Noob post- Affordable, effective heating pad (+thermostat?) for glass 40 gal setup

[tttaylorrr]

It's a flimsy-looking dial thermometer that I have attached about an inch and change above her substrate, so it's measuring ambient.

unfortunately those dial thermometers are practically worthless in terms of accuracy. try to get an AcuRite digital thermometer/hygrometer from walmart or amazon. also laser temp guns are an invaluable tool most of us use to spot check temperatures as well as their hot spot; i recommend looking into them.

Sorry to spam you guys, but thanks for the warning too! I'll unplug her heating pad when I get home. What is a good ambient air temperature, or does that matter less than the pad temp?

ambient should never drop below 75°, and anywhere around 80° is perfect for them. i try to keep my enclosures between 77-80°. if you keep your ambient temperature at the correct spot, not using a UTH will be fine for a few days.