of 90 IN the moist hide, then the warm-side (dry) surface temp would probably be 105F++. :O That would be bad.

I just googled "4watt under tank heater." Apparently 4watt UTH's are designed for 5gallon (and smaller) enclosures. You probably just need an UTH that is the right size. The labels on the package say the size: 10gall, 20gall, etc etc. If you want it to be "reuseable", you can be creative. I re-use/swap UTH's on my cricket tubs all the time. I don't remove the adhesive cover from the UTH. I use an empty DVD case and some packing tape to hold the UTH to the bottom surface. (note: the empty dvd case does reach 90F, which is warm, but I haven't seen anything melting yet.....)

 

[DrCarrotTail]

100% agree. No thermostat without a probe is going to help you. Most of the ones from Home Depot are designed to measure your house temp wherever the thermostat is, not the temperature of a small specific location.

 

[SarahSaur]

Alright I picked up a 10-20 watt uth, hopefully it'll work. Thank you everyone!

 

[Robyn@SYR]

Mr. Herp should carry the Vivarium Electronics thermostats, those are terrific units.