How hot

Hi, does anyone know roughly how hot in f will a 6x11 - 7 watt heat pad reach if not controlled by a thermostat?

Depends on the brand. Most won't make it past the mid 90' s, where as the cobra heat mats will gey as high as 105. They say cobras operate at a consistent 100*f but when I set up and test ran my viv I got it up to 106 without a secondary heat source. I've seen some uth that can barely make it past the mid 80' s. If its a cheap mat out won't get very high. I'd test run it, plug it in outside of the viv and put a temp probe on it, run it for at least 6 hours for accurate testing, check the temp every half hour and write it down so you can see if/how it fluctuates.

What be be the best option for a secondary heat source for the cooler side? It's currently at about 82. The hot side is currently 90.3. I do have a spare 6x11 heat pad which tr brand I think is Komodo. The heat pad seems do be doing the job on the hot side, but will te radiant heat be enough for the cooler side?

You want the cool side at room temperature. You want at least a 10 degree temp difference to provide the proper gradient for thermoregulation.

a Thermostat WOULD be the best option but you can do alright with out one. When my thermostat broke, I had to wait til pay day to get a new one so I just monitor the temps and just put more newspaper or less newspaper down to get the desired temps..... I WOULD really recommend a thermostat, in my shop we sell them for £30.99 for mat-stat and they will just be so much more convenient and less stressful in the long run. I talk to lots of customers and they say they have such trouble keeping the temps stable and usually give in and buy a mat-stat.

Hi, I should receive my thermostat tomorrow. Take away a worry

My Exo Terra heating pad got up to 112 degrees so off it went until I ordered my thermostat. Also take note that whatever you line the tank with plays a huge role in how much heat is transferred. I was using paper towels at that time which aided in the high temps. My Leo wouldn't even go to the warm side because it was too hot. I keep it at 87-90 now and he/she is very comfortable.

Dangle if your leo is too young to sex you should be keeping it a bit warmer for juvies. They can't keep their core temps as balanced as adults can so a minimum of at least 92-94 is what I would recommend for a juvie. Also juvies need the warmer temps for optimum digestion.

Just a side note I find it a little difficult to believe an exoterra made it it 112*f. Esp. If it was properly sized for your viv. Id guess it was malfunction or too high a wattage for your viv. 7-11 watts is usually sufficient for leos. I've never had success with any exoterra heat mat heating past 90* with out a secondary heat source.

Hi, I got my thermostat turn up today. The probe is a bit like a rounded bullet. Where is the best place to put it? I currently have it on the edge of the floor by the side in the hot side. I only have a moist hide in the hot area. It's a plastic tub with coco fibre in. I'm gathering its best to have the probe laid directly on the floor? Only problem is, the wire for it has to come out of the door so it's open about 5mm. The heat pad was ok there's a small hole in the back corner of the viv so I took the plug off and threaded it through. Can't do it with the probe though. The thermostat is heat the pad to 33c yet my thermo gun says the floor is 107f. Bit confused really of which to believe. Doesn't feel that hot.

Kermit wrote:Dangle if your leo is too young to sex you should be keeping it a bit warmer for juvies. They can't keep their core temps as balanced as adults can so a minimum of at least 92-94 is what I would recommend for a juvie. Also juvies need the warmer temps for optimum digestion.

Just a side note I find it a little difficult to believe an exoterra made it it 112*f. Esp. If it was properly sized for your viv. Id guess it was malfunction or too high a wattage for your viv. 7-11 watts is usually sufficient for leos. I've never had success with any exoterra heat mat heating past 90* with out a secondary heat source.

Thanks for the temp suggestion as I have been debating if I should bump it up a little. I have read multiple articles and the range I have gotten is anywhere from 88-110 degree. The guy who recommended max 110degrees also stated that the temp varied on your leo and to adjust to his liking. You might find it hard to believe my heating pad got that high but it did and it is the 8x8 unit but I am unsure of the wattage. I will have to check my box after I am done here with patients. I didn't take a before and after temp reading comparing the paper towel lining to the vinyl lining since all I did was adjust the thermostat which was a minor adjustment. In a few of the cycles especially when the day light turns off the pad will hit 92 degrees but since it fluctuates that temp is temporary. What would you suggest my target range be since it varies from 3-4 degrees? 90-94 degrees?

KillerKlown wrote:Hi, I got my thermostat turn up today. The probe is a bit like a rounded bullet. Where is the best place to put it? I currently have it on the edge of the floor by the side in the hot side. I only have a moist hide in the hot area. It's a plastic tub with coco fibre in. I'm gathering its best to have the probe laid directly on the floor? Only problem is, the wire for it has to come out of the door so it's open about 5mm. The heat pad was ok there's a small hole in the back corner of the viv so I took the plug off and threaded it through. Can't do it with the probe though. The thermostat is heat the pad to 33c yet my thermo gun says the floor is 107f. Bit confused really of which to believe. Doesn't feel that hot.

How handy are you with wiring? You can always cut the wire along the harness or open the unit and detach it from the connection then feed the line through the hole and solder it back together. I wish I can comment on how accurate a heat gun is but I have never used them. I would assume they are more accurate than a probe.

I did think of cutting the wire and re-stripping it twisting then back together and putting black thero tape round it. just wasn't and still not sure where exactly to have the probe. The probe is for the thermostat. The heating light hasn't gone off since I installed it yesterday.

Killer I wouldn't cut the wire on the probe, since you're using a wooden viv why not just drill another hole in the back top corner and run the probe thru that? your leo can't climb the wire and I doubt the hole will be big enough for him to het thru. If youe worried about escape you can always use some electrical tape to cover the hole from the outside, plus it'll help secure your probe wire in place. I prefer electrical tape insted of duct tape because if for some ungodly reason your le does get up there, it won't stick to it as badly as super sticky duct tape. You can also take some talc and throw it thru the hole so it sticks to the tape that might be exposed to your leo to kill the sticky.

Your probe should be placed directly on the floor under his hot hide (you need a dry and moist hide on the hot side. Spending all her time in a moist hide can lead to problems) and secured with a bit of tape. There's pix in the housing thread sticky "how to make the perfect leo set up" id suggest you check it out not only so yo know what you're doing but it'll also answer a lot of the other set up questions you've been asking. Your infrared heat gun is going to be more accurate than the probe in most cases if you're using it properly and its calabrated properly. Make sure all your probes are placed properly and your thermostat set right. I use a rheostat so I can't advise you there. It may be using your light as the primary and the uth as the secondary heat source and is adjusting temps by turning on and off the uth. Personally I don't like thermostats, I prefer rheostats because a thermostat will pulse heat which means shut it on and off plus it has a degree swing of upwards of 5 degrees in some cases meaning you could go above or below your set temps by 5 degrees before it comes on or goes off. A rheostat adjusts the amount of current going into your appliance which means it provides constant heat at a lower wattage so if my cobra uth operates at 100* at a full 7 watts or electricity going into it, by turning it down I get like 96* and a lower wattge draw like say 5 watts instead of 7 watts. Point is its CONSTANT heat not pulsed where its on and off. Its much more consistant but you do need to watch your temps a bit more. I have mine set so it usually reads 96-97* all the time but it will drop if the house temp drop at night and goes back up when the house warms up again. Kinda like the temp differences you'd experience naturally by shift from day to night, but just not as drastic.

Dangle I would suggest a target range of 92-96*F for a juvie. I kept my leo last year at a steady 93-94*F and he went into brumaton with the winter season shift, this year I've been keeping him at 95-97*F (its usually either 96 or 97) and he didn't brumate this winter and is eating like a champ. Only thing with keeping it a little warmer is you have to make sure to keep the humidity up. I mist the sphagnum moss in his viv every few days, I have a really natural set up, yu can see it in the show off your set up sticky, its the first one, and make sure his moist hide is always moist plus keep a full bowl of water in there. Keeping the humidity up and providing a moist hide will ensure you don't run into any shedding issues.

Thanks Kermit. I'll have to put under the dry hide cuz the moist one is a tub and would make it uneven. I'll look into a rheostats mind.

I forgot to add, I did think about drilling a hole but was worried about the noise that it would make and the gecko. I'm not 100% confident on handling her enough to take her out while I do it. Maybe if I remove her moist hide while she is in it for 5 mins and place it in a bucket so if she came out she can't escape, would that be a good idea?

That would be fine. She'd still be exposed to the noise unles you moved her to a different room but she wouldn't be exposed to the vibration of the drilling.

Thanks. I'll do that tomorrow. On a side note, u was reading about the rheostats and I read it heat out side the viv too as a waste product by dumping electricity from the pad? It also said about dimming thermostats. I know you said you use a rheostat, is that personnel preference or are the better for the job than dimmer thermomstats? Also I'm in the uk, could you suggest any?

A rheostat basically is a light dimmer. You can pick one up at any home improvement store for under. 15$

Ahhh ok cheers

A rheostat is not the same as a thermostat. Thermostat will turn your UTH off when it reaches a certain temperature, where has a rheostat is just a light dimmer but does *not* prevent an UTH from overheating. If the UTH malfunctions, which it does sometimes on rare occasion, a thermostat will turn it off while a rheostat will just let it burn. So if you have to spend money on anything, get a thermostat. You will feel better that you do.

A cheap thermostat that works very well, and has digital readings is this one. If you order from amazon it's free shipping and no taxes. So if you are going to be spending $15-20 for a rheostat/dimmer, might as well fork an extra $10 to never have to worry about your heating issues again.

Thanks Mardy. I think I'll stick with the thermostat I have for now anyways.

I just don't understand why they don't make rheostats that automatically adjust to a specified degree without you needing to tamper with it from time to time. I debated it for awhile and ended up going with a thermostat. I just adjusted my temps and am noticing that the higher you are to maxing out your heat pad the less temperature fluctuation you have. I went from a range of 3-5 degrees to 2.5. For the past hour I have logged 93.9-96.4 degrees.

Dangle wrote:I just don't understand why they don't make rheostats that automatically adjust to a specified degree without you needing to tamper with it from time to time.

Then it would be called a thermostat

Mardy wrote:

Dangle wrote:I just don't understand why they don't make rheostats that automatically adjust to a specified degree without you needing to tamper with it from time to time.

Then it would be called a thermostat

No thermostats turn on and off. Why cant it just dim? One could hook up a rheostat to a thermostat and have the best of both worlds. By setting the rheostat to its optimal temp then setting the thermostat slightly higher so that it allows the rheostat to do its thing without interfering which then the thermostat is acting as a safeguard. I might just have to do this.