UTH

[Jenny55]

I have a bean farm uth on the back of my tank and its plugged into a zilla thermostat, is it normal to have to set the thermostat on the highest temp to get the temp up? I have cork tile on the back of the tank but I was told it shouldnt be a problem. I had the thermostat set at 99deg and the tank temp only got up to 74deg, I just now turned it up to the highest setting which is 105. First I want to make sure that is safe, and then of course I'm thinking I need to get a small uth for the side of the tank. Would love to hear your suggestions. (The uth is as wide as the tank, 36in on a 40gal breeder)

[JoeHermits]

The cork tile is probably impeding the heater’s ability to heat the air in the tank. One of the downsides of a dynamic background


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[wodesorel]

Where is the thermostat probe? It should be inside the tank where the crabs are, and set to where you want the tank (80 degrees or whatever) in order to control the amount of heat being produced. UTH will always have run hot in order to warm the entire space in front of it. They may get up to 130 on the surface in order to make the air inside 80 depending on the setup.

[Jenny55]

Ok got it. So the probe is in the middle of the tank, no crabs in yet as I have just got it set up. But I put reflective insulation on the back of the tank and it brought the temp up to 77deg, I'll get more insulation and cover the sides. I knew the tile would be a challenge but I did ask on this site before I did it, the person had said they knew others that used it without a problem. And I'll keep the uth set at my desired temp. Thank you for your help!

[wodesorel]

I have the cork tile background in my crested geckos Skyscraper with a UTH on the back myself. Now, his tank doesn't have to be kept super warm, I think I have the thermostat set to 72, but the room the tank is in hits 50 in the middle of winter so that's still 20 degrees of heating. I don't have extra insulation, just have it tucked up tight against the wall, and the thermostat probe is inside in front of the cork. I've never had a hot or cold alarm go off once in like 5 years. The opposite side of the wall IS warm to the touch sometimes (its just flimsy plywood, gotta love decades of remodels on an old house) so I know that UTH is working hard to keep things stable through the cork.

[Jenny55]

Ok thanks for the info. I will move my probe and I think I may get a smaller heat mat for the side. The tank is in my bedroom so whether its summer or winter I dont like it too warm when I sleep. This may be the less headache solution, and I've already spent to much so whats another $40? Thanks again