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UTH for an acrylic cage

xxFrootLoopxx

xxFrootLoopxx

Lurking around the corner
I've been considering getting a different cage for my baby corn before she arrives; specifically one of the acrylic reptile cages from bigappleherp.com

I was wondering if there is a brand or type of UTH that I could get that would be safe to use on an acrylic enclosure. I currently have a zoomed one on the old glass aquarium, and I remember reading not to use those on acrylic surfaces.

Is that true for all under tank heaters? Or can I get a different brand that would be better?
 
*cough* The owner of the site is a member here. I think his user is BigAppleHerp look his up and you can ask him. He'll be able to answer your questions better.
 
i use UTH's for a few tubs but i place them between place mats and use a thermostat and havent had any problems. I also place a thermomter on the placemat to make sure the temp is where it is supposed to be. Although this is temporary, I think if your temp settings are proper and monitored, it shouldnt harm the acrylic tank. Just make sure you constantly check the temps though
 
NFS07 said:
I lied. His user is blueapplepaste
Click to expand...

.... um, no, you're thinking of Blue Apple Herps, Not Big Apple...

When I had my huge lizard tank, I stuck the UTH on a 12 X 12 ceramic tile and placed it inside the tank hooked up to a dimmer switch, (homemade rheostat), and covered it with substrate. I placed a thermometer on it to keep an eye on the temp, but once I got it set, it kept a constant temp. If I knew about thermostats back then, I would have gone that route. I noticed some discoloration after prolonged use, (turned white), but no cracking...
 
A small uth can melt acrylic. I've found that out the hard way. Just a warning that you really should look into the details of what you want and are getting.
 
I have one. It is glass and I like it quite a bit.

It's getting to be too small. To replace it I'm working on a custom acrylic viv but putting a glass bottom in to avoid this problem. Maybe a bit too DIY to apply to a store-bought acrylic viv.
 
I have a plastic bottom on part of my viv but it's not acrylic, it's lexan. The lexan is not affected at all. The max temp my UTH gets is 87°F. That keeps it about 84°F max in Cheerio's warm hide. At these temps (less than a hot summer day) I'm pretty sure acrylic is okay also.
Definitely use a thermostat. I have the temperature probe for my thermometer on the lexan right on top of the heater so I know if it gets too hot.
 
Yeah, I've already got a thermostat and everything.... I was just thinking of getting a new tank; one the comes with a fitting locking top ...

The screen top I have now doesn't quite fit the aquarium snugly (they were purchased separately), and I'm worried that I'll have an escape not too long after getting the snake, unless I find a different enclosure that comes with it's own lid <<

That and the zilla critter cages are built in such a way that allow wires to be run through without disrupting the way the lid closes. That's the other huge reason why I want one.
 
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