heating question!

ok i know you guys are getting tired of all my random post so i apologize but i was wondering.
when using UTH's do you need to have it fit the whole hot side of the tank? or can it take up like half of the hot side? like as long as its under a nice hide for them and makes the right temp. also i am making my own cage for a leo, and pretty much what im gonna do is get a 45 gal plastic storage box cut out a large window in the side and replace it with either a screen hinged door or a clear plastic glass type door. which do you think would be better? i am going to have ventilation holes about 1" H 3" W every 4 inches or so under the lip of the lid. do you think the plastic glass door would make it to stuffy or would help keep the temp right?

oh i forgot to also ask, i want to be able to have a small light in with my leo but i dont want to hurt its eyes, do you think this light would be alright if i used the 25 watt
http://www.herpsupplies.com/product.cfm?groupid=1103&id=SHGPT2100
if not would the 15 watt be any better?
i was going to get the 25 watt blue night time bulb but i would also like a day bulb as well.

Go for blue light on the lighting situation. As for the UTH, it should take up a total of 1/3rd of the entire tank.

I'm not real big about the whole building your own thing, so I personally can't speak on that matter.

Oh, and, the only annoying question is the one not asked.

With such a small short viv you likely don't want to use any bulbs as it will make it much too hot in there esp. When using a uth. Lights are only needed when you're not making temps with the uth alone or if the leo is in a dark room without any natural light. Aside of that it is generally NOT recommended to use lights as they do stress out the leo. Please post a pic of your viv when you have it made up or document the building process and post ot in our DIY section for future herprs to follow

alright thanks for the advice kermit and i will try and have a tutorial on how i made the cage im gonna make once i finish it.

so i decided to use a 10 gal aquarium in the mean time while i build my to be terrarium, and i was looking online and all the heat mats that say they go in a 10 to 20 gal tank would take up 2/3rds of the tank. would that be ok or should i look for something smaller?

Nope, a 10-20 gal size is the right size. For a 20 gal long, you'll want to go with the 30-40 gal size because 20 long's have the same footprint as 30's.

ok let me make sure i understand correctly, the 10 to 20 is good for the 10 gal but once i upgrade to a bigger tank the 10 to 20 wouldn't work correct?

Correct

And keep in mind it's not a good idea to re-use UTH's. When you attempt to peel them off it can break and twist the circuitty which can cause fires, etc. So when you upgrade, you'd have to buy a new UTH anyway.

Gabi has it right, the peal and sticks are single shots.

ok thank you.
i remember when i was a kid i tried taking one off the bottom of a glass tank and it was like taking a freaking glue trap off a window lol those things are meant to stick and they sure don't like letting go, i think i had to stop half way because i was gonna break the glass XD

That's why I went with a cobra heat mat. Consistant 100*F output, all copper wire so consistant heating, water resistant/proof, plus not adhesive so it can be moved.

Yeah, if I ever upgrade my setups, I'll be going with no sticky UTH's.

Mystic wrote:say they go in a 10 to 20 gal tank would take up 2/3rds of the tank. would that be ok or should i look for something smaller?

Kodieh wrote:Nope, a 10-20 gal size is the right size.

Well not if its going to take up 2/3rd's of the tank. You want something smaller. It should take up 1/3 or less of the tank.

getting a non-stick heat mat is always the best option because even if it is slightly too big, you can slide some of it out from under the cage, so less of it is under the cage.

oh i was looking at the cobra mat i didn't realize they weren't sticky ones, that's awesome. i hope i can find some were i am with out paying a arm and leg for it, i can always try online but most of the time shipping kills. thanks guys!

You don't want to buy under tank heating pad according to what they say they are for gallon wise. Make sure you get the dimensions of the pad, and measure it on your tank. It should cover 1/3 of the tank only, so buy the pad size according to the measurement not what the label says.

For an example, I have a 20 gallon long 30x12x12 tank. Zoo Med's Reptitherm has one they labeled for 20 gallon, the small pad. But it's only 6x8, so it doesn't cover up 1/3 of the tank. I had to buy the medium one (8x12), where it's actually labeled for 30-40 gallon.

So get the dimensions of the pad you are buying, and go by the dimension not what gallons they label the pads for.

good advice thanks mardy ^_^