I dunno....I'd have to see the setup myself to have a decent guess as to what's going on. It's possible the layer of substrate is thicker than you think it is....or just not conducting the heat very well, regardless. Or, if the ambient temps in the room are really chilly, and the tank is glass (does not hold heat well) the warmth from the UTH may be dissipating too quickly to maintain a warmer temp at the surface. But....that's just imaginative speculation on my part.Originally Posted by Gundy