HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Today i checked my ultra them pad it's reading exactly 95 degrees. It's 77 in my house and in the tank about 85 degrees. In the winter here in nj our apartment can be as cold as 60 degrees. I have insulated my ultra them as well. I'm wondering if i should set up a heat lamp just to be extra safe. My question is i have a 20 gl with a versa top glass lid. I'm using a desk lamp with a goose neck with a moonlight at night just for viewing it doesn't affect the heat. The next 2 months for me is going to be rough money wise but i want to buy everything i need for winter prep this weds. What would i need to use a heat lamp with a versa top ? I really don't want to go back to the mesh lid again for a bunch of reasons. Any help is good here. I'm thinking being how cold it gets here the uth isn't going to be enough (covers the back above the sub insulated with foil and card board reads about 95 degrees in the glass ).

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I live in MA and this will be my first winter with the hermies and our house gets a bit cold too. For summer with the A/Cs running almost constantly I have an Ultratherm on the back and a medium sized zoo-med on the side. (My tank is a 20high) It stays between 80-83 but I keep a blanket draped over the top and the Ultratherm and side that doesn't have the zoo-med is insulated with tin foil and cardboard.
Perhaps get another small UTH for the side of your tank and try the blanket method for when your not viewing?
I also believe there's a thread on here somewhere of what to do in case of a power outage- that may be of good use for us here in New England.


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You could buy a lamp clamp from http://www.drsfostersmith.com/, if you want to see how they work, if you scroll a bit on this forum you could see someone using them for their bearded dragon. http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... 6&t=111708. I'm assuming that since it's not directly touching the versa top, it won't warp it as much.

PinchersAndShells wrote:You could buy a lamp clamp from http://www.drsfostersmith.com/, if you want to see how they work, if you scroll a bit on this forum you could see someone using them for their bearded dragon. http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... 6&t=111708. I'm assuming that since it's not directly touching the versa top, it won't warp it as much.

Yeah see that's what I'm worried about the lamp cracking the lid it would be a shame to have to go back to a mesh lid. Honestly i can't stand them and really don't want to go back to it.

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PinchersAndShells wrote:You could buy a lamp clamp from http://www.drsfostersmith.com/, if you want to see how they work, if you scroll a bit on this forum you could see someone using them for their bearded dragon. http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... 6&t=111708. I'm assuming that since it's not directly touching the versa top, it won't warp it as much.

Seems like it's being used with a mesh doesn't seem like i can find a way to keep a glass lid and use a heater.

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I mean heat lamp *

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Hermie225 wrote:I live in MA and this will be my first winter with the hermies and our house gets a bit cold too. For summer with the A/Cs running almost constantly I have an Ultratherm on the back and a medium sized zoo-med on the side. (My tank is a 20high) It stays between 80-83 but I keep a blanket draped over the top and the Ultratherm and side that doesn't have the zoo-med is insulated with tin foil and cardboard.
Perhaps get another small UTH for the side of your tank and try the blanket method for when your not viewing?
I also believe there's a thread on here somewhere of what to do in case of a power outage- that may be of good use for us here in New England.


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Yeah i just want to find a way to keep it stable from when i got them in spring until now i haven't needed a heater at all but now I'm starting to need one as temps have dropped in the apt about 10 degrees as it's turning to fall and its only gonna get colder. We have a slum roach lord who only puts the heat on when he wants and that's usually between 5 am and 11 am and that's it and when he does its like 90 degrees in here. But the rest of the time we had space heaters and we get the room close to 80. But when I'm not home that's an issue want to make sure i can keep their tank at least over 75 during the hours of 7 am and 4 pm when I'm at work.

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I wouldn't think that using it with a glass lid would crack it though, it wouldn't be touching the lid.

PinchersAndShells wrote:I wouldn't think that using it with a glass lid would crack it though, it wouldn't be touching the lid.

Ok just want a little more advise. Btw the temp of the uktra.them pad.did each 98 degrees on the glass so maybe it will.be ok

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If you use a lamp at a safe distance from the glass lid it will not affect the temperature inside the tank more than a degree or so, if that. Really the only way a lamp will raise the temperature is when it is sitting directly on top of a screen lid.

isadoraisacat wrote:

PinchersAndShells wrote:I wouldn't think that using it with a glass lid would crack it though, it wouldn't be touching the lid.

Ok just want a little more advise. Btw the temp of the uktra.them pad.did each 98 degrees on the glass so maybe it will.be ok

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darn so should i consider a smaller ultra them for the other side of the tank i can turn on if it gets really cold ?

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Maybe you could get the smaller one for one of the sides, that way you could still look in at the hermits.

PinchersAndShells wrote:Maybe you could get the smaller one for one of the sides, that way you could still look in at the hermits.

Yeah thinking of getting a small one for the side if things get very cold gotta look up the smallest ultra therm they make those other brands dont really work

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I would go with the ultratherm and insulate the back and sides of the tank very well.

KDK241 wrote:I would go with the ultratherm and insulate the back and sides of the tank very well.

I already have a ultra them on the back of my take that's insulated my only option would be to add smaller ones to the side or both sides. I guess

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