uth help

[max9781]

I got an under the tank heater and it says to put carpet down on the bottom of the tank so he wont dig through my aspen and moss and lie down on the glass but i havent seen him dig yet. should i put down the carpet or just keep it how it is. what do you do for your uth

also i didnt do the side mount,i did the under mount but i put it on top of my dresser and it has the feet on tho. will it burn my dresser

[starmom]

Do you have a thermostat controlling the UTH? If not, you need one! Put the probe onto the UTH and set the t'stat accordingly.

You'll also want a thermometer to measure the heat. Put the thermometer probe on the glass where the UTH is.

[Argentra]

The instructions on those UTHs are as ancient as the policies at the stores that sell them

If you have a thermostat controlling the amount of heat(with the probe directly on the UTH under the tank), and a reliable digital thermometer measuring temps on the glass right over the UTH(under the substrate), then you should be fine with just aspen. I use a layer of newsprint under the aspen, but that's mostly for easy cleanup.

Oh, and I do hope you haven't stuck the UTH to the glass using the adhesive on the pad...it's nearly impossible to remove if you do that. The best way is to use foil tape to tape the pad on, paper and all.

[IguanaMama]

What is the best thermostat or rheostat to get? Does one brand or type work better than others? I like good value, but price isn't my main concern. I want the one that works the best....

Also, which heat mats do you all use. I have the thin clear plastic kind with the copper tape on the sides and also the thicker uths, by um... zoomed I think it is? Which do you all prefer? I like the thin clear plastic ones myself... Just wondering....

[max9781]

to late i already used the adhesive and i dont have a thermostate and thermometor probe.where can i get one cheap
is it really bad if i dont have one

[Darkice]

I pull off the adhesive and put aluminum tape over it so i can easily reuse. And then just tape it to the bottom of the tank. And if you love your animals use a good thermostat. They are expensive but it could mean life or death.

[Argentra]

It can be bad if you don't have a method for controlling the heat. The snake can overheat or get burned easily.

Digital thermometers with probe are fairly easy to get. Just go to Lowes, Home Depot, WalMart or Target and get one of these:


This is one of the best temperature measuring devices out there, short of a temp gun.

As for thermostats, which control the heat output, there are many choices but hardly any can be bought at a pet store. Most are online only.
The low end, for those who can't spare a lot of money at the time, is the ZooMed ReptiTemp 500R, for $25 or so at ReptileSupply.com Many people say this stat is not worth the money, and you do get ones that fail or don't work from time to time, but I have four running right now that work just fine.



Next up would be the lowest 'Good' thermostats: the Johnson and Ranco. These are around $80 and can be found at ReptileBasics.com.


The high end, but best thermostats you can get, are the Herpstat and Helix proportional stats. These can run $100+, and have many types and features that can make snake keeping easier for the keeper. They can be found at varied sites, just search for them on Google to find the best prices.





Hope that helps as far as finding the equipment. You should get a thermometer and thermostat ASAP!