Under tank heater

[RawrItsAlexander]

Whats the best brand to use. Also is it necessary for a twenty gallon setup with three lights?

 

[acpart]

Different people like different types of UTH. I prefer the Zoo Med under tank heater because it's enclosed in vinyl or the Zoo Med heat cable because I can tape it in any configuration I want.

Technically, if you can maintain a floor temperature of 92 or so with the lights, you wouldn't need a UTH and there are some people who prefer heating with overhead lights since it mimics the sun. The other issues with lights are: some leopard geckos, especially albinos, are bothered by the lights; also, the lights go off at night and the question is how much to things cool down based on your substrate compared to how much they cool down in nature. I don't use lights for any of my leopard geckos.

Aliza

 

[RawrItsAlexander]

Different people like different types of UTH. I prefer the Zoo Med under tank heater because it's enclosed in vinyl or the Zoo Med heat cable because I can tape it in any configuration I want.

Technically, if you can maintain a floor temperature of 92 or so with the lights, you wouldn't need a UTH and there are some people who prefer heating with overhead lights since it mimics the sun. The other issues with lights are: some leopard geckos, especially albinos, are bothered by the lights; also, the lights go off at night and the question is how much to things cool down based on your substrate compared to how much they cool down in nature. I don't use lights for any of my leopard geckos.

Aliza

Dont you use lights at all?

 

[fuzzylogix]

i don't use lights at all, they aren't necessary for leopard geckos. i have blinds in my reptile room and i just open the blinds in the morning. all of my leos are in racks except for a few though and all are heated using flexwatt. the two tanks i do have leos in are heated using zoo med UTH hooked to a thermostat.

 

[RawrItsAlexander]

i don't use lights at all, they aren't necessary for leopard geckos. i have blinds in my reptile room and i just open the blinds in the morning. all of my leos are in racks except for a few though and all are heated using flexwatt. the two tanks i do have leos in are heated using zoo med UTH hooked to a thermostat.

What do you mean hooked to a thermostat?

 

[fuzzylogix]

whether its an under tank heating pad or flexwatt, it needs to be plugged into a thermostat. thermostats have a probe which you attach to the surface of the substrate and it allows you to set the correct temps. keeps the UTH at a fixed, consistent temperature. in other words you plug the thermostat into the wall, attach the probe coming off the thermostat to your substrate, then plug the UTH into the thermostat, set the dial to 95 degrees, and monitor the temps to make sure they are accurate.

 

[Dog Shrink]

You can also use a rheostat or light dimmer to accomplish this same thing except it won't be as easy to set. You'll still need an extermal probe thermometer over the uth for readings and you'll have to play with the rheostat a bit to know where your settings are for what temperature.

 

[RawrItsAlexander]

You can also use a rheostat or light dimmer to accomplish this same thing except it won't be as easy to set. You'll still need an extermal probe thermometer over the uth for readings and you'll have to play with the rheostat a bit to know where your settings are for what temperature.

Where can I get this stuff may I ask

 

[wags91m]

Just to add a question of my own, as I am wondering the same thing, if I were to get a rheostat would I need to know how to do wiring or anything like that or is there a standard outlet in the rheostat? I've never seen one, other than a light dimmer of course, which I'd assume I would need to know how to wire to use.

 

[Pinky81]

you can get a rheostat at most pet stores...or online. I have a rheostat it has two outlets to plug two items into and a dimmer knob to control the temp...no wiring..just plug your items into the stat and plug the stat into the wall.

 

[acpart]

The best place to get a reasonably priced rheostat is to go to a Home Depot or Loews and get a "lamp dimmer" which costs less than $20. You don't have to wire it up, as mentioned above, like you would do a dimmer light switch in your house. If you want a thermostat, you'll have to look in the reptile area, pet store or ebay. The cheapest brands I've seen that work reasonably well are ZooMed and Alife/ESU which usually cost around $30 or less. Once again, just place the probe on the floor of the hot side, plug the UTH into the thermostat and plug the thermostat into the outlet.

Aliza

 

[wags91m]

Alright, cool, thanks.

 

[RawrItsAlexander]

Can you make a sticky part for the uth?