Heating, lighting, etc., etc.

[Aaron1123]

Ok so I'm new here and I'm thinking about getting a pacman frog soon. I've researched and researched for like a week now and I feel like I have an understanding of how to take care of one, until it comes to heating and I get confused. I keep my room right about 71 or so, so I know i need supplemental heat, I just don't know what to use. I know heat mats on the bottom are bad because they burrow toward it to cool down, but I also hear that heat mats on the side are inefficient and don't heat the air well. I read that heat bulbs are too drying and so it's harder to keep humidity up. I have a heat mat thermostat, but idk if that would help anything on the side of the tank or even how I would program it that way. I also have a lamp dimmer, so right now I'm thinking that my best bet would be to just tinker with maybe a red bulb and see if I can get the temps right and see how hard it is to get the humidity to stay where it needs to be. I'm not getting the frog until I get this all figured out, and right now it's just confusing and intimidating. It can't be this hard to make the environment suitable for them I hope, but I'm just really confused about what to do right now. Anyone know what the best method to keep them warm is?

[gizmo88]

I am a newbie myself so anyone else replying feel free to say i'm talking rubbish lol.I know the basics but not a huge amont i use a Infra-red Lamp 50W on a dimmer stat which you will need for bulbs, pulse stat for ceramic, which dont interupt pacmans day/night cyles unlike other animals which red glowing bulbs can. in the room my pacman is in it's about 69f-71f at a push i tried a heat mat on the side and got to about 72f (they dont heat air just objects in the way of its rays) so i had to try other things i had a dimmer stat spare so just for a way to save money i settled on a heat bulb rather then ceramic but both are ok, yes bulbs can dry it out but i'v had no trouble as the rate in which it drys out is abit slower if your using infrared heat bulbs as a 24 hour heat source rather then a bright sun like bulb in day then infrared or blue glow at night which i guess the bright ones would dry it out quicker i'm getting 80-83 day time temps now then the lowered for nightime as i said both cermic and bulbs are ok as your not a great deal away from the right temps i'd say bulb but its up to you.

[Lija]

Do you want an easy way?
Get 3 things :
-infrared lamp or ceramic heat emitter
-fogger or modify regular home ultrasonic humidifier, i last the last the most
- zoomed hydrotherm (50$ Amazon/ebay), it's a controller that you'll need to program, it would maintain night drop in temp too.

Now plug lamp and fogger into hydrotherm and live worry free over humidity or temps

[Krispy]

Thats funny as can be. I also run modified ultrasonic room humidifiers. Its a $60-80 Do It Yourself and can maintain 2-3 tanks size pending. Add simple ball valves to balance your fog flow. Note: they are a COOL MIST so the fog will be cool. I noticed a 5-10 degree temp drop in both of my tanks. But humidity always fights temp and vice versa. I also would not recommend generic wood pet shop hides they will mold in a heartbeat. Use cork if this is your plan. The cork doesnt care about humidity.

Heres the one on my bp and firebelly setup. The firebelly tank was still being worked on at the time. Stuff here is always evolving like some twisted science experiment lmao.


The humidifier is a cool mist for $40 at my local target. I chose it because it had a removable lid. Its an elephant actually. Go ahead and laugh i sure did. But. When you remove the elephant head you can put a chunk of insulation over 3/4pvc and it slips/seals right in the hole.

Please do not glue fittings so it can all be cleaned and you can remove the main pipe to refill your tank.

The repti foggers and things break down alot i do not like them.