i put my tile in!

i went to lowes today to get my tile cut for my viv. i also got some silicone to seal the cracks. it turned out pretty well. i did get a little bit on the outside glass on accident and i tried to wipe it off but it just smeared i guess i have to wait for it to dry and then use a razer to get it off. anyways here are some pictures.

The tiles look nice. Did you silicon under them as well or just the joints? I'd be a little concerned that some of the silicon in the thinner areas might scrape off accidentally and be ingested by the leo but that's just me.

just the cracks, and im gonna scrape the thin stuff off with a razer after it drys.

good call

looks relly nice!! and that is one of the best things about silicone...razor blades take it right off!! looks good though, and i like the two piece look alot!

cool.. that looks great I love grey slate.. i need to get some for my new set-up.. it's going to have a cave theme.. all dark coloured things in it

thanks everyone! and sarah they arn't actually slate tiles they are just ceramic tiles that resemble slate. but i will be using real slate to make some hides.

ooooh... you could have some troubles using ceramic tiles making your heat temps proper. Ceramic is more of an insulator (think coffee mug here) and don't conduct/transfer heat as well as natural stone like slate or marble. You might want to bump your uth up to the next size because you may need the extra wattage to get the interior tank surface to that 88-95*F belly heat temps leos need.

okie dokie, i was thinking about a 8x12 16watt heater. do you think that'll do?

i just read on another site that ceramic tiles are good at holding heat... i guess i'll find out when i get my heater and infrared thermometer. im gonna leave the tank empty for a week or so to make sure everything is working properly and all the temps and such are stable before i find a gecko.

they are good at holding heat but it is inbetween your UTH and the bottom of the ceramic tiles that the heat will be held. They do't transfer heat to the surface of the tiles like natural stone does. Porcelain and ceramic is not a conductor it is an insulator. Hopefully you don't run into the problems a lot of others that I know who went with ceramic ran into. When is your heather and stuff suppose to be showing up?

i haven't even ordered them yet. im waiting till after my bills are paid lol

i just took my girl friends hair dryer and tested a piece of tile cuz now you've got me worried lol. i was blowing the hot air on the bottom of the tile and the top of the tile heated up with in seconds. note i had the hair dryer on low. i also felt the bottom of the tile and it was just as hot as the top.

If you don't mind I would like to make a couple recommendations for your uth if that's ok. Seeing as how you're going with ceramic tiles I would absolutely recommend an ultratherm uth. It's called a cobra heat mat. T-Rex also puts out an american version of the cobra buut sold under their brand and the wattage is lower than the ultratherm for the same size mat (meaning a 6x11 ultratherm cobra is a 12 watt heater where a 6x11 T-Rex cobra is only 7 watts). I just got my son a HUGE ultratherm cobra something like 40 inches long for his ball pythons 90 gallon tank and it has a slate bottom (it's an old 1960's style silver and slate glass aquarium, thing weighs a TON). His temps get into the 120-13-*F range with ease with out a rheostat. As far as price goes their also VERY reasonably priced compared to other brands such as zoomed (please don't get any exoterra uth, they're all dreadful). Here's a couple of links wher you can order ultratherm cobra heat mats on line. Trust me you WON'T be disappointed.

http://www.reptilebasics.com/ultratherm-heat-pads

http://beanfarm.com/product_info.php?cPath=1204&products_id=5580

T-Rex brand cobra heat mat
http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/reptile-supplies/heat-pads-heat-panels-heat-cable-and-rocks/-/t-rex-30-to-40-gal-cobra-heat-pad/

Very similar to the ultratherm in it's all copper heating element constructin and being water resistant. http://www.bigappleherp.com/Big-Apple-Dragons-Lair-Heat-Mats?sc=2&category=14

Of course you may need to ask them about a specific size if they don't have it listed and I kow some of the links are listed to larger than you would need for a 20 long tank. Hope some of this is helpful

Hair dryer also blows heat using over 100 watts. Your average uth is only going to push between 7-12 watts to generate a low wattage consistant heat wource rather than a blow dryer whos job is to heat up fast and hard for shorter periods of time. Not really a fair comparison hon sorry. A lower wattage heat mat is going to have a harder time heating thru that same 1/4 inch thick ceramic tile than a much higher wattage hair dryer.

thanks for the links, i'll take a look at them.

You're welcome I really can't say enough food about the cobra heat mats... I've used them for years and I am totally impressed and satisfied at their consistant performance. We have tried exoterra and zoomed and find the cobras to def. be the best for the price.

If you use a rheostat/light dimmer in place of a thermostat for now or indefinitely, the "first time" you fire your UTH up, after it's been off, it will take some time to heat up and warm the tiles. Though, you'll have to watch it for an hour or so cause what "seems" fine with the rheo will boost up and over 112F in no time. The tiles take time to heat up and then retain it exceptionally.