Zoo Med UTH question

I have an extra Zoo Med UTH (30-40 gallon one). I know most of you use Flex Watt UTH's. I'm going to order one and a thermostat today. I'm getting my snake tomorrow. I'm wondering if it is okay to put the Zoo Med UTH on the bottom of a rubber maid bin for the time being till I get my flex watt and thermostat?

I've used UTHs like that before on sterilite containers. O_O It was just for a night, but it worked really, really well. I would probably double stuff your substrate so that there's a cushion between the snake and the uth. That way you don't risk any sort of overexposure. Just be cautious, y'know? As a quick fix for a few days, I'd do it.

MAKE SURE YOU WATCH TEMPERATURES and snake responses.

No problems with Zoo Med UTHs. They are the same material (different manufacturers) as the Flexwatt. If you want to have flexwatt (and tstats), check out www.reptilebasics.com . Rich is a great guy!

As others have said, it's fine to use the ZooMed. BUT, if you don't have your t-stat yet, you need to at the very least, go out to the hardware store and get you a dimmer switch to plug it into. They get way too hot without some sort of control on them.

Regardless, Zoomed or Flexwatt, you still need some way of controlling the heat. Both can reach in excess of 130 degrees.

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Originally Posted by jglass38

Regardless, Zoomed or Flexwatt, you still need some way of controlling the heat. Both can reach in excess of 130 degrees.

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Oh yes, I am getting a Ranco with my flexwatt!

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Originally Posted by JLC

As others have said, it's fine to use the ZooMed. BUT, if you don't have your t-stat yet, you need to at the very least, go out to the hardware store and get you a dimmer switch to plug it into. They get way too hot without some sort of control on them.

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Yea definitly go out and get a dimmer switch, they cost like ten bucks at home depot. That way you dont have to worry about it gettting to hot and causing any harm to your lil guy and if your t-stat ever goes out or breaks down you have something as back up!

Good luck! :)

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Originally Posted by Davu

Yea definitly go out and get a dimmer switch, they cost like ten bucks at home depot. That way you dont have to worry about it gettting to hot and causing any harm to your lil guy and if your t-stat ever goes out or breaks down you have something as back up!

Good luck! :)

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How would I put together one with a dimmer switch?

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Originally Posted by jglass38

No problems with Zoo Med UTHs. They are the same material (different manufacturers) as the Flexwatt.

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You are actually incorrect super jamie. Zoomeds have a different type of heating element. Exoterras, Cobras and flukers use the same carbon based element as flexwatt, not Zoomed!

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Originally Posted by lillyorchid

How would I put together one with a dimmer switch?

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http://www.mgreptiles.com/dimmerwire.html

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Originally Posted by justcage

You are actually incorrect super jamie

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Haven't been drinking enough of the prune juice lately, Jamie?

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Originally Posted by ddbjdealer

Haven't been drinking enough of the prune juice lately, Jamie?

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Apparently I haven't. Although I feel strangely regular. My point was that they are the same type of concept.

EDIT by JLC -- Let's not drag stuff from other forums into BP.net.

EDIT by JLC -- Let's not drag things from other forums into BP.net

Ken, as long as you are still my buddy than all is right in the world :P

Daytona here we come...

i am quite concerned. i am using exoterra UTH's without a thermostat. i have around an inch (maybe slightly more) of aspen. my digital thermometer's probe is right on the glass (or really close to it) which is over the UTH. temps measure 88-90 at the warm side (but i even place an overhead lamp on the area). i just read now that these UTH's may reach 130 degrees??? so far, vernon hasnt been moody and is feeding well so i am hoping my temps are right. any comments?

thanks.

ed

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Originally Posted by junji98

i am quite concerned. i am using exoterra UTH's without a thermostat. i have around an inch (maybe slightly more) of aspen. my digital thermometer's probe is right on the glass (or really close to it) which is over the UTH. temps measure 88-90 at the warm side (but i even place an overhead lamp on the area). i just read now that these UTH's may reach 130 degrees??? so far, vernon hasnt been moody and is feeding well so i am hoping my temps are right. any comments?

thanks.

ed

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You should always have a thermostat on a UTH just to make sure it does not overheat.

This thread was started by a member looking for information on heating choices....nothing more. This member and no other member on this site is particularily interested in other people's PM conversations, rep points, what happened on another forum, etc.

Take it private gentlemen or speak to a Mod/Admin for assistance in resolving issues you feel unable to deal with yourselves. Public threads are NOT the appropriate place.

I apologize Franky! If you can/would delete my posts please..

Thanks Matt, I truly appreciate that. We all have our days don't we LOL. As far as the thread adjustments I'll get Admin direction on that as I'm a newb Mod and would hate to accidentally muck up the thread with my somewhat technically challenged ways. :oops:

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

Thanks Matt, I truly appreciate that. We all have our days don't we LOL. As far as the thread adjustments I'll get Admin direction on that as I'm a newb Mod and would hate to accidentally muck up the thread with my somewhat technically challenged ways. :oops:

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Done. :)

Junji98, I would lay your probe on the substrate so that way you get a more accurate raeding. It could be 88 hanbging off the glass but the actual surface temp is going to be higher then that as the heat disappates as it travels up.
Find out what that actual substrate temp is.
Like i said before if you cant or dont want to get a thermostat for your UTH, you can go to home depot and they have Lamp Dimmer switches that are all raedy to use for around 10 bucks. (Usually hanging on a clip strip or somehting by the lamp and cieling fan section or you can find them in the section with all the electrical switches) They work great and I know of people that use them instead of t-stats. ALthough IMO a t-stat is much safer in the way of, if your room temperature increases or decreases the temp of your substrate will also. Probablly not enough to be concerned with unless your heater gets stuck on high and your room heats up or cools down dramaticlly. Temp flucuations in your ambiant room temps is when a t-stat can prove to be invaluable! :)

Good luck!

Junji, you can pick up a ready to use Lamp Dimmer switch for around 10 bucks and home depot or lowes. All you have to do is plug them in and then plug your UTH into the dimmer switch. No wireing or anything like that!
I would recomend puting your probe directly on your substrate when checking your temps. If they are hanging above a lil that reading and the reading you get from actually laying it on the substrate will differ as the heat dissapates as it travels up. You will also probablly notice that your reading will differ depending on what spot you check. Temp will most likely differ from corner to corner vs. checking the middle of the UTH etc.
IMO dimmers work great for regualating the amount of power that runs the UTH and allowing to dial in those temps.
T-stats can prove to be invaluable aswell tho! They work so great because they keep your temps at a constant temp within one or two degrees usually! Where as the dimmer will vary slighty depending on what your ambiant room temps are!

Good luck and i hope this helped! :)

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Originally Posted by Davu

Temp flucuations in your ambiant room temps is when a t-stat can prove to be invaluable! :)

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Words to live by:)

thanks for the replies. i will check home depot this weekend.

ed