UTH location

[olaf]

I'm getting a cornsnake here in a few days and got an UTH today. It suggests that you put it on the side wall, but I would think that it would go on the UNDER side of the tank. Where would be the best location for it for a cornsnake?

[Colin Vestrand]

i don't know why it would say put it on the sidewall... clearly you put an under tank heater on the under side of the tank.
what you want to do is put it on one side of the tank to create a temperature gradient. also, go to a hardware store and get a rheostat (dimmer switch) so you can regulate the temps. i'd suggest getting the temps right a few days before you get the snake so that acclimation is quick and easy and your temps are accurate.

sorry if you already know all this stuff.

[MedusasOwl]

My corn's UTH is side-mounted and it maintains the temp gradient just fine. The only real reason to do it is to protect the surface you have the tank on, like a nice table. Over time there could be fading in the wood etc. Def needs a rheo or t-stat though regardless, but otherwise it doesn't really seem to make a difference.

[Shelby]

Since heat rises, it is most efficient to put the heater on the bottom. If you're worried about ruining furniture, put little rubber feet on each corner of the tank to raise it up a bit so the heater isn't touching the wood.

It is very important to have a thermostat on the heater because you can burn your snake (or your house for that matter!) because they get TOO hot.

[tigerlily]

Plus if you want to be able to move the UTH later, you may want to find some foil tape and just tape it on instead of using the adhesive on the UTH.