HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I'm going to go against the majority here and publically state that I do not care for Ultratherms. I have a 6X36 for my 40B and it barely keeps the tank up to temp in the summer--in Texas.

Now that it's winter, I've insulated it with cardboard and wrapped the tank with towels to keep the temperature at 70. Note my house is 68. I had to put a heat lamp on the tank to get the temp up quickly. I then went and pulled my old Zoomed off of a spare 20 long I have taped it to the side of my 40B. Boom, the heat on that side of the tank is now 83. On the other side, only heated with the Ultratherm and radiant heat from the Zoomed, is around 76.

My 55 gallon tank, in the same room is heated with two non-insulated Zoomeds and the tank maintains a steady 81.

I'm not impressed at all with Ultratherms and from now on will stick with Zoomeds.

Interesting.... im cutious, how big are your zoomeds?

Maybe you got a "bad" one (faulty I think is the technical term? Mine has been keeping temps up to 85 almost consistently so that sounds really really weird.

The Zoomed I added to the 40B is 16w and the two on my 55 are 24w each.

The Ultratherm is 23W, but the 16W Zoomed is much, much warmer to the touch.

The Zoomed I added to the 40B was stuck onto another tank, so not all of the stickiness is working.

I'm not going to buy another one to risk seeing if I got a dud. I'm assuming that the product in general is faulty and I'll be sticking with what I know works.

What do you mean by "the product in general is faulty"? You could potentially see if the company has a warranty or something like that, but I don't know entirely how that stuff works when it's sent in the mail.

I may have to agree with you. I had 2 zoomed heaters that were the combined wattage of the ultratherm. Switched to the ultratherm, as everyone here likes them, have it insulated well, and the temps aren't a bit better (didn't insulate my zoomeds)

It's now winter and I'm dipping into the 70s; trying to figure out what to do. I hate to add a heat lamp, as I have a glass lid, but it's either that or cover all tank sides with heaters.

Anyway, I'm off the point. Just want to add a nudge that I agree with you Mool.

Good luck all.

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Good to know I'm not the only one who is underwhelmed.

I have struggled with heat, I currently have a zoomed for 30 to 40g on my 20g, and it's been draped with a super thick bath robe. Before I draped it, it was in the low 70s now it's in the low 80s. I ordered an ultratherm that has not came just yet. I will be so upset if I have issues. Maybe I should have just bought a heat lamp

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If there is one thing I have learned through this whirlwind of becoming a crabber, it's that there is A LOT of trial and error. What may work for one person may not work for the other But, our goals are the same ^_^


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I have a 30x19t/12 but not sure what size to get for zoomed as the are so wide I was looking at ultratherm because they were long and narrow. I thought the width of the zoomed would dry out the substrate


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