Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I'm having a few temperature problems with my Pacman tank and I wonder if anyone can help? (No frog in it yet, I'm still setting it up).

Now, the tank itself is only quite small so I'm only using a small heat mat. This is turned on 24/7 without a thermostat. I've got the air temperature in the middle of the tank to around 70. At substrate level, the temperature rises to around 78 above the heat mat. If I then dig down into the substrate, almost touching the bottom of the tank, the temperature rises again (I have my thermometer buried in there at the moment, I'll check the temp when I get home from work).

The substrate away from the heat mat stays cooler, I'd guess around 66-68? I'm not sure if this temperature gradient is a good thing (as it is for reptiles) or whether the whole substrate should be maintained at one consistent, higher temperature?

So, my questions... are these temperatures alright for a Pacman? I've seen caresheets which say higher temperatures are required, and caresheets stating the opposite. Also, is the "hot-spot" directly over the heat mat on the base of the tank likely to be problematic? Will the Pacman burrow right down, possibly burning itself on the hot glass?

Do you all use heat mats with thermostats, or just leave them on constantly? Any feedback or advice would be much appreciated.

Those temperatures should be fine for a horned frog. Horned frogs, and most amphibians in general, do not need a large thermogradient like many species of reptiles. Some species of frogs will move around to regulate their body temperature, but I've never observed this in my horned frog. Generally, the safest way to heat a cage for a horned frog is with an infra-red or night time reptile light bulb rather than with a heat pad. Some heat pads, especially older ones, reach very high temperatures and can be dangerous. You might consider attaching the heat pad to the side of the cage rather than the bottom if the surface temperature of the glass is getting too warm, or even better, use a small light bulb to do the job. Good uck,
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Devin Edmonds
devin@amphibiancare.com
www.amphibiancare.com

Thanks for the reply Devin. I've actually already moved the UTH to the side wall of the tank after searching through some old messages on this forum.

It's not been long since I moved it, but it seems to be doing the trick. The air temperature is much more consistent and a little warmer at around 76-78 and I'm no longer getting such a "hot-spot" where the glass meets the heat mat.

I also figured that allowing the substrate to remain cool means he can dig down if he gets too warm, much like they would in the wild to escape the heat from the sun.

Hopefully the tank will stay stable over night; my frog is set to arrive on Thursday so I'm keen to get everything sorted! Thanks again for your help.

My suggestion is don't use an undertank heat source, they can't regulate this way, and may burn themselves, just use a heat lamp.
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http://joshmilliken.tripod.com/

My frog always moves away from his heat lamp.The spot around the lamp reaches 78 and under it its 82.For some reason he always goes on the side that is 70.