does my exo terra heat pad need a thermostat / rheostat

edens · 02-02-11, 06:53 PM

hello! feeling rather discouraged today, i have been getting some info from a fellow member and he mentioned that i needed a thermostat/rheostat....but i cant find the info i need. i talked to my petshop, but i live in quebec and i cant seem to make them understand what i am talking about...lost in translation? they keep telling me my setup is fine, then i am told here that it isnt! honestly i have more trust in you guys!!! so hopefully you can help :-)

i have to move my thermometer and hydrometer, i have to buy some double sided tape first so that it is right above the substrate...right now it is mid tank, which is where the petshop told me to put it....just to show how reliable they are for info!

so basically i have a 100W lamp on top, and a rainforest exo-terra substrate heater which is afixed under the tank on the same side as the lamp. I was told at pet shop, to keep an eye on temps, and if too hot, to raise the lamp a bit (its on a clamp) so far, i have only had to raise it once due to a really hot day. otherwise the temp readings i get seem fine. however i have been told that my snake could get belly burn if not regulated..... so i am at a loss.

when i try looking for the info on the internet...so not helpful all i find are definitions of what they are. i cant find info on how it pertains to Pandora
(a ball python about 15 inches), when i look up python or heating requirements, they talk about heatpads or heat rocks (which shouldn't even be used!) but nothing about thermostat or rheostat...

i myself put my hand on the aquarium bottom (under the substrate) before turning on the light this morning, and it is barley warm, so i think it is okay, but i am the first to admit i am far from an expert. so please help! :-)

thanks so much

edens · 02-02-11, 06:54 PM

from the website:
EXO-TERRA HEAT WAVE RAINFOREST TERRARIUM SUBSTRATE HEATER

* Ideal for humid or rainforest terrariums
* For under tank or tank wall mounting
* Conductive heat source for reptiles, arachnids and amphibians
* Helps in thermoregulating - important for metabolism, digestion, appetite and activity
* Safe, even heat distribution

Perfect for bottom dwellers when mounted under the terrarium.
Perfect for tree bottom reptiles when mounted on the back or the sides of the terrarium.

infernalis · 02-02-11, 07:27 PM

If your temps are fine, then there is nothing to worry about.

I have a couple UTH pads without thermostats on them, and the animals are fine.

marvelfreak · 02-03-11, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by infernalis

If your temps are fine, then there is nothing to worry about.

I have a couple UTH pads without thermostats on them, and the animals are fine.

I do to. They tend to stay about 10 to 20 degrees warmer than the room temp. I put a small electric heater in my snake room and got it set to keep room temp at 73 degrees. So my hot spot read 85 to 87.

Ch^4 · 02-04-11, 01:11 AM

Thermostat regulation of all heat sources is best, but if you are able to consistently monitor the temps, you should be okay. There's always the horror stories of UTH overheating/malfunctioning and burning animals...

Pretty much all of my heat sources are regulated. My adult BP's UTH is pretty much the only one that is not; I've had him for 6 years and know his behavior. He doesn't burrow, never has, and never will. He has ~2-3 inches of rept-bark between him and the bottom of the tank.

But, he likes colder temps for some odd reason when compared to all my other BPs, and wouldn't be caught near an overheating UTH! I know if my reptile room is too warm just but looking at him! (He hugs the cold side of the tank when the room hits about 75 F, but doesn't mind if it's 72 F!).

edens · 02-07-11, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ch^4

Thermostat regulation of all heat sources is best, but if you are able to consistently monitor the temps, you should be okay. There's always the horror stories of UTH overheating/malfunctioning and burning animals...

Pretty much all of my heat sources are regulated. My adult BP's UTH is pretty much the only one that is not; I've had him for 6 years and know his behavior. He doesn't burrow, never has, and never will. He has ~2-3 inches of rept-bark between him and the bottom of the tank.

But, he likes colder temps for some odd reason when compared to all my other BPs, and wouldn't be caught near an overheating UTH! I know if my reptile room is too warm just but looking at him! (He hugs the cold side of the tank when the room hits about 75 F, but doesn't mind if it's 72 F!).

that sounds like Pandora....but i havent had her long :-) but since i've had her, she is ALWAYS on the cold side, has never burrowed...yet ( she is still a baby and i have only had her a little over a month :-) )

so if i want to get a thermostat..will it work with the heating pad i have? can one be put on the lamp also?

NennaMeerkat · 02-07-11, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ch^4

Thermostat regulation of all heat sources is best, but if you are able to consistently monitor the temps, you should be okay. There's always the horror stories of UTH overheating/malfunctioning and burning animals...

Pretty much all of my heat sources are regulated. My adult BP's UTH is pretty much the only one that is not; I've had him for 6 years and know his behavior. He doesn't burrow, never has, and never will. He has ~2-3 inches of rept-bark between him and the bottom of the tank.

But, he likes colder temps for some odd reason when compared to all my other BPs, and wouldn't be caught near an overheating UTH! I know if my reptile room is too warm just but looking at him! (He hugs the cold side of the tank when the room hits about 75 F, but doesn't mind if it's 72 F!).

Sounds like my own hoggie who stays perpetually on the cold side of her tank, even if it is really cold in our home overall. I will be glad when warmer weather gets here for her sake.

Anyways, I have a UTH on a dimmer that I bought online from Home Depo and that has helped with the controlling of the heat from it much better than before. My own snake burrows but only if she isn't in one of her hides so I don't worry to much. Though I will say it has been a battle to get the temps right and still not sure if I have hit a sweet spot yet. Good luck with your own heating battle!

percey39 · 02-07-11, 10:08 PM

If your temps are fine then there is no need to worry like Wayne said. I have all my tanks running a ceramic heater and a globe, i do this to achieve good ambient temps ie the ceramic and a hot spot from the light. All my tanks use thermostats as they can easily over heat on a warm day. I have found ebay ( hope im not breaking rules Wayne ) to be a great place for ordering thermostats as i save up to $70 on the brand i use compared reptile shops. I use probed thermostats on all my new tanks and when my older one's thermo's fail i will replace with a probe type.

neurotic88 · 02-08-11, 08:11 AM

I have one of those pads as a UTH, and it is getting waaaay to hot, it spiked to 98.7 once.

Best to keep an eye on them.

I am getting a stat for sure with mine, better safe then to have an accidental snake burn