Which UTH for a 29gal long?

[drillsar]

Im not sure if I got the right one, I need a UTH for a 29gal long, It seems the one I got dont get hotter then 80. I got the zoo med for 10-20 gallon tank

 

[rhino43grr]

i would say that 29 is much closer to 30 than it is to 20, thus the uth designed for a 30-40 gallon tank may work better, especially with a thermostat. you would probably be able to have the thermostat/rheostat turned down fairly low with the bigger heater actually.

what are you doing with your gecko in the meantime? is it just toughing it out with the low temps or do you have some other way of keeping it warm?

 

[lytlesnake]

Im not sure if I got the right one, I need a UTH for a 29gal long, It seems the one I got dont get hotter then 80. I got the zoo med for 10-20 gallon tank

So the UTH is stuck on the bottom of the tank and you're measuring the temperature of the glass right above the UTH? You've got the RH-4, which is 8 watts. That model gets pretty hot on my 15 gal tanks, so either that 29 gal tank has really thick glass, or the UTH is defective. If it's just thick glass, then you'll need the larger RH-5 model for 30-40 gal tanks.

Also, if you do use the zoo med rheostat, it takes a while for temperature changes to read on a thermometer. Start with it all the way down and leave it for 1/2 hour. Then if it's not hot enough, turn the rheostat up just a little bit, then wait 15 minutes and measure it again. Keep doing this until you get the temperature you want. Adjustments will not show up right away, so if you keep turning it up in a short period of time, suddenly it will be way too hot.

 

[drillsar]

Right now im using a basking light to help raise temp. Im not using any rheostat at the moment, been running like 5hrs and temp dont get any higher hen 80 with just UTH.

 

[rhino43grr]

the 80* is the ground temp or the air? a digital thermometer with a probe is the cheapest way to check the temp on the tank floor.

 

[Stitch]

I have never heard of a 29 gallon long. I have heard of 29 gallon TALL tanks. These 29 gallon tall tanks have the floor space of a 20 gallon long tank, so use a heating pad made for a 20 gallon long. I have a 29 tall at home and trust me it works. Just remember to use the little rubber feet to raise it and to use an r-stat or t-stat. I would also recommend using a temp gun to measure the ground temps. I use the PE-1 temp gun, you can't beat it for $25.

 

[drillsar]

Im using a digital thermometer, So I have to get a new uth?

 

[Stitch]

Im using a digital thermometer, So I have to get a new uth?

You're UTH is perfect for your tank. You just need a t-stat or r-stat to control how hot it gets.

With a r-stat, plug the UTH cord into the r-stat and then the r-stat into the wall, not necessarily that order. Read the manual of the UTH, it can take up to 6 hours I think for it to heat up properly. From the beginning set the r-stat to low, they do not list temps just low-medium-high. Every 30 minutes check the temps with a temp gun, the temp guns are more accurate then those stick on thermometers. When using a temp gun measure the temps from about 2-3 inches from the surface.

With a t-stat you place the probe right above the heat pad inside the cage. Then plug in the UTH cord into the t-stat and then the t-stat into the wall, not necessarily that order. Read the manual of the UTH, it can take up to 6 hours I think for it to heat up properly. From the beginning set the t-stat to your desired temp. Again check with a temp gun just to be sure they are right.

 

[drillsar]

Ok stitch, Your saying my UTH is fine, I got the one that said 10-20 gallon, the UTH has been on for 8 hours dont get higher then 80.

 

[Stitch]

One of two things could be happening IMO.

1. You say you are "...using a digital thermometer...". Are you measuring the floor temp or the air temp? Even if it is sitting on top of the heat source it could wind up being a few degrees off.

2. The UTH could be bad. Contact the place that sold it to you and ask about their return policy. These things can heat to well over 100 if they are not controlled by a t- or r-stat.

 

[drillsar]

I put the probe on the glass on one corner of the UTH.

 

[lytlesnake]

Put the probe towards the middle of the UTH so it reads the hottest part. I've had a bad UTH that was the same model, but the problem with it was that it got too hot, even when it was on a rheostat that was turned all the way down. The UTH you've got should get way hotter than 80 degrees. I've got the same one on a 15 gallon and it maintains 90 degrees running at 20%-30% of full power. That's with the room temperature at 70.

 

[drillsar]

Ok I did that, It reads 97 Now, Ok I have a basking light on, Should I use light or no?

 

[lytlesnake]

Ok I did that, It reads 97 Now, Ok I have a basking light on, Should I use light or no?

If the UTH is 97, you definitely don't need the heat lamp. If the gecko is in there I'd go ahead and unplug the UTH, then head out to petsmart right now and get that rheostat. We've established that the UTH is functioning properly, so all you need is to turn it down now.

 

[lytlesnake]

Actually you could leave the heat lamp on while the UTH is unplugged and you're out getting that temp controller.

 

[ALGeckos]

Actually you could leave the heat lamp on while the UTH is unplugged and you're out getting that temp controller.

I agree. Leave the lamp on, unplug the UTH, and get a thermostat as soon as you can. 97F is too hot and needs to be brought down to about 86-90F, depending on if you use a lamp. Measure the temps every hour to make sure the temps are leveled and that your UTH and thermostat are working properly.

Also, your leopard gecko doesn't really need a basking lamp since it's nocturnal, but you can continue to use it as long as the temperatures in the enclosure are within the right leo range.

 

[drillsar]

Ok I got the rheostat made by zoo med, I also got jurassical, did I get the right calcium to put in the dish? I will try to get a pic of him tonight.

 

[lytlesnake]

Ok I got the rheostat made by zoo med, I also got jurassical, did I get the right calcium to put in the dish? I will try to get a pic of him tonight.

jurassical is fine.

 

[drillsar]

Is this normal? He seems to stay in one spot, In the hide on the UTH. Im guessing maybe he is stressed out a little.

 

[lytlesnake]

Is this normal? He seems to stay in one spot, In the hide on the UTH. Im guessing maybe he is stressed out a little.

He likely is stressed from the recent move from where you got him, but these are nocturnal lizards (they sleep in the day and hunt at night), so it's perfectly normal for him to stay in one spot much of the time. Give him plenty of quiet time without bright lights or distractions and he should relax soon.