alright so you are all very right the uth got too hot it was at around 98 degrees under the hide (i bought a probe thermometer) and i unplugged it immediately. i went and got a zoo-med rheostat from petsmart because i didnt know what else to do for the time being. Will this work if i set it below the low setting? i have seen a lot of comments that even on low it is too hot. ill just keep monitoring it to be sure, until i can get an actual thermostat. Does anyone recommend thermostat brands? possibly below $150? LWest you mentioned the Helix. Does that have a digital display where you can set what temperature you want the uth at?