Heating issue in frog tanks

[Lanky]

New to here. Nice to meet you all. About almost a month ago i got 2 pac man frogs in a about a week or two of each other i have a albino reg pac man and Ornate pac man both are eating and doing great but i recently got a digital gauge because their tanks always felt too cold for me and turns out i was right they sit around 75 F during the day and i don't know really what to do to heat it they both got 10 gallon tanks with 2 5-10 gallon heat mats on the same sides of the aquarium well the corner and it gets warm enough for me to mist there tank and re do their water bowls twice a day. any ideas on what to do? both pac mans seem fine they both eat and go to the bathroom and don't look dry when i look at them. i read on many other sites that putting Aluminium foil on the heated side helps keep heat and moister in the cage would that help me too?

[Bynny Ribbit]

Hey Lanky! When I had a UTH on the side of my tank for my baby Pacman, I found it to be pretty ineffective at producing enough heat and eventually stopped using it. Aluminum foil can be useful in maintaining heat/humidity, so give it a try and see if it helps, but I've found having a red heat bulb to be the best option for my Pacman. I use a 5.5" deep dome light with a 40w red heat bulb. There are also 60w red bulbs, but this may be too hot for a 10 gallon tank. You can try simply getting the bulb with the dome light and set it directly on the top screen, but this may not give you the temperature you want/need. In addition to the dome light and bulb, I also use a lamp stand specifically for tanks. With this, you can raise and lower the dome light to create the optimum temperature for your frogs. What's also nice about the red bulbs is they can be a 24/7 heat source since frogs can't perceive the red light, so you can spy on them at night. Or if the frogs are in an area where the red light would bother you, ceramic heat emitters are an option, but I have never personally used one so I'm not able to vouch for cons/pros against the bulbs.

I'm glad to hear they are doing well despite the lower temps. However, since proper temperature actually helps them with digestion, it is important you find a source of heat to make it warmer in their tank or else they will eventually run into problems. Also, this is the setup I use for my frogs, but there may be other options to consider and someone may recommend something else. Hopefully you find a solution that works for you and your frogs.

[Lanky]

OK well ill try the foil because isn't the tank suppose to be at 80 during the day see if i hit that with the UTH's. if i don't i guess ill have to get some lights.

[Hypnofrog]

I'm getting a bulb for the same reason!
It may sound stupid but get some reflective foam, stuff is just the best tank insulation. It's available at the hardware store, or tinfoil wrap any 1inch thick foam board. I use it for my leopard gecko's 20g and pacman tank. Just be sure it doesn't touch the uth.

You still probably need the bulb too of course, but insulating the tank will keep your temps far more consistent and mean less work on your heating elements.

[Lanky]

im going to give the frogs this week to see if i can get the heats up i think im going to put like a standing heater i have to warm up the section of the room to see if that helps get to 80 during the day and if that doesn't work im going to a reptile expo i think ill buy the supplies for lights and maybe even blubs there.

[Bynny Ribbit]

Those are great ideas, Hypno! Thanks for sharing.

Reptile expos can be a great place for supplies, plus some companies go there to specifically show off their products and to answer questions about them, so it would be a good opportunity to see what's out there.