Heating Element: bulb vs heat mat

[SordidSiren]

I recently joined a Facebook hermit group, and everyone there is telling me I should never use any sort of heat bulb, they are bad even with a thermostat, and I should ONLY use heat mat/pads on the side of the tank. While I'm pretty sure this is inaccurate as I know plenty of crabbers who use heat bulbs instead, what do y'all think? Are heat pads better? I've never had any luck with them, they heat doesn't seem to penetrate the glass very well and the adhesive never sticks long so I end up having to tape them up. It leaves a residue and doesn't look very nice either.

[JoeHermits]

Kinda depends. The high quality ones like the Ultratherms are definitely on par, although they don’t come with their own adhesive. I’ve tried Zoo Med before and was never impressed.

That being said, I’ve only ever used heat pads since they’ve always worked for me. Different heat sources have their pros and cons but I don’t know if I’d go telling people to never use one or another


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[wodesorel]

I switched from heat lamps to all UTH many years back. I was so tired of blowing bulbs randomly, and I was so worried about my cats sending the fixture flying and setting something on fire. Also burned myself a few times, I was done! The good quality UTH like Ultratherm and Flukers will produce enough heat and aren't self stick so can be repositioned as needed with tape. The key is to buy a large enough pad that the entire back is covered and then insulate that to reflect heat back inbto the tank. Without a lamp on top the lid can be insulated as well, as heat rises. I have my 29 gallon in a room that gets down into the 50s in winter and two UTH keep it in the 80s no problem.

I do think heat lamps have their place when the temperature difference between tank and room is so extreme that it's the only thing that will work. It's just that the bulbs add up in cost quickly, the crabs shouldn't be exposed to light overnight but still need warmth, and humidity can be a pain in the butt to maintain because of how a heat lamp operates. For ease of use, a UTH almost always comes out on top.

[myllkti]

Don’t have any direct experience this yet but if it helps at all I am planning on getting a DHP soon. I know regular light emitting bulbs zap moisture and also can’t be used at night but DHPs don’t emit light, and from what I’ve heard/looked into they should be super humidity friendly. They also are designed to penetrate reptile skin more deeply and I am hooooping they can be enjoyed by hermits as well. I am pretty nervous about the bulb dying as several reviews have mentioned it but I am hoping those were just the ones who did not know a dimmer was needed. I suppose I’ll find out if the dimmer is enough to prevent that soon enough…

[SordidSiren]

Thank you all for your insight! I will definitely be looking into an ultratherm heat pad when I can. We don't have central heating in our house so we may still need heat bulbs occasional, but I'd like to not have to use them as they do dry out the substrate more even with the lid wrapped up. I shall keep y'all updated on my experiences! Has anyone ever tried to use heat TAPE Like what's used for reptile bins?

[JoeHermits]

I’ve seen people use it before. It’s pretty similar except it comes with its own adhesive


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[wodesorel]

Just watch the wattage per foot on the heat tape to make sure it'll have a similar heat output to an Ultratherm. Not all brands have the same strength, and they'll come in different widths as well. It's all the same basic product design - heating elements laminated between heat resistant plastic - but the Ultratherms just come precut, wired, and waterproofed. The ones I've seen aren't self adhesive though, they would also need taped in place.

[SordidSiren]

Gotcha, thank you both again! I think I'll go with Ultratherm, it is a little more pricey but as stated it does come wired for you which is a time saver. Getting aluminum tape for it isn't a huge deal either.

[CrabbyLover77]

Gotcha, thank you both again! I think I'll go with Ultratherm, it is a little more pricey but as stated it does come wired for you which is a time saver. Getting aluminum tape for it isn't a huge deal either.

I use this duct tape for all my Ultratherms:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0014LQK ... asin_title

I removed one of my smaller uths months later, and it really didn't leave any residue.

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[GotButterflies]

Hi there! It looks like everyone has pretty much answered your question. I just wanted to chime in and say that you can use packing tape, duct tape or reflectix tape to adhere your ultratherm to the tank. Reflectix is a name brand - but they do make off brand tape like it. Good luck!