urgent help! substrate debate!!

[PO_0784]

Hi,
I recently bought some artificial weed for my new 33 gal aquarium..I think some people call it astro-turf?? Anyway, I took some piece from Reno Depot and now with the UTH, I noticed a smell strong enought to get my ball off his hide :P.... The underside of the carpet is like a gray rubber... maybe I did bought the wrond thing?!? If it is not ok as a substrate..what should I get?!?!? ( my aquarium is 36 by 18 inchs.. ). I need urgent help!!!

[PO_0784]

0 replyS???? now that I got your attention..please help me ;)

[Clownfishie]

Hmmm... that's interesting. I have Repti-Carpet (essentially the same as astro-turf, except that it's specially made for pets) in my leopard gecko tanks with the UTH, and I haven't had a problem...

How hot is your hot side? I wouldn't think that it could get hot enough to burn/melt this stuff, but maybe it can?

[rattekonigin]

If you don't have a rheostat to control the heat given off by your UTH the glass could get very hot and, possibly, melt the rubber underneath the astroturf...so, you could set your UTH up with a rheostat, or you could go to a pet store and buy a pack of Repti-Carpet (there's no rubber on it), I've used it with a UTH (sans rheostat) and there were no adverse effects...the pack of 12" x 24" Repti-Carpet only costs about 20$ and you get 2 pieces in there...

[Syst3m]

newspaper is all I have to say,
I know alot of people advocate artificial grass but I dont.
Newpaper, Paper towel or shaved aspen. its probably heating up the stuff since its not the woven kind but the molded kind and off gassing.

[PO_0784]

im using a dimmer with the uth ( 0-everything in between-100%..)
and it is not extremely hot..anyways, when I my Uth is a 50 %..no odors! Maybe because it was new ? ..well..I will let ya know what happens

[sSNAKESs.com]

use paper towells and save yourself a lot of headache.. the smell you are smelling is glue and it is NOT safe for your snake.

[Linds]

Alot of synthetic materials will offgas terribly when heated enough. It definitely sounds like your on your way to a meltdown - which you proved "when I my Uth is a 50 %..no odors!" You UTH is getting too hot and is - or nearly is - beginning to melt the astro-truf and releasing harmful glues, etc.