Heating pad question?

[dth0829]

Hi guys, I was wondering what size heating pad would be best for a pac man in an exo terra 18x18x12 tank?

[GrifTheGreat]

Hi guys, I was wondering what size heating pad would be best for a pac man in an exo terra 18x18x12 tank?

Zoo Med Reptitherm UTH for 30 to 40 gallon tanks.

[dth0829]

Thanks!
Would this be enough heat or would a lamp also help? If so what bulb and what size?

[GrifTheGreat]

Thanks!
Would this be enough heat or would a lamp also help? If so what bulb and what size?

It may be enough depending on how warm the ambient air is in the room the frog is in. If you need a lamp get a Fluker's 8.5" Clamp Lamp with dimmer switch. This will allow you to accurately control the amount of light and heat produced by the bulb. No bulb higher than 50 watts.

Is your frog and Albino or normal?

[NialR35]

In my opinion, I have the same exo terra tank and the UTH was not enough( and I live in FL). So I had to get a day light lamp with a dimmer like Collen/Jerrod suggested and has worked great.

If I were you, I would save the money and get the UTH good enough for the 20 gallon tank and get a lamp to compensate for the lack of heat. I don't think a UTH is a good heat source for pacman frogs because of the fact that you have to place it on the side instead of where it was designed to go and even by putting it on the side, the manual from zoo med says its designed to increase the temps to an additional 2-5 degrees inside the tank( numbers could be a bit off but it's in that range) so if you live in a cold place or your room is always cold for some reason, I would suggest the lamp with a dimmer because you will need it regardless of how big your UTH is.

Get the Zoo med 50 watt basking spot lamp with a tight beam if you have a non-albino pacman, and ONLY an Infrared bulb if you have an albino because the wrong bulb can hurt him (they are more sensitive to light) and eventually blind him.

[dth0829]

GrifTheGreat

Mine is an ornate

[dth0829]

NialR35, GrifTheGreat,

Thank you both for all your help, I had heard that an UTH wasn't enough and I just wanted to make sure. I'll definitely be adding both an UTH and a lamp to balance out the heat. I live in the DFW Texas area and my house stays around 74-77 degrees. I planned on getting a Zoo Med Hygrotherm to control the levels of heat and humidity put off by the fogger, lamp, and the UTH to make it easier. Should I still buy a lamp with a dimmer if go this route with the hygrotherm?

[NialR35]

NialR35, GrifTheGreat,

Thank you both for all your help, I had heard that an UTH wasn't enough and I just wanted to make sure. I'll definitely be adding both an UTH and a lamp to balance out the heat. I live in the DFW Texas area and my house stays around 74-77 degrees. I planned on getting a Zoo Med Hygrotherm to control the levels of heat and humidity put off by the fogger, lamp, and the UTH to make it easier. Should I still buy a lamp with a dimmer if go this route with the hygrotherm?

I would say yes and no. The thing with using Zoo Med's Hygrotherm to control a lamp is kinda annoying and stressful for the frog with the bulb going on and off as the temperature changes. You can still use it to graduate humidity levels though but as far as a heat lamp I would use a 12hr timer(unless you don't mind doing this manually instead of using a timer to provide a good 12 hour night/day cycle) with a dimming lamp so you can adjust the level of heat coming from the bulb at all times.

[NialR35]

GrifTheGreat

Mine is an ornate

Then you can use any of the two bulbs I mentioned. I use the basking one for daytime and infrared for nighttime. They also help me maintain solid temps.

[GrifTheGreat]

Nial has you covered with what option are valid. At a temp of 74° to 77° a UTH can up the temp to acceptable levels. I use the exact UTH I mentioned above on a 18" x 18" x18" cube Exo Terra and it provides enough heat, but having a lamp just incase is always a good idea.

[danfrog]

I use an incandescent red bulb for heating 40 watt attached to my hygrotherm. It will sustain my enclosure at 77º just by itself. As for day time I am using a 40 watt energy saving bulb with a dimmer from home depot. I usually have to have it on max to reach 84º for day time temps, but some days are hotter than others, and I have plenty of shade. I also have a uth attached to the backside of the tank above the substrate level. But that's just to help with stabilizing a higher night temp to keep keep the red bulb off as long as possible.

[danfrog]

Hmm weird its 77 degrees and 84 degrees. Sorry for the funkyness. My phone is refusing to do the degrees symbol.