What is the best way to heat a single tub?

[GeckoDude31]

I will be getting my second adult female leo in the near future. It's been two months since I got my first one--thanks y'all for telling me how addicting these leos can be! I'm very nervous to house two females together in my 18x18, even after 30 days of being quarantined. I will be putting my new leo in a tub for at least 60 days to see the personality and health of this gecko. I need to know how to heat a single plastic tub, not on a rack. I will be going to a local store for tub shopping soon--ideas? Will a small zoomed heat mat melt the plastic?

Does anyone have any pictures of the inside of their tubs? Thanks!:main_thumbsup:

 

[acpart]

The Zoo-med heat mats say not to use with plastic. Interestingly, the mini UTH, rated for 1-5 gallons says in 1 place that this was designed to use with plastic tubs and in another place it has the standard warning not to use with plastic. In my opinion, any heat mat is OK with a plastic tub as long as you have a reliable thermostat to keep the temperature in the low 90's at most. Another choice is to use heat cable (also made by ZooMed) since you can configure it however you want. Again, if you're using it with a plastic tub, a thermostat is essential.

Aliza

 

[GeckoDude31]

I have a thermostat I can use. Isn't heat tape complicated to put together? I don't want cords and homemade wiring on my part. Thanks for the reply!

 

[acpart]

I'm recommending heat cable, not heat tape. You just tape in to the bottom of the cage.

Aliza

 

[GeckoDude31]

How much would I need for one tub? Does it have a regular wall plug when you buy it?

 

[acpart]

It's a rubberized cable with a plug at 1 end. The smallest size says 11ft. but there's really only 6 feet of heat and the rest is cold cable. That's fine for a tub with a thermostat. One thing you can do is to tape the heat cable to a piece of plexiglass and put the tub on top of it.

Aliza