Quote Originally Posted by dakski View Post
You can put styrofoam between the heat mat and whatever you have your tank on. That will help the heat transfer to the tank a little better, and also protect the surface below. I would cut a few holes in the styrofoam to let it vent, but probably not necessary.

A thermostat should keep the heat mat well below any temps that can hurt the surface your tank is on, but in case of thermostat failure, etc. it's better to be safe than sorry.

Finally, the thermostat probe goes between the heat mat and the tank bottom.

If this isn't clear, let me know, and I'll try to explain better.
That's certainly the setup I was planning to go with! Here is the thread that mentions cutting a recess in the styrofoam and placing the probe *under* the heat mat that got me wondering about the other methods (I'm just curious how accurate that could be if it's not where the heat is rising?) https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...Under-the-Tank

Quote Originally Posted by Bogertophis View Post
My UTH is installed underneath & attached to the glass. I put something* (not styro-foam) under the UTH to insulate & promote heat going upwards, & to help protect the wood cabinet the tank is sitting on. While styro-foam is fine to use, you can use other things under the tank also- I mostly use sheet-cork or ceramic tiles under my tanks instead of styro-foam. If the UTH ever comes un-stuck, you don't want it laying on the wood underneath a tank. In the event that happens & your thermostat also failed- consider that extended heating will dry out the wood & make it more flammable, which is why I really like ceramic tiles for safety. A flooring store will sell random leftover tiles from their installations very cheaply too. I think some of mine were even free.

I do leave a small air gap for best function of the UTH- underneath/between the UTH & the cabinet that the tank is sitting on. To keep the tank from sitting on any wires (which can cause wear & breakage over time), I also use thick rubber 'peel-&-stick' weather-stripping on the bottom edges of the tank (on the plastic molding of the tank), & leave a little gap in that weather-stripping on either side for air to circulate a little under the tank, as suggested by the UTH instructions, & for the wires. The weather-stripping is just something I like because it also keeps the tank from sliding off the cabinet (& all hardware stores carry, it's not a big expense)- I've lived thru some big CA earthquakes with great success, no tanks or snakes harmed. Same general idea, just the way I set mine up.
Oh tile is a good idea! And the weatherstripping is also something I think I'll look into to for security - CA native but now in WA...just moved on up the fault line haha.

Quote Originally Posted by nikkubus View Post
I have tubs directly on heat with no air gap.

With glass tanks with the little lip on the bottom it's a bit different, though the heat pad is affixed with adhesive to the bottom of the tank. I leave an air gap so the cords don't have the weight of the tank on them concentrated into this tiny point (the lip). Some tanks have the lip build differently so it already kind of has "legs" where the corners are longer, and if you have that, no need to do anything special to raise the tank up.
Is your heat attached to something particularly heat proof, or just a table top surface?


What do people think about something like this silicone heat mat? The raised texture could help hold the UTH against the bottom while still leaving air channels if you trimmed off the outer lip, and it doubles as a protective surface for your table (and this is just the first one I grabbed, there are plenty other textures/size/etc): https://smile.amazon.com/ZLR-Silicon...353311&sr=8-43