I think my UTH died / Question on new one

I think the UTH that I got with the snake/tank I bought yesterday died. How can I tell for sure? Maybe I killed it by plugging it directly into the extension cord and not the Repti Temp Control?

If it is dead, is this a good one to get to replace it?
http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiT...ef=pd_sim_lg_2

Can someone recommended one if it is not?

http://www.reptilebasics.com/flexwatt-heat-tape

I would go with this stuff. Pick your length and buy the cord/clips and let them know in the comments to set it up and they will ship it to you read to go. Cheaper than any UTH from zoomed.

UTH's take time to heat up, what makes you think that yours is broken?

Plugging it straight into the wall isn't going to hurt the UTH, but doing so will end badly for the snake. Without a thermostat to regulate the UTH they can and will get 130 + degrees (more than enough to kill a snake). That said don't bother with the repti-temp, as it is junk. The Zoo-Med UTH's are fine, but their thermostats are not.

Here are some good thermostats:

Budget: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000NZZG3S

Mid-Range: http://www.reptilebasics.com/ranco-etc-111000-pre-wired

High Quality: http://spyderrobotics.com/home/products.html

A thermostat is not optional for using a UTH.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gene Collins

http://www.reptilebasics.com/flexwatt-heat-tape

I would go with this stuff. Pick your length and buy the cord/clips and let them know in the comments to set it up and they will ship it to you read to go. Cheaper than any UTH from zoomed.

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Thanks!

I was going over that site and cam across this product:
http://www.reptilebasics.com/ultrath...ter-uth-11-x11

I only have the 1 Ball so was wondering if this is a safe option? I am super leery of anything with the name of "heat tape" from seeing so many fires caused by water pipe heat tapes here in NY. If I went with this product, I would use a thermostat also.

That appears to be just like one made by Flucker's. I have one and like it just fine. They are paper thin but need a piece of foam under them to work correctly. It's not a big deal just most people don't know and are frustrated to be found unprepared when they take delivery.

They absolutely need a tstat. I did a test before getting my blood python and found that running this kind of uth at full power with a thick layer of cypress mulch reached temps of 116 even though the uth doesn't reach above 95. This is from staying on and the heat being insulated by the substrate.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KMG

That appears to be just like one made by Flucker's. I have one and like it just fine. They are paper thin but need a piece of foam under them to work correctly. It's not a big deal just most people don't know and are frustrated to be found unprepared when they take delivery.

They absolutely need a tstat. I did a test before getting my blood python and found that running this kind of uth at full power with a thick layer of cypress mulch reached temps of 116 even though the uth doesn't reach above 95. This is from staying on and the heat being insulated by the substrate.

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I use the Fluker's brand heat pads for my female balls at home when I let them maternally incubate - since they get so hot, it encourages the females to lay off to the side of the pad, which works perfectly for those girls. For any other use (which doesn't require as hot of a hot spot), a thermostat is definitely needed to control the high temps a bit.

In response to the OP question, plugging the heat pad directly into the wall should not have caused a problem. As others have pointed out, they do require time to heat up, but sometimes moving the pads or peeling them off the tank and trying to reapply them can cause them to malfunction. If you like the flexibility of the heat tape but are like me and leery of the stuff, consider using heat cable instead. With some electrical tape, you can just tape it in place in any which way you want, and since it's totally enclosed there's virtually no risk of electrical fire. I'd still make sure you have a gap between the bottom of the cage and the surface it's sitting on (if you don't already), but the heat cable is one of my favorite heat sources. :)

Hope that helps!

-Jen