HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hey guys!

It's been a while since I've posted on this forum (busy with school and college applications), but I' need some quick advice. In my current set-up, I have two bulbs that I currently use for heat--bright for during the day, and a red one for at night-- but I'll be going to college soon, leaving my brother to take care of the tank. It's going to be moved into the basement so he can monitor it, and he absolutely hates the lights I have on top of it, so I'm gonna get a UTH to keep the crabs toasty without messing with his sleeping schedule. (Currently 4AM-2PM because we've been off of school for two weeks with a ton of snow days! )

I had a UTH on the tank before, but I found that it either wasn't the right wattage or just didn't pack the juice it was supposed to because it only kept my tank at a cool 73 degrees -- 75 at the absolute highest during the peak of the day. So, as to avoid the mistake I made the last time, I thought I would come here and see what worked for you all. It seems like asking here first usually saves a lot of trouble!

Tips about other heat sources that don't involve light (like ceramics) or brands of UTHs that you prefer are also welcome !

It's kinda hard and expensive to get a heat matt big enough for a tank that big. I'd be a lot easier if you just used a ceramic heat emitter instead. They're basically the same thing as a heat lamp, just no light and they last much longer.

An Ultratherm would cost just as much as a ceramic heat emitter, probably cheaper actually. Those are the most recommended UTH brand, and you would get one that is big enough to cover the entire back of the tank. They can only be purchased online. I think the Fluker's Jumbo heat mat may be large enough for a 29 gallon, and those can sometimes be found in local stores, and depending on their policies returned if it doesn't work the way you need it to. I use a medium Fluker's on my 10 gallon and it's always worked perfectly so I highly recommend them if you have a tank that is the right size. The other store brands are hit and miss on how much heat they produce.

Thanks for the quick replies you guys! (The rhyme was not intentional )

I remember the earlier UTH I bought was an Ultratherm--not sure about the size though (probably a medium, I just remember it only covered a small portion of the back)--and it was easy to put on and not too expensive. Last time I figured the Jumbo would be too big because I purchased it online, but I'll order it when I get home today, thanks a lot!


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All the heat mats will tell you in inches how big they are. A standard 29 gallon is 30 inches by 12 inches on the back. One of the standard UTH sizes is 29x11. A lot of people choose to use UTHs that don't go beneath the substrate level, and if you're not needing a ton of heat that seems to work okay. I personally have to use one that reaches from top to bottom to warm the tank enough.