Something is amiss here.

[BeckyM]

Ok, so, I've had my tank heater running since about 8 p.m last night. According to the thermometer, it's about 75-77 in the tank right now, after being run for almost 24 hours. the other day, Gerty was sitting at prime 82 and ther heater had only been on about 7 hours. (I turn the heater off when I can't monitor things.)

So either:
A. My tank does NOT hold heat. At all. (if this is the case, I need a remedy for it.)
B. That thermometer sucks.
C. The heater was a waste of 30 bucks. (It's a Zoo-Med stick on tank heater.)

How do I figure out which issue is the problem (if it's not all of them.)

[lilblack94gt]

Undertank heaters usually only heat the glass. you may not have the right sized taank heater for your enclosure. and where did you mount the heater?

[BeckyM]

I have a five gallon tank so I got the 1-5 gallon heater. I attached it to the side of my tank, as the instructions suggested. They were pretty much screaming "DON'T MOUNT IT UNDERNEATH EVEN THOUGH ITS AN UNDERMOUNT HEATER! IT'LL SINGE YOUR CRITTERS!!!!"...:\ so...I didn't. Plus, my substrate is paper towels and I didn't want Gerty to burn.

She SEEMS comfortable, gray tree frogs have a pretty wide temperature range...but I was hoping to make her more comfortable.

[Rae]

75 is perfect for greys... you want it between 70 and 80 during the day and a little cooler at night. I wouldn't worry about the heater ... you get up near 90 it isn't going to be nice anymore. Mine sits between 74 and 76 dureing the day and they are happy active froggies perched up by the light while sleeping. All I use is Exo terra repti glo 2.0 bulbs

[KingCam]

There are a few things for you to consider here.

#1) Rae is correct, grey tree frogs do not require supplimental heat unless temperatures drop below like 67F.

#2) Who in the world told you your tree frog would get burned with a UTH on the bottom? A pacman frog owner? Grey tree frogs sit directly on the glass sides of the tanks. You are only putting them at more risk of burn by putting it on the side where they commonly hangout. The only time grey treefrogs really burrow is during brumation in the winter, in which case you certainly don't want to have a UTH turned on anyway.

#3) If I were going to give my grey tree frogs a UTH (and I wouldn't), I would put it on the underside of the tank where they are less likely to come into direct contact with it, with a 2 or 3 inch layer of damp coco fiber over it. If you're using only paper towels as substrate there is really no safe place for you to put a UTH on your tank. I would just remove it completely. Your treefrogs are well suited for room temperature conditions.

#4) Undertank heaters are just that, under tank. They work more efficiently when they are trapped between the bottom of the tank and a surface, because the heat can build up. Also, heat rises, so most of the heat is rising up through the glass into the tank when it's mounted on the bottom. When it's mounted on the side over half of the heat is just venting into the air on the outside of the tank, what's leftover makes it into the tank. If you have a burrowing frog like a toad, a pacman frog, or a pixie frog, then yes. You should mount the UTH on the side otherwise they will burrow through the insulation of their substrate and sit directly on the heated glass for days at a time until they die of heat exhaustion or burns, but this does not apply to treefrogs who are able to climb and sit directly on the sides of the tank.

[Rae]

I agree with everything Cam just posted 100% -hits rep button again- yay it let me lol

[BeckyM]

There are a few things for you to consider here.

#1) Rae is correct, grey tree frogs do not require supplimental heat unless temperatures drop below like 67F.

#2) Who in the world told you your tree frog would get burned with a UTH on the bottom? A pacman frog owner? Grey tree frogs sit directly on the glass sides of the tanks. You are only putting them at more risk of burn by putting it on the side where they commonly hangout. The only time grey treefrogs really burrow is during brumation in the winter, in which case you certainly don't want to have a UTH turned on anyway.

#3) If I were going to give my grey tree frogs a UTH (and I wouldn't), I would put it on the underside of the tank where they are less likely to come into direct contact with it, with a 2 or 3 inch layer of damp coco fiber over it. If you're using only paper towels as substrate there is really no safe place for you to put a UTH on your tank. I would just remove it completely. Your treefrogs are well suited for room temperature conditions.

#4) Undertank heaters are just that, under tank. They work more efficiently when they are trapped between the bottom of the tank and a surface, because the heat can build up. Also, heat rises, so most of the heat is rising up through the glass into the tank when it's mounted on the bottom. When it's mounted on the side over half of the heat is just venting into the air on the outside of the tank, what's leftover makes it into the tank. If you have a burrowing frog like a toad, a pacman frog, or a pixie frog, then yes. You should mount the UTH on the side otherwise they will burrow through the insulation of their substrate and sit directly on the heated glass for days at a time until they die of heat exhaustion or burns, but this does not apply to treefrogs who are able to climb and sit directly on the sides of the tank.

I didn't think they did, but another person on the site said that a bit warmer than my current room temperature (which runs anywhere from 72-77..see my "why u no poopie" thread for where I obtained this information.) would be better; my bedroom wasn't warm enough. Unless I completely misunderstood...that does happen sometimes...

Nope, not a pacman owner. The user manual of the UTH specifically said "mount on the side of the tank to prevent burns." I'm like "But this is an UNDER tank heater...what the fuddruckers?"

So....basically you're telling me that I blew 20 bucks and I've been wasting electricity for the past week? Greeeeeaaaaaaat. I should have went with my gut and saved my money. Stickyfeet lasted 7 years on sunshine and TLC. >_< I'll keep the tank heater around though. I might need it in the winter. My parents keep it in the 60's in the winter time.

[KingCam]

I didn't think they did, but another person on the site said that a bit warmer than my current room temperature (which runs anywhere from 72-77..see my "why u no poopie" thread for where I obtained this information.) would be better; my bedroom wasn't warm enough. Unless I completely misunderstood...that does happen sometimes...

I'm afraid they gave you bad advice :P Can they tolerate warmer temperatures and be perfectly happy? Yes, absolutely. Do they need it? No way. Grey tree frogs are awesome because they do great in room temperature and can easily adjust to colder or warmer if they need to.

Nope, not a pacman owner. The user manual of the UTH specifically said "mount on the side of the tank to prevent burns." I'm like "But this is an UNDER tank heater...what the fuddruckers?"

wow, that's a new one. Now even the manuals say that? Fail.

So....basically you're telling me that I blew 20 bucks and I've been wasting electricity for the past week? Greeeeeaaaaaaat. >_< I'll keep the tank heater around though. I might need it in the winter. My parents keep it in the 60's in the winter time.

haha, pretty much :P sorry XD

UTH's always come in handy at some point or another, so it's not a waste, but you definitely don't need it for your grey.

[BeckyM]

Well, crud. I could have put that 20 bucks to better use, like my gas tank. :P

Ok, new UTH question.

Can I yank it off and have it still operational? Cleaned the tank with a ginormous cord hanging off the end is a pain in the booty. The fail-manual said that ripping it off causes UTH damage. I think I may cause more damage by leaving Gerty in a dirty tank.

And also...
how do I get hard water spots off the tank wall?

[Rae]

Different Tree Frogs need different heat and humidity requirements so make sure you are reading posts about the same type of frog.

low 80's isn't bad but unnecessary don't let it above 86

if you haven't yet read this ... Frog Forum - Gray Tree Frog Care and Breeding

Temperature:

Vivarium: summer ~ 20-30 °C (68-86 °F), winter ~0-10 °C (32-50 °F).

As you can see mid to late 70's is right in the middle so I say tha'ts about perfect XD... I keep it slightly cooler in winter not like this post still around 70 during day (not by choice I don't change anything... my house is just cooler lol)

About water spots I clean my glass with half vinegar half water solution and it gets the worst of it... I have read those using distilled to mist don't get water spots... but don't use distilled water for frogs bathing water. if you have a plastic scraper or really careful and good with a blade I have read that too... but I don't trust myself not to scratch glass.

[UncleChester]

I can't help you with removing the heater, but for heating my own grays in the winter I use a 60w or 100w incandescent bulb as the light source (cfl's in the summer) placed at the top of the tank. Perches at numerous heights give them options of how far from the heat they need to sit. A 5 gallon should heat up pretty fast this way though (that's kinda small unless your frog is also still pretty small). If your room stays between 72-77 there's no need for added heat as mentioned (my place gets colder).

And also...
how do I get hard water spots off the tank wall?

I use a 50/50 mix of isopropyl alchohol and distilled water on a cloth for all my glass cleaning needs. Some people use a diluted vinegar solution. Some just use elbow grease and water. Remove the frog in any case unless your tank is huge and you're just using water. A razor blade is handy for the really stubborn stuff.

If you use distilled water for your misting, you won't get the hard water spots. Make sure the main source of water in the tank isn't distilled water though.

[KingCam]

Remove the UTH slowly and gently. Try not to bend or flex it more than you have to, the heating elements can be fragile. If your tank was clean when you put it on it will probably still be sticky enough to reapply to another tank. Just store it with wax paper over the adhesive until you're ready to use it.

The advice given on removing the water spots and misting with distilled water (but not using it in your water bowl) are both dead on. Stubborn water spots can also be removed with a razor blade.

[BeckyM]

This tube she's next to is about 2 inches tall and about 3 long. I don't think she's fully grown though. She's only about half the size of my last female.


She's fatter than she is tall. XD. Money's tight right now, but later on, I'd love to get her one of those vertical tanks-a 8-10 gallon. The current tank she's in was a gift.

I've heard of people using bleach, but I've got super sensitive skin...vinegar sounds doable. I've got LOTS of that.

I've been misting with filtered water. Time to change gears. Thanks for the help, guys.

[Rae]

Sorry I must have missed the size of your tank the first time I read. Uncle Chester is right ... that is a small home for a tree frog. Rule of thumb 1 frog per 10 gallons... and for tree frogs they need height over length 24" inch min is preferred but at least 18". Larger frogs like Whites usually need more than 10 gallons per frog.

[BeckyM]

Yeah, I know, but for now, that's the largest tank I own. Money and space are big factors here. I need to look at larger tanks, see what'll work better for Gert, what'll work in my limited space and what'll fit my price range.