HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I need to get more of the UTH's heat going IN to the tank and less coming OUT into the room. I have been trying to find some smaller pieces of the Mylar bubble-wrap insulation, because I don't need a whole big roll and that is expensive. But in the meantime, it is safe to use regular aluminum foil (as used for cooking) to cover the UTH and reflect the heat back into the tank?

yes ultratherms can be safely insulated with aluminum foil! I've done it myself & it helps a lot!

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Thanks!!!

Is this true for any UTH? For example the Flukers brand that you attach yourself?

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Good question, MauiMama; I don't know, I have only used the ZooMed sticky kind (which should not be insulated, and which I do not use anymore), and now the Ultratherm, which you attach with tape, and can be insulated, even just with aluminum foil (as I've just learned). It definitely made a big difference, right away, and since we just had a cold snap, it was just in time!

Maybe somebody else will come along and shed more light on the Flukers type.

No. Not all UTH can be safely insulated.


But I've heard flukers abd Ultratherm can, so if you have one of the two it sbould be safe to do so.

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The very flat kind sealed in a thin sheet of plastic are usually safe to insulate. Flukers for sure can be.

The ones that are thicker and rubbery or puffy generally cannot be. They're already one-sided heat, and packing on the installation can make then get much hotter than intended which is when it becomes a danger.

There are package inserts on all brands that explain how to use them safely. Most (if not all) will have a PDF of the instructions on their webpages for download, so you can research before buying.

wodesorel wrote:The very flat kind sealed in a thin sheet of plastic are usually safe to insulate. Flukers for sure can be.

The ones that are thicker and rubbery or puffy generally cannot be. They're already one-sided heat, and packing on the installation can make then get much hotter than intended which is when it becomes a danger.

There are package inserts on all brands that explain how to use them safely. Most (if not all) will have a PDF of the instructions on their webpages for download, so you can research before buying.

Thank you so much, that is super helpful. Mine came without an insert, and I didn't think to check the product website xD

Your explanation really clears up a lot of questions for me. I worry a lot about fire hazards, so I always want to be extra-careful!

Thanks, everyone! I cannot express enough how much I value the support and knowledge everyone here at HCA provides!

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