Under Tank Heaters CAUTION!!

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

For anyone housing their herps in a standard aquarium type tank an UTH is recommended BUT some are very bad!!

Through trial and error, and the many years of experience and great advice from my local family owned herp shop, ive learned there is really only 1 brand of UTH that can be safely used without a herpstat or other temp control device.

Natures Heat UTH (in my opinion & that of the couple who owns Three Rivers Reptiles) is the only UTH which is not known to overheat and burn your animals.

The ones made by Zoomed and some other companies should NEVER be used without a thermostat/temp control unit taped directly on the UTH. They get VERY hot.

I had one made by zoomed and before i was able to get the proper herpstat controller i had to put 2 layers of cardboard in the tank over where the UTH was at as well as the bedding i used. Just to diffuse the heat and prevent burning my snakes.

Then i talked to my friends at Three Rivers. They discontinued selling this brand due to many complaints and their own experience with them being very dangerous. Even getting hot enough to crack the glass on a tank that wasn't raised at least a half inch..

So please.. If you use an UTH i personally recommend Natures Heat. They can be used without a thermometer because they are lower wattage and designed to not overheat. If you use any other type of UTH, even flexwatt tape, always invest in a good quality thermostat sensor/controller. A double thermostat is even better since the second one kicks in if the first ever malfunctions or the temp raises higher than what you set it at.. But no matter what. Its always a good idea to double check the temp of your UTH on a regular basis. Over time, even the best will malfunction. If you are using one without a thermometer, everytime you clean the tank or change water, just move the bedding material aside and put your hand flat on the glass over the UTH for at least 10 seconds. If it feels too hot to you, then its too hot for your herps.

Just some friendly words of advice aimed at those who do not have the budget to invest in thermometers/herpstats etc...

[dsirkle]

This is not the first instance of a person selling a product that says "Beware of all other products except for the ones that I sell because they are dangerous." I'm sure that it won't be the last. I don't suppose that you could provide any data to substantiate your position? I wouldn't use any UTH without a thermostat personally.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Actually even the UTH that can supposedly be used without T-Stat need a thermostat as the temperature can climb higher (given the right conditions and I know because I have done it) then the temp stated on the product label, any heating device can also overheat.

Any heat source should always be used with a thermostat

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

Which is exactly why i said "in my opinion"... I hate using the names of brands when posting something like this, but the info ive gotten from other experienced herpers and my own experiences with these devices was enough for me to want to warn others..

Ive noticed there are many people out there who just want a snake or lizard etc.. As a pet but when they go to purchase them they dont do enough research on husbandry, or they just go by what the person in the pet store says to buy... If buying from a chain store you almost never get complete and fully accurate information.

Plus there are many kids out there with limited budgets getting these animals as pets with the permission of their parents. I know years ago, no one ever said anything to me about thermometers and herpstats. My first snake was purchased around 1993 and everything i was told made it seem ok to use heat rocks and lights with a high wattage... Now we know better..

Please know that im not trying to sell anything. Im giving a word of advice and warning. Ive known too many people that have lost snakes due to improper heating. Some people will take shortcuts and not follow all the proper "rules" for keeping an animal like this.

Im just letting people know there is a safer UTH out there. I personally dont use anything without some way of controling the temp.

[blackcrystal22]

Yeah Flexwatt!

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

Also when i have 2 people who have been breeding most of the available herps, acachnids, inverts, etc for over 20 years and now own their own store and have been selling all these products for at least 6 years now.. Telling me.. No.. Literally yelling at me saying NO!! Dont use that one!! Because so-n-so & so-n-so (times 10 at least) have had their animals burned and so-n-so ended up with a broken tank due to the heat...

This is the only "proof" i have but it comes from people who make their living with herps. A rare couple who also care about where their animals are going and try to get people to understand the entire cost and commitment before buying anything.

So i apologize if it seemed like i was "selling" anything. I too had a snake burned by an UTH years ago. There are too many people out there who do not think its required to have anything more than 1 simple heat source and nothing to control it. If i can save a few animals whose owners refuse invest in the proper supplies by recommending something to fit their budget. Then i feel better about it..

[Skiploder]

Yeah Flexwatt!

"Yeah Flexwatt" as in it's safe to run without controls?

Without quoting which post you are referencing, the casual reader may think that you are stating that Flexwatt is safe to run without a thermostat.

..which you are smart enough to know isn't true and you are also responsible enough to not mislead someone into thinking it was.

Right?

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

"Yeah Flexwatt" as in it's safe to run without controls?

Without quoting which post you are referencing, the casual reader may think that you are stating that Flexwatt is safe to run without a thermostat.

..which you are smart enough to know isn't true and you are also responsible enough to not mislead someone into thinking it was.

Right?

I agree... But since in my original post i did state that even with flexwatt a temp control device should be used, i didnt see that reply as anything other than someone letting us know he prefers that certain type of heat... But he should have said something about a thermostat, i agree with you on that.

[Skiploder]

I agree... But since in my original post i did state that even with flexwatt a temp control device should be used, i didnt see that reply as anything other than someone letting us know he prefers that certain type of heat... But he should have said something about a thermostat, i agree with you on that.

You and I may not have - I've seen Jessica's post and know that she knows better.

Someone new to reptiles may be browsing the forum or searching for info on UTHs and might happen upon this thread.

That ambiguity may lead them to believe that flexwatt can be run wide open. That would be a shame.....

[OhhWatALoser]

well honestly it doesn't matter what brand of UTH you buy, they can all over heat.

all a UTH is, is a resistor. you run electricity through it, they heat up. the higher the wattage ratting, the hotter they get. doesn't matter what brand, they all work the same.

now depending on air flow under the tank to disipate heat, ambient air temp, and what you have between the animal and the heat pad can cause over heating. no air flow makes doesn't allow the heat to go anywhere else (mayb you want it, mayb you don't), hotter the air in the room, hotter the temp everywhere else, and i think the biggest issue is what you have inbetween the heat pad and your animal. some people have 1/4 inch thick glass and a inch of something. and the temp is fine on top but when the animal burrows, the get burnt.

now also throwing a heatpad with no airflow, in a already hot room, under a tank with a inch of stuff inside of it, the heat has no where to go and the heat pad meltsdown, starts shorting out and then gets even hotter, cycle continues to getting hotter and hotter til it burns up or burns your animal, starts a fire, or just simply trips a breaker.