There's a high liklihood that the hot side is TOO hot. It sounds like you don't know what the temps are, nor are you controlling the temps in any way. Those UTH's can get really hot without some sort of control on them. Your best bet is a reliable thermostat such as a Johnson Control or a Ranco. A rheostat (dimmer switch) from the hardware store will work in a pinch as well.


So....find out what exactly the temps are on the hot side...in particular under his hide, since that is where he'll want to spend his time.