UTH seems to be keeping tank too hot - help please

[Hkastelz]

Hello!

We got a new 4 month old leopard gecko Dec 2nd. We have been battling getting her tank temps correct. We have tried big and smaller UTH. Our house is normally around 74, but with it being cold in the evenings - the house goes down to 68. When I had to 18x8 mat under her tank the temp on the ground with a probe in her hide got up to 101. We quickly removed the large heating pad. We then tried the heating pad on the side of the tank and the temp got below 82. I have purchased a light, but haven't use it yet because we are getting temps on the warm side too high and the cool side too low. Please help and advise. Our local reptile store is the one who suggested trying to mount the UTH on the side of the tank.


What size is your enclosure? 24x18x12 Exo Terra front doors

Have you a under tank heat pad right now? 6x8 small, but have and tried the 18x8 and it was too hot (101), so I put it on the side - stayed too cold, so I added the 6x8 under and have the 18x8 on the side of the tank.

What type thermometer have you? We have 2 digital probes - one cool side and one warm side, both under the hides. The warm range currently is from 94 at night to 98.5 on the warm side.

Are you measuring ground temp or air temp? we have the probe in her dry hide which is over the heat mat. (hot side) On the cool side we have 69 at night and up to 72-74 during the day, measured by probe in dry hide.

Thank you!!!:?

 

[Yoshi'smom]

My first question is are your heat mats on a thermostat?
That will help you get your temps to where they should be.
A thermostat helps to regulate the power that is sent to the uth so that you can get the proper temps. It's a must have simply so that your uth doesn't overheat and get so hot that it burns your gecko.

 

[Seth9999]

The answer to that be a thermostate to plug in your 18×8. On amazon they have jump start thermostat and inkbird. Ones like 20 other like 30. I have two inkbird for both inclosers just for small pads. They work good. 2 degrees drop before they kick on. Herp2 or vavarium electronic is stepping up, both do job. Herpstate 2 has stainless steal probes.
Take prob from thermostat and thermometer put side by side under dry warm hide hide, directly on top geckos floor . You get exactly the temp. He or she will feel.
Without thermostats some try a dimer, play around with that, it's to unreliable for me. Most dimers I've bought or complete junk to.

 

[Hkastelz]

Awesome!! Thank you.
I did not have them on a thermostat, just thermometer. I ordered the century digital heat mat thermostat last night from amazon.

So, i should get a 2nd one and use it on the cool side with it sent to cool temps, correct?

 

[Seth9999]

That incloser I think one thermostat would do. Put big pad under incloser with thermostat working it, set to 90, 91 right under geckos dry hide. Right under his hide will reach that temp, but rest will fade to cooler temp, witch is what you want.

 

[Seth9999]

This is 10wide by 20 long. Heat pad starts on left side goes toward middle. Her hut is knot directly to left in corner. It's a littel warmer directly in that corner, cause that's start of pad, witch will be hots point on heating pad. She used that corner lay on warm rocks after dinner. The littel hermit crab hut was her bathroom. Thers knot lot wiggle room in small inclosers. I did have over ceramic heating emmiter on warm side, witch was set real low, keep air around 80. I had it plugged into same thermostat that pad was on. The floor heat is most important. I really didn't need over head heat, when I got them all working together it worked for best.

 

[Yoshi'smom]

I utilize a UTH on a thermostat on my warm end as well as a CHE to help get ambient temperatures up. I have often found my leopard gecko on top of her hide basking in the warmth. Air temps are important with these guys too.