HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I have no idea what size UTH I am supposed to get, I know it goes on the side of the tank, but I have no idea how much of the substrate or regular tank I am supposed to cover with it.
I am purchasing an ultratherm heater, and I have a 40B tank, I am trying to order it now, so a quick reply is greatly appreciated!! Thanks.


Also one more thing, I wanna get the aqueon versa top hinged lid for my tank, but theres no place to order it on the site, am I supposed to order it through one of the stores near me??

The sizes are listed by inches, you want the heater to match the length of your tank, and you want it to stop about right above your substrate line. I used a tape measure, but a yard stick or ruler and some craftiness will work.

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Are you able to cut the heater at all to the size you want if they dont sell exact?? And where should I purchase it from? Thanks!


So far what I am seeing are 6x35 and 11x35
If I did the 6x35 it wouldnt cover anything above the substrate, and if I were to ever get a large crab he would need even deeper sub, so if I go with the 11x35 and was able to make it around a 8x35 then itd be perfect. But I dont know if I can cut them the way I want.....

They can't be cut to fit. The wiring runs all through them.

yeah I figured... So looks like I am stuck with the 6x35, thanks!

ClawedIntoMyHeart wrote:yeah I figured... So looks like I am stuck with the 6x35, thanks!

Remember that many with ultratherm also insulate the the tank as well, which can help boost the heat!

ClawedIntoMyHeart wrote:If I did the 6x35 it wouldnt cover anything above the substrate, and if I were to ever get a large crab he would need even deeper sub, so if I go with the 11x35 and was able to make it around a 8x35 then itd be perfect. But I dont know if I can cut them the way I want.....

Did you mean above or below the substrate? You want to put the heater above the substrate, many recommend no more than 1" overlapping the substrate line. A 40B is about 16" tall, so if you get the 6x35 heater you would have room for up to 10-11" of sub below it. If you get the 11" tall heater, you would have room for 6-7" of sub below it.

If you put the heater below the sub line, it will dry out the sub quick! Ask me how I know, LOL. My last set of adoptees came with a 20g with a zoomed heater stuck to the side as low as possible, only a couple of inches of the heater above the sub line, the rest below. I was afraid I'd break the heater if I tried to unstick it, and the temp and humidity were surprisingly stable so I left it that way for a couple of days. Imagine my dismay when I found the sub was bone dry in a strip 2" wide (from the glass) and almost all the way to the bottom! I moved the heater, it didn't break, conditions are stable.

Please forgive me if I misunderstood the question or if this is stuff you already know!

ClawedIntoMyHeart wrote:Also one more thing, I wanna get the aqueon versa top hinged lid for my tank, but theres no place to order it on the site, am I supposed to order it through one of the stores near me??

The best site for ordering hinged glass lids is Doctors Foster and Smith. This link will take you directly to the Aqueon Versa lids.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... catid=3790

Crabinski wrote:

ClawedIntoMyHeart wrote:Also one more thing, I wanna get the aqueon versa top hinged lid for my tank, but theres no place to order it on the site, am I supposed to order it through one of the stores near me??

The best site for ordering hinged glass lids is Doctors Foster and Smith. This link will take you directly to the Aqueon Versa lids.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... catid=3790

if you cant find the lid on their website, give them a call, they are very helpful!

Oh I thought it was covering all the substrate and 1" above the sub. But since it isnt, the 6x35 will work great!

Thank you for all the replies, I am sure my crabbies will be very happy now :3