$20 to spend on UTH and dimmer, would it be enough?

[CoolioTiffany]

I'm most likely going to get a UTH and ditch the heat lamp. I've seen my 75 watt infrared heat bulb dry out the air so much in my female BP's enclosure that it when as low as 25%. The light is off now, and I raised the humidity level to the appropriate level. She's housed in a $20 gallon enclosure, so I'll need a UTH large enough to cover 1/3 of floor space. So, how much would that UTH cost me (I think the UTH is made for 10-20 gallons) and how much would the dimmer cost me (and where can I buy it? Plus, the dimmer is only for now until I purchase a thermostat.)?

[CoolioTiffany]

I got an extra $20 tonight from a family member, so I was going straight on to spend it on a different heating source for my female.

[The Albino]

The UTH is probably going to run something like $25-$30 for the size you want. The big ones can get quite pricy. Not sure about the dimmer.

[mrshawt]

The Lutron 300W dimmer is $10.

And if your house is on the colder side, I would recommend a 30-40g UTH instead.

[MsPrada]

I have a 20-30 G UTH on my 40G tank, and it works wonders, but then again my house stays at a pretty good temp (not cold, not hot, like right in the middle ) But like mrshawt said, Ive noticed if your house/room temps are too hot or too cold, a smaller/bigger UTH is probably needed than what you originally planned.

And the Lutron dimmer she recommended is awesoommeeee

So go with that, its like 11 something after taxes. The UTH I have I think was 40 bucks after tax? So a 30-40 might be a bit more than that.

[drucebennedict]

My UTH, which I bought from Petco, was about $23. I'm not exactly sure what size it is but I think it was made for 10-20 gallon tanks..The Lutron dimmer I bought as a temporary thermostat alternative from Lowes was $14.

[Spaniard]

This is what I would use for a UTH...

http://www.reptilebasics.com/11-Flex...e-p-16134.html

Nothing beats 3.40 per foot.

He will even wire it for you at no extra cost aside from the $5 to cover the wires and clips needed.

[Kaorte]

I would get a thermostat first. You can't use belly heat without a thermostat so if you can only afford the belly heat then it is useless until you can get a thermostat.

I would order a reptitemp 500r online and then order some flexwatt (if money allows) from RBI. That stuff is as cheap as it gets and does its job very well!

[vangarret2000]

I would get a thermostat first. You can't use belly heat without a thermostat so if you can only afford the belly heat then it is useless until you can get a thermostat.

I would order a reptitemp 500r online and then order some flexwatt (if money allows) from RBI. That stuff is as cheap as it gets and does its job very well!

What's wrong with just using a dimmer?

[Kaorte]

What's wrong with just using a dimmer?

Honestly, to me they are just a temporary fix. All the adjusting you have to do does not make it safe enough in my opinion.

I have still had heat spikes with dimmers and I don't trust them for the long term. Plain and simple.