Hi and welcome! :


I just wanted to add something to April's comments about the heating pad and thermostat. You absolutely MUST get a reliable heat source for the tank...preferably one that goes under it, as has already been mentioned. And an Under-Tank-Heater (UTH) absolutely must have some kind of control, otherwise it will get too hot and be just as dangerous as a heat rock.

April mentions thermostats, which are the very best way to go, but they may be considered pricey for some. And it may also take several days to a week or more to aquire one. An alternative to thermostats is a rheostat (aka light dimmer) that you can buy at your local hardware store. They make them so that you can plug the heat source right into them and control the amount of heat it puts out.

It's not the ideal way to go, but it's by far better than nothing. If a t-stat sounds too expensive, or you have to wait awhile to have one delivered, run to Lowes or whatever, and get yourself a dimmer switch.