Hi,

Both uths and lights can be made to work. With the uth, what I recommend is plugging it into a dimmer (plug in, no wiring - Home Depot - $12.00) if it does not come with the ability to adjust the temp. Also, you may want to raise the tank an inch or so on blocks to allow air to flow beneath the tank and prevent a dangerous build up of heat. What Rainer said about burning your house down is no joke. Twice, in the distant past, I've had uth elements that were sandwiched directly between the cage and a wood surface start to burn. In the one instance, an antique, family heirloom dresser was ruined when the uth overheated and scarred the wood black and cracked the surface from the heat, the glass tank bottom also shattered. The second time, the plastic sweater box housing the snake melted and the plywood top of a home-made baby rack was charred black. In both instances, smoke detectors went off and the house had to be aired out. I was extremely lucky, many others have lost entire collections and homes.

Using lights requires you to limit the airflow within the cage by covering the majority of the screen. Otherwise the heat from the beam will rise and suck out all of the humid air. As I said, both can be made to work with a little modification. Good luck.

Will

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