I am in the process of setting up a new 20G long. I currently heat my 10g with a UTH and a 15w moon glow bulb. I have been seeing quite a few posts that say they don't like UTH's so I was wondering if I should save the money on a new one for the 20g long and just go with moon glow bulbs to heat? I have a hood that holds 2 bulbs so I was thinking of getting 2 40W bulbs? Do you think that would be enough? Thanks.
Cassidy
New tat, heating question
-
cass2399
Topic author
New tat, heating question
Last edited by cass2399 on Sun Apr 19, 2009 9:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
MudCrabDude
Topic author
Well, it's not so much as hermit crabs not liking UTH's - it's actually more of a possibility of UTH's causing danger and cooking the crab if it were a UTH mounted under the tank and cooking a buried crab attempting to destress or was in a premolt aestivation-mode (I've had this happen).
Some keepers have had UTH's in the long term mounted under the tank, so it might not be an issue, depending on substrate, climate, or other things - especially if the climates are cool enough to sustain UTH's comfortably without cooking the crab.
Otherwise, I personally would try to recommend that the tank air be warm, but the substrate relatively cool. And to do this, you can use a UTH and mount it on the side of the tank in conjunction with heat lights or just use all heat lights without the UTH if you can afford to do so in the long run.
However, if you have one of those UTH's that doesn't have a permanent adhesive from the old tank and can be re-used and re-mounted anywhere via tape (such as the Cobra brand heat pads), it would be okay to side-mount it (tape it to the side of the glass, preferably above the substrate line) in conjunction with your lamp. Otherwise, if you have those ZooMed brand of pads that have a permanent glue, it would be recommended that you get another UTH for the new tank as usually they cannot be re-adhered to a new tank.
You can go with all lamps as well, if you are able to maintain desirable temperature ranges throughout the year.
Some keepers have had UTH's in the long term mounted under the tank, so it might not be an issue, depending on substrate, climate, or other things - especially if the climates are cool enough to sustain UTH's comfortably without cooking the crab.
Otherwise, I personally would try to recommend that the tank air be warm, but the substrate relatively cool. And to do this, you can use a UTH and mount it on the side of the tank in conjunction with heat lights or just use all heat lights without the UTH if you can afford to do so in the long run.
However, if you have one of those UTH's that doesn't have a permanent adhesive from the old tank and can be re-used and re-mounted anywhere via tape (such as the Cobra brand heat pads), it would be okay to side-mount it (tape it to the side of the glass, preferably above the substrate line) in conjunction with your lamp. Otherwise, if you have those ZooMed brand of pads that have a permanent glue, it would be recommended that you get another UTH for the new tank as usually they cannot be re-adhered to a new tank.
You can go with all lamps as well, if you are able to maintain desirable temperature ranges throughout the year.
-
cass2399
Topic author
-
Guest
Topic author
I am currently heating a 20L with a 60 watt day glo bulb and a 75 watt red bulb for night. I am in IL and I keep my house at 69 degrees all winter so I needed the extra heat for the tank. I think UTH's are a waste of money and when I had it on my 10g it didn't really do anything so I needed the bulbs anyways. I use a foam insulation board cut to size for a lid with 2 metal curtain rods taped to it so that the heat lamp is not touching the lid. I cut a hole the size of a CD in the lid and have the lamp shining through the hole, that way I have a way for air exchange also. It is up to you and your house conditions on what size heating things you need weather it be bulbs or UTH's.