What do I do ?

[purpleperson]

Is your UTH under the tank? You should try putting it on the back or side of the tank, that's how most of us use ours, and it is more effective since the heat doesn't have to go through all of that substrate.


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[kornchaser]

With your UTH being not safe to insulate (I do my generic UTHs ) and within an impenetrable barrier (aquarium glass + thick sub + wood stand) it's a dangerous mix you got going on. I highly recommend you stick your UTH on the outside side of the tank above the substrate so as to not dry it out. Heat will escape this way, yes, but in a safe way eg. not trapping it so completely and letting heat go within the tank through the glass. Anyone correct me if I'm wrong but insulating it with tin foil & styrofoam wouldn't be/get flammable or hot enough to be a fire hazard.


Twelve PP hermit babies

[CallaLily]

I didn't realize your UTH was under the tank. It should be placed on the outside back or side of your tank. UTHs are not designed to heat through the deep substrate our hermit crabs need, so moving it up to the back may be all you need to bump the heat up. Also, having it on the bottom can dry out the substrate which can be a huge problem for molting crabs. Another thing - it's more natural for the substrate to be a bit cooler than the air.

The brands you can purchase at pet stores are hit or miss with how well they work. One mistake that's often made is buying a UTH that's in the "suggested range" for your tank size. When using a UTH to heat from the side for our crabs, most crabbers need to purchase a larger one - as big as they can fit on the outside back of their tank, all or mostly above the substrate line. And even then many crabbers still need to insulate it, so its a good idea to try to find one that you safely can. Ultratherm UTH come highly recommended.

[Crabinski]

As the others have noted, the UTH needs to go on the outside back of the tank. If the relocation doesn't do the trick, you can help boost the temperature by draping a blanket around the back, sides and top of the tank. I have an Ultratherm (no insulation) and, before I turned on the heat in the house this winter, I was able to boost the crabitat temperature 5-10 degrees (cool front to warmer back) just by draping a lightweight throw around the tank.

[A_HandyCrab]

Put the heater on the back wall correct?


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[KellyCrabbieLove]

Yes. Right under the rim so it is above the substrate line as much as possible.

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[A_HandyCrab]

Ok but the temp isn't rising


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[A_HandyCrab]

So I added a heated blanket to the back


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[A_HandyCrab]

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.vi ... 05&alt=web

Is this a good heater I have a 50 gal


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[kornchaser]

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.vi ... 05&alt=web

Is this a good heater I have a 50 gal


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This should've answered your question

...
The brands you can purchase at pet stores are hit or miss with how well they work. One mistake that's often made is buying a UTH that's in the "suggested range" for your tank size. When using a UTH to heat from the side for our crabs, most crabbers need to purchase a larger one - as big as they can fit on the outside back of their tank, all or mostly above the substrate line. And even then many crabbers still need to insulate it, so its a good idea to try to find one that you safely can. Ultratherm UTH come highly recommended.

It doesn't say what brand it is, and it's too small to cover the back of a 50g tank. So I don't think that UTH will pan out.


Twelve PP hermit babies

[A_HandyCrab]

Ok thanks


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[DarthKrab]

As @CallaLily noted, only some brands of UTHs can be safely insulated. Ultratherms can be as can, I believe, Fluker's (@wodesorel would know the answer there as she uses/has used Fluker's UTHs). Brands such as ZooMed, National Geographic, All Living Things and pretty much all of the pet store generic brands cannot be insulated.

To insulate a UTH, you can cover the back of the pad with aluminum foil, then a sheet of cardboard and then styrofoam. That should give the tank a good 5 degree boost a minimum.

Is there a way to safely insulate zoomed like with a blanket or towel? Also, why is it that some brands cannot be insulated?

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[Brthome85]

Has any one tried insulating blue spotted uth?

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