Some husbandry questions.... (Mainly to do with temps)

You say warming rats with it... so like after I thaw it, put it on the heat pad for a bit so it warms up?

Yes.

And good point ... I just love flexwatt heat tape, but you're probably better off with just a heat pad. I just hate heat pads :)

Yup, I have a couple of small pads that I am no longer using for enclosures but I use them to bring F/T rats up to temp (90s) add a little blast to the head with a hair drier and done.

Flexwatt is great but for small bits it is more a pain than anything else.

Should I, then, for warming rats, buy 2 heat pads? They aren't too expensive, so that wouldn't be a problem, but I'm just a lil confused of in you put the rat on the heat pad in the cage or out of it on a seperate heating pad?

Hair drier works well you don't really need two I have 9 to feed so I like the head start on warming when it is a spare one then you might find a use for it. I'd rather than spend the cash on a second UTH use it for something else.

Alright, Thank you for the replies! You're very helpful.:D

i am using a 15qt right now just like you are planning. i think i only paid 5 bucks for it. i am using the ultatherm uth and a hydrofarm stat(hoping next month for a proportional) and i am having no problems at all. my hot is 91 and my cool is at 79. my ambient air is between 80 and 82. i have a very good electrical multimeter with temperature measurement probe that i use instead of a temp gun. my temperatures do fluctuate a degree up and down, i think that is from the on/off stat. i have my tub sitting on the bookcase. it fits perfectly between shelves :D

later, dave g

So your On/off one works fine? It's cheap. :3 I like that and I don't at the same time. How long have you had it? A 1 degree fluctuation doesn't seem that bad...
If it works fine, for the moment I might try to go with that one.
I think I'll have to end up paying for everything by myself.(Might try to get the snake itself for a bday present, since the reptile expo is 10 days before it)
So the cheaper the better, as long as it's good quality. ;)

I just read all the info on the hydrofarm stat! It seems great!
I think I'd go with that one. :3(cheaper than the proportional one I wanted)

i have had it up and running for 2 and a half weeks now. i ran it dry for a week and half. this is the first tub i have kept anything in. years ago i had a bp that i kept in a tank that worked fine but i started reading on here and decided to go the tub route and am very happy i did. very easy to set up and the temp and humidity are tons easier to keep good. i went with the hydrofarm after reading many others using it and it working for them. for the money you cant beat it to start with. it looks to be made a lot better than the other cheap ones i looked at, but time will tell of course.

good luck, dave