Human Heat Pad

if i were you, i'd get two of them. put one at each end... then put the water dish on one side over one of the pads, and a hide over the other.. then a hide in the middle. the warmer water helps for humidity. you also have a cool and a warm hide this way. i have the one under the water dish set on medium and the one with the hide set on high. this way you can ditch the lamp all together, which is a good idea for a tank considering how dry they can and WILL get.

-Will

Good idea, Will!

How hot can it get if you have 2-3 inches of repti bark on top of it?

I assume that since it is made for humans it can't really get that hot, but it can hot box (green house effect) in the aquarium...especially since he's in the 20 gallon as of right now, i was thinkin of a 12 by 12 on one side. (untill the 40 gallon is setup).

As far as under the water bowl, I would do it, but the light on top takes care of that plus i always find my self with a dry bowl within 2 to 3 days.

thats why i said ditch the lamp. your humidity cant be right with a light directly over the water dish.

They can get pretty hot, which is why I keep mine set at level 1......but I use paper towels/newspaper as substrate so there is not much for the heat to have to go through.

I use repti bark in my tank, and it depends on outside temp as to how I keep the heat pads... as long as my cool side and warm side stay regulated... I leave them, but if it gets hot or too cool, I adjust accordingly. You can go to my photo album, there is a pic of my set up- its a 40 gallon breeder tank.

I got two of those, they are awsome. Built in control, never get too hot. Perfect for all your reptile needs. And cheaper!

this sounds great, alot cheaper than the zoo meds heat pads.
so you place the heating pad in at the bottom, then run the cord up the corner and out the top huh?
I need to try this, I'm having a difficult time keeping the cages warm through the night, maybe this will help.
any difference in electric bill between the heat lights to the heat pads,lol?

Actually, you put the pads under the outside of the cage.

thats what I figured. Thanks for clearin' that up.
I'm gonna get a couple this week. I hope that will do the trick.
Should I not turn on the basking heat lamp that I use to re-inact the sun any more?