Need help keeping my tank warm!

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LoOwen
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Need help keeping my tank warm!

Post by LoOwen » Wed Jan 22, 2020 2:23 pm

Hi everyone,

So I've had my hermit crabs for about a year and 1⁄2. In the summertime it's easy to keep humidity and temperature up anywhere from 70-85 °.But living in Ohio it gets cold and I'm struggling to keep my cage even in the 70's. It's a 10 gallon all coconut fiber bedding and I keep 6x8 and 7x4 heat pads on side of tank but still not enough. Was nervous to get a bigger pad or should I really put it underneath? How deep should I make the coconut fiber of so? What should I do? THANK YOU SO MUCH
Last edited by LoOwen on Wed Jan 22, 2020 3:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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aussieJJDude
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Re: Need help keeping my tank warm!

Post by aussieJJDude » Wed Jan 22, 2020 3:59 pm

What brand of pad are you using? Some brands are known to be a little subpar when it comes to heating so changing it to a more robust brand could fix your issues.


Also depends on how cold the room gets. A UTH will only increase the temperature in the tank over the ambient temperature of the room.


Don't put a UTH underneath the tank. While it works for reptiles, they have a shallow substrate. Substrate is a great insulator, and heat will quickly build up and form a hot pocket. Plus you want to heat the air of the tank, not the substrate.


Have you also tried insulating the tank? It helps reflect hest back into the aquarium. If your heater can be safely insulated, also insulate your heater to reflect heat into the tank. Ways to insulate invovled taping reflective material, styrofoam, cardboard wrapped in tinfoil or a combination. You may need to insulate back (or if you cant insulate over the heaters, around the heaters on the back), sides, and potentially top and the front, particularly along the substrate line.


Also, what do you have for a lid? The type of lid you uae greatly impacts how heat is escaping.

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Links
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Re: Need help keeping my tank warm!

Post by Links » Wed Jan 22, 2020 5:09 pm

Sorry to interrupt here but I’ve got my tank insulated on back and sides and I’m using some kind of foam board with a reflective side. Currently I have the reflective side on the outside but I’m wondering if it needs to be on the inside. I can’t find any info if it makes a difference or not. I think it was labeled sheathing.


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LoOwen
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Re: Need help keeping my tank warm!

Post by LoOwen » Thu Jan 23, 2020 9:18 am

Hi jrleath! Thanks for the reply . So I just have the zoo med mats. So the solid black sticky ones. I surrounded the tank in cardboard wrapped in foil and that seemed to raise it a few degrees! But I don't think I can insulate around my hearing mats so the back of the tank is left exposed.

Do you know what types of matts can be insulated without causing a fire safety issue?

Also my lid is a piece of wood with saran wrap on the inside too keep mold from forming on the wood. It has a few little holes and one large one cut out for air. THat I also attempted to cover last night. Insulating the tank seems to work but I figure if I can figure out the UTH situation it would be even better

My room gets to 60 degree in the winter

Thanks again !!


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LoOwen
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Re: Need help keeping my tank warm!

Post by LoOwen » Thu Jan 23, 2020 9:21 am

My 4x7 is an ipower reptile heat mat a and and the other is the same just 6x8

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Links
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Re: Need help keeping my tank warm!

Post by Links » Thu Jan 23, 2020 11:57 am

https://www.reptilebasics.com/

Is where I got mine. Mine is 47x7 for a 55 gal tank. Wish I got a bigger one but I’m making it work.


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KrankyKrab
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Re: Need help keeping my tank warm!

Post by KrankyKrab » Thu Jan 23, 2020 1:58 pm

I swapped out my zoomed for reptile basics. HUGE DIFFERENCE. Plus you can SAFELY insulate it.

Zoo med UTH are useless - so sorry I wasted money at first


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Re: Need help keeping my tank warm!

Post by Links » Thu Jan 23, 2020 3:55 pm

I am using some kind of foam board sheathing I think. It has a shinny reflective side that I faced to the outside. Should it be facing into the tank or does it matter? I’ve tried to find answers but guess I’m not looking in the right place.


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Re: Need help keeping my tank warm!

Post by aussieJJDude » Thu Jan 23, 2020 6:58 pm

jrleath wrote:I am using some kind of foam board sheathing I think. It has a shinny reflective side that I faced to the outside. Should it be facing into the tank or does it matter? I’ve tried to find answers but guess I’m not looking in the right place.


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I'd reccomend shiney side in, but honestly it shouldn't matter too much.

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