Terrarium heating

[Stjimmy1990]

Ok so I have an exo terra 18x18x24 terrarium with a 2.0 an 5.0 bulb in the lamp. But I still have trouble keeping the heat above 70. But I saw the zoo med under tank heaters. Would that help me? I'm preparing for a red eyed treefrog. And if the heat is ok to use what size do I need?

Thanks!

[bshmerlie]

Your house must be freezing. Yes you can use the heat mats just stick it to the side of the tank. Get one the appropriate size of the tank. Your size tank is a 33 gallon. Just make sure you monitor it with a thermostat...especially since summer time is coming. Why don't you post your location in your user profile so we can figure out where not to move to because its so cold.

[Stjimmy1990]

Lol I'm actually in Arkansas we just keep it comfortable in the house. An thanks!

[bshmerlie]

ARKANSAS?...Oh...I figured you'd be up in Alaska staring at Russia with Sarah Palin.

[Stjimmy1990]

Hahaha nope Down here in southern arkansas.

[ZachTurner]

Your "2.0 and 5.0" bulbs are compact florescent I take it and not incandescents which actually produce viable heat..?
What are you using to monitor your temps? A digital thermometer with a probe?
Tape & Dial thermometers are not accurate. Anything stuck to the glass is just giving you a temp of the glass and not the tank..

[bshmerlie]

My spiral 2.0s put out quite a bit of heat.

[Stjimmy1990]

Well I was going to put the pad on the glass bottom of the tank so substrate would be on top. And I have the analog thermometer an hydrometer. But I wouldn't say the thermometer is off because I have an inferred thermometer I used and it read the same thing.

[ZachTurner]

The pad should not go on the bottom at all.. while I dont agree at all with bshmerlie's idea of putting a heat pad on the back wall its is the better option if your only going to consider the two..
The problem with tank mounted analog thermometer is your not getting the core temp inside of the tank.. just the temp of the glass where its mounted. Making it inaccurate.. a digital thermometer with a probe is much more effective and are fairly cheap anymore..

Heat pads and or tape is just a bad option for arboreal vivariums. and in my opinion you should look into a bulb swap before you decide to go that route..