Undertank heater Q

[Napeesh]

I just got one that is 11"X17", Heat Wave by Hagen. My tank is 36"X12"X18". My questions are:

1. I mounted under the tank as said.......do I just leave it there plugged in all the time?

2. It wont get too hot, right?? I mean do I have to keep a constant check on it? I shouldnt be worried about leaving it plugged in all the time?

3. What type of substrate do I stray from?

Thanks

[HetForHuman]

First off what are you housing in this cage?



1. Yes leave it on all the time, this will be the HOTSPOT for the animal to come and heat up to digest its food and so on.

2. You should have it plugged into a dimmer switch or reostat so you can control the heat on it. Because if i remember correctly those heat pads can get fairly hot.

3. Well you CAN use newspaper,papertowel, bed-a-beast, aspen, repti-bark, but stay away from soft woods like cedar and pine.

hope this helps some.

[C.m.pyrrhus]

When using an UTH, it is best to use a 'thick' substrate such as bed-a-beast, aspen, etc. This allows the heat to evenly disperse and not get the glass to hot. A rheostat is a good idea, as well as good ventilation under the tank. You want to keep away from trapping heat under your tank or letting it get to hot.

[Linds]

Heat mats WILL burn your snake if they aren't controlled via dimmer or thermostat. I have all my heating elements hooked up the the sliding switch dimmers ($20 home depot, ikea, etc... actually last time I was at Ikea they were on sale for $9). You can wire your own for a few $, but I prefer the read wired type :)

Any substrate can be used with a UTH, however I prefer to use a thin one (towels, newspaper, etc). Some of my reasons are that by the time it makes its way to the surface, it may not be warm enough, or if it is warm enough on the surface, it may be too hot on the glass. Loose substrates tend to encourage many species to burrow down to the glass regardless of if it's too warm.

Some substrates may not be suitable for some species... it is impossible for us to advise you on what to use without knowing. You also need to think of whether you want something that is purely functional or that is also pleasing to the eye.

[Napeesh]

thank you all...........that helped me greatly

[sapphire_moon]

You can use what ever substrate you like (not cedar, pine or any other soft wood). I'm like linds, I like a fairly thin layer so the heat can get to it.
I put a indoor/ outdoor probe right on the glass above the heat mat to see what the temps are and use a lamp dimmer to control it.

[cmack]

Here is the link from a post Lisa displayed. I used this method and it works very well and is easy to set up.

http://ssnakess.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8858

Later,
chris