Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,
I just purchased a Cobra Heat Mat. And it says it gets to 100 degris. And i talked to some people and they said way to hott for Leo's. So i put the UTH in the cage put styrofoam on top of that then the paper towels. And it doesn't feel warm at all and i left it on for awhile test-running it for my Leo's coming. Any suggestions i just don't want the Leo's to burn there tummies.
Help- R.J.

when using UTHs you need a temp control device like a rheostat or thermostat or else the UTH will heat to its highest temp. you can get zoomed rheostats from petco.

cleo
1:3 leos (Phoenix, Beanie, Pixie, Katrina)
2 eggs cooking

Hi Cleo,
How much do they cost??And are they easy to control? How does it work or interact with the heating pad i use?? How does it control the heat the pad gives off?? R.J.

they cost about 20 bucks and you just plug the UTH cord into one of the outlets on the rheostat, then you plug the rheostat into the wall. you can use the nob on it to determine whether you want the heat on LOW, MEDIUM, or HIGH. i have found that around MEDIUM seems to be the best but it all depends on the brand of UTH you have.

cleo
1:3 leos (Phoenix, Beanie, Pixie, Katrina)
2 eggs cooking

It is a cobra mat het pad..and it is said to it 100..i guess i chose the wrong heatpad..will get a rheo soon..will just use an old heat-pad till i get it..Thanks alot, R.J.

There is nothing wrong with your heating pad. The problem is, even though they say it only gets to 100 degrees, you substrate material will get hotter then that. Imagine you are at the beach and the temp outside is 90 degrees.. the sand is still way hotter... see what we mean... thats why you should get a digital thermometer from walmart with an outdoor sensor you can place under your substrate... it will give you a reading on the surface of the tank where the leos crawl..

Jeff

Yea, thats what i do and it works great. Katie
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Owner of 3 Leopard Geckos, 3 Fire Belly Toads, 3 Treefrogs,
2 Bahaman Anoles 1 Japanese Fire Belly Newt and 1 Turtle "GOT-A-LUV-UM"

go to "that pet place' u can get them 4 like 13$ instead of 20

Trust me, its hot enough for them. Your bath water is probabaly 105 degrees ,and it feels good to you. Your regular body temp is 98.6 degrees. Therefore it wont feel hot to your touch. I will say, I just set up a brand new tank yesterday, with a Flukers UTH and a ground sensor thermometer. The temp unregulated is 130 degrees F... (the leos aren't in it). I am now hooking up the Rheostat to regulate that down to 88 degrees. I wouldn't trust that styrofoam to kill enough heat, you really should get a rheostat or thermostat.

Jeff

???

Well, alot of people would recommend a thermostat over a rheostat because it will automatically adjust the temp like your house AC does. I prefer a rheostat just because it gives me that added interaction of checking the temps and making sure my tanks are right on a daily basis, thus helping to remind me on my busy days to change their water etc.... its really a personal preference.

Jeff