[Yoshi'smom]

Also: Make sure your tiles are slate and not ceramic. Slate conducts heat well and ceramic doesn't.

[Cofinator]

sorry to be annoying about this patrick but i just read some of the section and now im starting to become confused. A thermostat regualtes the temp but can it be used for the under tank heater I already have? also they are saying something about heat tape and does this mean i need to get that instead of the uth?

[Ozymandias]

yes you can use a thermostat with you heat mat, you just plug the heat mat into the thermostat and the thermostat into the wall then put the thermostats probe in the tank.

also you might take a look at this one it's not made for reptiles specifically but it is a good cheaper option.

Amazon.com: Hydrofarm MTPRTC Digital Thermostat For Heat Mats: Patio, Lawn & Garden

[Cofinator]

also if i get a 20 gallon tank i cant reuse the under tank heater i would have to buy another correct?

[Elizabeth Freer]

Originally Posted by Cofinator

can you recommend a thermostat for a 20 gallon long tank? ill definately buy one tomorrow and ill see if i can get the tile as well...would i have to get the tile cut to size though? thanks patrick this would really help

Please check out the care recommendations which cricket4u has recommended earlier on this thread. There are 2 links to reliable thermostats right there: one from Big Apple for $45 and the other from Hydrofarm for $31. Each of these will take care of 1,000 watts. The Big Apple link even has a video of a guy explaining everything.

Sometimes Petco's have tank sales for $1 per gallon.

[Elizabeth Freer]

Originally Posted by Cofinator

also if i get a 20 gallon tank i cant reuse the under tank heater i would have to buy another correct?

The UTH should take up 1/3 the length of the tank. For a 20 gallon long tank you will probably need to get the UTH sized for 20-30 gallons.