under tank heaters

[chinchillachic18]

So i went to the pet store yesterday and was looking at the under tank heaters..The only ones they had said "for 10-20 gallon tanks" and im just curious...how can a a uth work for a 10 a 15 AND a 20? There wasnt anything on there for adjusting the heat either...

i dont get how that works...is it meant to go under the whole tank on a ten gallon? i know that sounds really stupid but how would u get the temp right without using lights?

[Enve]

Dimmer switch, rheostat or thermostat is how you should regulate the temps of the UTH.

[Argentra]

It all depends on the dimensions of the mat. A 10-20g ZooMed pad is 8"x6", and most 10,15, and 20g tanks are about 10-12" wide and 22-30" long. Since you want any heat source to take up about 1/4-1/3 of the bottom, the ZooMed pad is sized to cover that range.

As for controlling the heat, that's where thermostats and dimmers come in. Sadly, they have not yet created a heat mat with built in control so it's up to us to get something separately. Most heat pads and heat tape can reach upwards of 120 degrees if just plugged into a wall outlet with no control. The only exceptions would be pads made for small mammals which rarely get above 85.

[chinchillachic18]

oh ok. thats what i was afraid of i have to go back and get another thing Can someone tell me what the best ball python care book is the best? Because everything i read seems to not be correct..
not to mention pet store people who are stupid but i always figure that anyways

[Argentra]

You won't find thermostats at a pet store...sad to say. You can get a slide lamp dimmer at Lowes or Home Depot that will hold you over until you can order a stat, or if you can manage it you can order a thermostat online. They range from the ZooMed Reptitemp 500R(cheap but it works in a pinch) at ReptileSupply.com for $21, to the Johnson or Ranco at ReptileBasics.com for $80, to the top Herpstat and Helix (different sources) for $100+.

The best BOOK I know of is 'The Complete Ball Python', written by the guru of BP, Kevin McCurley.
If you do some searches here on the forums, tho, you'll find some very good, and accurate, care sheets for free.

And yeah, many people around here have learned the hard way that pet store people are NOT to be listened to.

[Muze]

Definitely The Complete Ball Python by Kevin McCurley is the best book out there. It's hard to find, though. Some reptile stores carry it, and I think Amazon may have some in stock.

Also, try Ultra Therm heat pads (also called TRex Cobra). Reptile Basics has great prices on these & they do not tend to overheat like the others do (still should use a thermostat, rheostat, etc., though).