Under Tank heater question

[J&K's Lemy]

Currently we use a daylight bulb and a red night bulb to heat Lemy's Terrarium. Lemy's Terrarium is a 30-40gal tank with high sides
We use a Zilla 1000 watt temp controler to set temps with the lights, and slate to soak up the heat creating a warm spot. I've got my warm spot as high as 90 for daytime temps.
We want to get a under tank heater for good temp control and peace of mind.
Do I need anything else to use a under tank heater?

 

[acpart]

It would be a good idea to get a rheostat (lamp dimmer from Home Depot or Loews) or a reptile thermostat (check out Alife at beanfarm.com) since frequently the UTH heats the floor at too high a temperature.

Aliza

 

[ZombiGecko]

Id get a light dimmer at Home depot or lowes. there usually about 10 bucks and REALLY come in handy I use one on my UTH(which I'm using heat cable right now until I can get a good UTH) And a temp probe to measure the floor temps. You shouldnt need the heat lamp either unless the air temp drops real low

 

[J&K's Lemy]

should we protect the table her inclosure sits on from the heat pad being on constantly?

 

[LeopardShade]

Most heat pads (ZooMed in particular) come with little tabs you can use to elevate the tank from the table surface, allowing the heat mat to "breathe" and get the excess heat out. Without them, the excess heat would build up underneath the tank and cause heat-induced cracks on the bottom of the tank. You an commonly find little tabs at Lowes/Home Depot/etc and they're extremely cheap.

I second the thermostat recommendation!

 

[garner63080]

I personally would put him in a smaller tank. I think 30-40 is too big and might make them feel insecure. Most of what i read 20l is perfect for 2-3 geckos. Also the smaller area would Mae it easier to heat.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk

 

[im faster]

a 40 gallon tank is not to big..
unless he is having a hard time finding food its a great idea..

virtually EVERYONE here will recommend a heat pad over lamps.
put feet on the tank to slightly elevate it to keep from burning the table its on