I'm new to all of this too Abigail, hang in there plenty of helpful folks here.From what I have learned an under tank heater (UTH) does not raise ambient temperatures in your enclosure, so unless the room temperature is optimal you will need another heat source. Either a ceramic heat emitter (CHE) which does not provide light, or a bulb that provides heat AND light. My thermostat is on order, so I bought a cheap dimmer at home depot for around $10 and monitor the temperatures and adjust accordingly. The UTH should not be used until you have it on a stat as they get extremely hot. Hope that helps, hang in there you will have the proper set up in no time.
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