Installing UTH, Instruction Manual Questions

[Dinah]

So we are in the process of setting up our tank and we have been reading all of the instruction manuals and they have confused me so I wanted to check with all of the smart people here to see what I should be doing for sure.

The manual keeps recommending that we put down repti carpet above where the UTH is installed, but I have heard that reptile carpet is not good because it can be icky underneath, and that an inch or two of substrate is preferred. So which is right should I get and put down reptile carpet underneath my substrate or should I ignore that part of the instruction manual with the thought that they are just trying to sell more of their products by including it as recommended in the instructions?

Second the instructions keep saying side mounting is the preferred installation option, but I thought that under was preferred because of the need for belly heat.

So here is what I was planning to do before I started reading the pesky instructions could you please let me know if I am right or if the instructions are right.

I was planning to install the UTH on the bottom of one side (using the included rubber feet), and then plug the UTH into the thermostat and the thermostat into the wall. The thermostat probe would then go into the tank at the bottom centered on the glass area where the UTH is and then 1-2 inches of eco earth on top.

Is that the right way to do it even if the instructions say side mounting and reptile carpet are recommended?

Also we have a properly sized zoo med UTH, and a repti temp 500R thermostat, and eco earth substrate if that makes a difference in terms of the above questions.

Thank ya'll so much for helping.

Dinah

 

[bitsy]

Is that the right way to do it even if the instructions say side mounting and reptile carpet are recommended?

I'd definitely do it your way and not follow the instructions. In fact I do - apart from using bark chips as a substrate. Most of my UTHs have come with instructions not to cover it with more than one inch of substrate, so that might be a good guideline.

 

[Nanci]

Sounds good to me! Except you might like aspen better. It's fluffier and softer and easier to burrow in. You _could_ use reptile carpet, but the snake is going to burrow under it anyway. It's hard to clean because you have to have two sets, one to wash, one to use.

 

[Dinah]

Except you might like aspen better. It's fluffier and softer and easier to burrow in. You _could_ use reptile carpet, but the snake is going to burrow under it anyway. It's hard to clean because you have to have two sets, one to wash, one to use.

Our plan is to try both first one then the other kind so that way we can see which one we like to use the best, so aspen is already on our list for trying after our first clean out. My husband actually has a 3rd kind that he wants us to try before we make our final substrate decision but I but I don't remember which it was and unlike aspen which I also already own I have not bought the 3rd kind yet.

I had heard that the reptile carpet was a bit yucky and harder to clean but when I read the instructions I started to worry that maybe I was wrong.

 

[Dinah]

I'd definitely do it your way and not follow the instructions. In fact I do - apart from using bark chips as a substrate. Most of my UTHs have come with instructions not to cover it with more than one inch of substrate, so that might be a good guideline.

I'm glad to know that other people set it up like I was planning to. I read several books and have read all sorts of things on this site and I was reallying starting to think I had figured out what I was doing, at least somewhat and then I got into the instruction manuals and started to get confused again.

 

[Teddy Roosevelt]

UTH manuals often have little "and we have this product too, WHICH YOU NEED"s thrown into their actual useful advice. Sounds like you have the same one I have, in which case slap that sucker on the bottom and hook it up to a rheostat, cause it get HOT.

 

[Dinah]

UTH manuals often have little "and we have this product too, WHICH YOU NEED"s thrown into their actual useful advice. Sounds like you have the same one I have, in which case slap that sucker on the bottom and hook it up to a rheostat, cause it get HOT.

I had sort of thought that what they were doing was more sales than instructions, but I figured best not to take a chance, and I knew everyone on here would be able to help me out no problem so I figured it was better to check first.

And we did get a thermostat to go with the UTH because I had read on here that they get hot without something to control the heat. We will probably be done setting it up tomorrow or the next day. And then I will see if I can get adjusted and right, we are getting very excited.