How do you properly attach an ultratherm UTH to the bottom of a tank?

[matt0101]

I have the proper kind of aluminium tape, I'm just not certain if there is a proper way to use the tape in attaching it. The instructions that came with the UTH are extremely vague, and it is not producing enough heat as is (barely 90 degrees DIRECTLY on the glass with no substrate.)

What am I doing wrong?

I have googled this over and over and cannot find an answer.

 

[Aimless]

what is the wattage on your UTH? perhaps it's a lower wattage than you need?

 

[matt0101]

It is 11"x17" and 22 watts, the same (or very close to) wattage as my current 8"x18" zoo-med reptitherm pad that would reach over 95 degrees without a thermostat.

 

[acpart]

Are you trying to attach a UTH that has already been used? Most UTH's have an adhesive backing with a peel-off paper. Usually when you get them new in the box, you peel off the backing and attach.

If you have a UTH that's been used already, I know that according to Elizabeth Freer's care sheet, the Zoo-med ones are not supposed to be re-attached (according to Zoo-med).

In any case, if you have the aluminum tape with the peel-off backing, the most effective way to attach (or re-attach, if you want to go that way) a UTH is to push the UTH as firmly as you can against the glass bottom (maybe even put something heavy on it --you want as much of the UTH as possible to be contacting the tank when you get done taping), then tape the edges and then run tape across the entire thing.

If you're still not getting adequate heat one of the following may help:

--take the temp again in a few days: I find that even though the instructions say that it reaches final temp in 6 hours, I find it really takes a few days
--be sure the whole UTH is actually in contact with the glass
--get a watt-meter and check that the UTH is actually putting out the number of watts it's supposed to be producing.

Good luck,

Aliza

 

[matt0101]

It's an ultratherm without an adhesive backing. You need to tape it to get it to stay on.

Thanks for the post, very helpful.

 

[hmarie186]

It took about 4 days for my Flukers UTH and thermostat to finally get everything up to speed. I've never tried the ultratherm but the zoo meds were terrible for me. What I've found useful is I put 1/4" felt pads under the corners of my tank, use the foil tape to tape all around the heater and I used one of the wire racks from my Emerson 8 bottle wine cooler to keep it pressed up to the glass so it heats evenly. Otherwise I kept getting sagging in the middle over time. Works like a charm.

 

[matt0101]

I have it set up in my new tank now with my leo. It's definitely heating the substrate unevenly, which indicates that there are parts of the heat mat that aren't flat against the glass. My gecko is so stressed from the move that I'm worried about taking all the tiles out to flip over the tank and reattach the heat pad. Especially since I might not even get it right the second time.

Why wouldn't they just add an adhesive to it? This is painfully frustrating.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

I have it set up in my new tank now with my leo. It's definitely heating the substrate unevenly, which indicates that there are parts of the heat mat that aren't flat against the glass. My gecko is so stressed from the move that I'm worried about taking all the tiles out to flip over the tank and reattach the heat pad. Especially since I might not even get it right the second time.

Why wouldn't they just add an adhesive to it? This is painfully frustrating.

How did you tape the Ultratherm? Edges only, cross the middle from both ends too? Maybe edges and 1 tape length wise, and 2 tapes width wise?

 

[matt0101]

Here's a diagram because it's easier than explaining.

The grey is tape and the black is the UTH. I taped all along both of the short edges with 2 smaller pieces of tape along the bottom long edge. I couldn't put any on the top long edge because it is against the edge of the tank and there is no glass left for the tape to stick to on that edge.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Do you think the Ultratherm would fit more snugly if you extended both center tapes up to the "top" even if they went up the far glass some?

 

[matt0101]

I am not sure. I could try, but I don't think it would help. I don't want to disrupt Tommy more than I have to. He is having a very difficult time.

 

[matt0101]

He won't eat any food now.

I am completely exhausted.

 

[hmarie186]

Since the heating is off, that's probably most of your problem. I know you don't want to disrupt him due to stress but improper temps will be far more stressful for you both. I would tape along the long side and wrap the tape up over the bottom of the tank just to keep it secure.

 

[matt0101]

well his warm hide is still 90-92 or so, he just chooses to stay in his not-so-warm humid hide all day.

i'll try to get it right tomorrow I guess. this is turning into such an ordeal.

 

[matt0101]

The glass isn't parallel to the edge of the tank, by the way. The black border on the edge actually sits closer to the ground than the glass by about a centimeter. That's one reason I don't think wrapping the tape up around it will do much good. It seems like doing that would actually just pull the UTH downward, creating more sag in the UTH, because the tape is being anchored by a lower platform.

Does that make any sense?

 

[cricket4u]

well his warm hide is still 90-92 or so, he just chooses to stay in his not-so-warm humid hide all day.

i'll try to get it right tomorrow I guess. this is turning into such an ordeal.

he just chooses to stay in his not-so-warm humid hide all day.

I would not be surprised if the ground temp is making him very uncomfortable. I don't know if you remember me mentioning that my leos do not tolerate ground temps over 90f unless it's out in the open. I would say it's a good thing that the UTH does not cover the whole warm side. My leos do not always like to lay over the heated area. They will move to an area with warm air temps of 85f, but without the warm ground. Try placing an overhead heat source on the warm side in an area(over a hide) that the ground is of normal temp. Now that you have more space, you can add that extra hide.

 

[cricket4u]

This is one of my leo's preferred hide, laying face down the ground, not the wall. This is also one of the hides they move when they want to remain warm, but not on the warm ground. Petco 3 Level Reptile Hideaway Photo by cricket132 | Photobucket

They also move between other hides and temperature of 85F-90f (air only) , that area is not heated by the ground.

.Just a reminder, you will need at least 2 small domes, probably 3 to heat it properly.

 

[matt0101]

He would often lay in his warm hide in his old tank when the temperature read over 90. Now he won't lay in his warm hide at all even though it is reading the same temperatures or lower. Are you saying that I should lower the UTH temperatures even more?

I have a CHE in a 10 inch dome above the warm end of the tank. I'm not sure why I'd need more than 1 dome because it stays above 80 in every area of the warm end. I don't have 3 domes and I'm not even sure how I'd be able to afford them plus stands for them AND a CHE for all of them. I don't even have room for all of that, I can barely even fit the stand for his current dome.

 

[matt0101]

Okay, so I just spent an hour trying to get the UTH on without sag, and I've concluded that it is physically impossible to do so. Wrapping the tape around the edge of the tank did exactly what I expected it to do; pull the sag down even further.

I did the absolute best I could. It is still not 100% pressed against the glass, but the few saggy spots are only hanging a few milimeters (rough estimate) from the glass. I also covered up the edges of the UTH with tape in an attempt to keep heat from escaping the open edges. Not sure how well this will work, but I tried.

If this isn't adequate I don't know what I'm going to do, because I am honestly at a loss. What a ridiculous product this turned out to be. An adhesive backing might make it so you can't detach and reuse it, but I'd be willing to accept that in exchange for this headache.

The good news is that as soon as I got it all set up, Tommy went straight for his warm hide; the first time I've seen him in it since I introduced him to his new tank.

A couple pictures:

and the completed setup:

 

[cricket4u]

The thermostat is off at 90.6f if I can see it correctly? I guess just leave it alone and see how he does.