Ok i just went out and bought all the stuff i need, tank, heater, water dish. I have a two part question. 1, is it safe to use an UTH with a rather thin substrate like newspaper, or do i definitely need real stuff like aspen? (was tryin to save a little money), and secondly, do i really need to use the little tank feet the heater comes with, and use the adhesive backing also? I have a styrofoam lid thing I planned on putting the UTH on, then tank on top of that, to protect my bookshelf top. Can i do that and just have the tank resting on top of the heater? or do i absolutely need to use the feet to lift it up a little and adhere the uth to the tank? can i use my own tape on the 4 corners so it can be removed later? i did get a 15 gal tank so its gonna be with me for a long time yet. should i just go ahead and permanently attach it? Thanks for helping a newb out 
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hrmmmm. UTH?
Replies (3)
I wouldn't use the styrofoam lid thing underneath the UTH as styrofoam has a low melting point and could melt. The fumes from it will be harmful to just about anything that breaths. To protect your table top just add a piece of wood or a bath towel. You don't really need to glue the UTH to the underside of the tank, just make sure the full weight of the tank isn't pressing down on the undertank heater.
Also, as far as saving money goes, you can also buy aspen at walmart (or at least at super walmarts) for like 4$ for a pretty large bag. I tend to like the aspen type beddings with the corns as they seem much less stressed and in my experience anyway eat better and are mellower when they can dart off under the aspen and hide.
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What I have done is to get a ceramic tile (appropriately size) and stick the UTH to that. Then you can move it around to other tanks. Once you stick it to the tank, you can't remove it without doing damage to the wires inside, and that can cause a fire. You can also raise the tank up a bit to lower the temperature. I have heard (don't know if it is true) that you need some air to get a good temperature on the UTH, hence the little feet. But you don't have to use those feet, you can use small blocks of wood to raise the tank up a bit, if you prefer.
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phflame
