Question about UTH and thermostat mounting on tank

[sinclair]

I recently bought a new small ZooMed UTH and a thermostat for my 10 gallon tank. I saw in Vypyrz' thread on his tub setup that he taped the thermostat probe to the underside of the tub, and then placed the UTH. I tried that with my tank, but it leaves a large area where the UTH is not in contact with the tank. I'm concerned that this will provide poor heating. So basically two questions:

1.) Could I apply the UTH flush to the glass, and then tape the thermometer probe to the bottom of the UTH?
2.) If I peel back the current UTH to remove the probe will this ruin the adhesive? If so could I use aluminum foil tape to reapply it?

Thanks!

[KMG]

Many people place aluminum foil on the sticky part of the uth so they can move it from tank to tank when needed. Pulling uth off can damage the heating elements within. Be very careful when you do it.

Using foil tape to reapply will work well. I have always placed the uth probe between the cage bottom and the uth and from time to time had areas of the uth not be completely in contact with the cage bottom but it has still heated well. That will depend on your cage type.

You may need to try and see how it works with your setup. You are on the right track.

[patientz3ro]

I recently bought a new small ZooMed UTH and a thermostat for my 10 gallon tank. I saw in Vypyrz' thread on his tub setup that he taped the thermostat probe to the underside of the tub, and then placed the UTH. I tried that with my tank, but it leaves a large area where the UTH is not in contact with the tank. I'm concerned that this will provide poor heating. So basically two questions:

1.) Could I apply the UTH flush to the glass, and then tape the thermometer probe to the bottom of the UTH?
2.) If I peel back the current UTH to remove the probe will this ruin the adhesive? If so could I use aluminum foil tape to reapply it?

Thanks!

I'm not completely sure about whether or not that area around the probe makes any difference. That said, I don't think putting the probe on the bottom of the UTH is the best plan. I'm assuming you mean putting the UTH on the glass, then putting the probe on the outside of it. Basically top to bottom would be...

Glass
Uth
Probe

Right? I'm not 100% certain, but it seems to be that the temperature wouldn't be correct if the mat gets hotter on the adhesive side. It might not matter, but better safe than sorry.

As for taking the UTH off, done correctly, it can be done that way. There's a good chance you'll damage it in the process, though. Personally, I'd say that if you've already gotten it set up with the probe between the mat and the glass, just leave it. You're going to need a bigger tank before long anyway. You can worry about where to put the probe when you make the switch. I like to put my Tstat probe INSIDE the tank, myself, then attach it to the glass with some silicone adhesive so it stays there.


Sent from my HTCEVOV4G using Tapatalk

[sinclair]

Thanks for the replies!

Yes, I currently have it from top to bottom as follows:

Glass
Probe
UTH

I guess I will leave it as is; it seems to be working well. The thermostat does have to be set to 96 to achieve a temp of 91-92 per the thermometer probe stuck to the glass on the inside of the tank. Is that normal?

I would like to switch to a tub eventually and follow a plan like Vypryz's. When she gets big enough can I transition her from this 10 gallon tank to a tub big enough accommodate her as an adult, or would I have to have a smaller tub as a stepping stone? What parameter do you go by to determine when she needs a bigger enclosure than the ten gallon? Length or weight? Thanks!

[patientz3ro]

Thanks for the replies!

Yes, I currently have it from top to bottom as follows:

Glass
Probe
UTH

I guess I will leave it as is; it seems to be working well. The thermostat does have to be set to 96 to achieve a temp of 91-92 per the thermometer probe stuck to the glass on the inside of the tank. Is that normal?

Hopefully someone else will chime in on this one. I have a thermometer probe running right alongside my Tstat probe, but both are inside.

I would like to switch to a tub eventually and follow a plan like Vypryz's. When she gets big enough can I transition her from this 10 gallon tank to a tub big enough accommodate her as an adult, or would I have to have a smaller tub as a stepping stone? What parameter do you go by to determine when she needs a bigger enclosure than the ten gallon? Length or weight? Thanks!

Every animal will react differently to changes in tank size. If yours is normally a little jumpy, hold off on moving up too quickly. On the other hand, if she's anything like mine, who isn't afraid of anything and will sleep stretched out across the tank, it's up to you. I know I've seen some rule of thumb regarding snake size vs tank size, but I can't remember off the top of my head. MOST ball pythons will be a little shy by nature, and too large a cage will stress them out. If you DO find yourself with too much tank, you can always clutter it up with plants, branches, wadded up newspaper, etc.

Sent from my HTCEVOV4G using Tapatalk