Setting up a tub/UTH questions

Yeah, it does have a gap. I've never thought it was as big as 1/2", but I haven't actually measured. So, maybe it is... doesn't seem to matter in my experience.

Dianne is close to what I do, though I like my probe on top of the heat mat. The way I figure is that the gap allows me to put the probe there without the tub rocking over the probe and being uneven as it would with a flat tub. Also, heat rises, so unless there is a draft or fan blowing at the perfect angle to blow away the small pocket of warmed air, air will still heat and tend to rise into the tub floor.

I know everyone will say UTH will not heat the air, referring to raising ambient temperatures inside a tank. This is true, the UTH is not set high enough to go through glass or plastic and then ALSO heat the air on the other side inches and inches away. It is able to heat the small pocket of air above it under the tub which in turn heats the plastic floor of the tub. It doesn't go further, but it is enough for a hot spo which is all a UTH is really good for anyway.

I usually set my thermostat similarly, somewhere between 90 to 91 to get 89 to 90 inside. Since my probe is above the mat, I think it holds the temperature itself closer to the plastic just above it and has the lower differential than what Dianne is doing, but that is just hypothetical. Might just be my house is warmer and it takes less to heat that air pocket... I have no idea! :)

For a tub without feet, you would end up with the probe making it uneven and wobbly sitting over the probe the way I describe or even with the probe beneath with the tub on a solid surface. For that kind, I will put the probe below and set the tub onto a piece of insulation foam. I carve a slot for the probe into that foam, tape the heat mat over, and place the tun on top. Allows for the same functionality and that is what I do for the few tanks I have (like my Kenyan sand boa)

If it is too confusing (and I wouldn't be surprised.. I'm not great at explaining it), you can definitely do other methods. Mine is a bit different from the standard method, bit I love being able to drag the tub to the bathroom to thoroughly scrub it without dragging a taped on heat may with it, or having to remove and re-tale the heat mat (which would be not possible with ones like the zoomed if you use its sticky side to attach; peeling those off always has a risk of damaging the internals and doing it often guarantees you will need to replace it much sooner).

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Thanks Pretends and Dianne, super helpful both of you. The ultratherm pads are actually perfect with this tub cause that chunky connector Ax was talking about sits perfectly between the legs. And yeah, it's much easier for sure to just pick up the tub to rinse it out without the wires attached.

Dianne, what kinda shelves are those tubs on?

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Originally Posted by pretends2bnormal

If it is too confusing (and I wouldn't be surprised.. I'm not great at explaining it), you can definitely do other methods. Mine is a bit different from the standard method, bit I love being able to drag the tub to the bathroom to thoroughly scrub it without dragging a taped on heat may with it, or having to remove and re-tale the heat mat (which would be not possible with ones like the zoomed if you use its sticky side to attach; peeling those off always has a risk of damaging the internals and doing it often guarantees you will need to replace it much sooner).

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Not to confusing, all makes perfect sense.

I use the zoomed ones on the only 2 glass tanks that I still use (my KSB and the BRB until she's big enough for her T10) and I used aluminum foil over the sticky side and then taped it down to the tanks. Had to tape them really tight but that all worked out fine and they are reusable now if ever needed.

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Originally Posted by Avsha531

Not to confusing, all makes perfect sense.

I use the zoomed ones on the only 2 glass tanks that I still use (my KSB and the BRB until she's big enough for her T10) and I used aluminum foil over the sticky side and then taped it down to the tanks. Had to tape them really tight but that all worked out fine and they are reusable now if ever needed.

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I wasn't aware that was an issue on the first ones I used. I'm mostly swapped over to ultratherm or heat tape due to enclosure upgrades and stuff now.

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Originally Posted by pretends2bnormal

I wasn't aware that was an issue on the first ones I used. I'm mostly swapped over to ultratherm or heat tape due to enclosure upgrades and stuff now.

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Lol neither was I, until I was taught by you guys a few years back that the probe goes between the uth and glass floor, not inside the tank. I ended up ripping it off, buying a new one, and following the advice of a sticky on this forum covering the tape side with tin foil so I wouldn't run into that problem again.

Most of my tanks now are APs that I use solely with RHPs, and I haven't had any new additions in the past year so just needed a refresher for a single at tub. My reptile room setup is so freakin awesome right now I can't wait to show you guys :)

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Originally Posted by Avsha531

Dianne, what kinda shelves are those tubs on?

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They are just some little cheap metal shelves from Target like you can put shoes on. I bought a second one when I added Kett and just attached them together with duct tape. I added the thin wood panels so that the heat would be held between the heat mat and tub because the shelves themselves are metal mesh. The little gap with these tubs is perfect and doesn’t stress the cord, connector, or probe like a completely flat tub would.