Zoo Med 500R & UTH

[kcaven]

Ok so I hooked up my Zoo Med 500R thermostat today. I hooked it up to my new UTH (with new reptile carpet over the UTH). Before this I only used a heat lamp with an incandescent bulb in it. When my air conditioner is on in my house it keeps the warm side at 80-82degrees. I thought it needed to be a tad warmer for digestion and besides under belly heat is better for digestion anyway. I removed the incandescent bulb and replaced it with a CFL.

So anyway, its all hooked up and looks like its working but how do I know if its the right temp? I have the dial turned about mid-way. My thermometer is still saying 82 degrees. I put my hand under the tank against the UTH and it barely feels warm. Should I have left the incandescent bulb in addition to the UTH?

Does anyone use this kind of set up and what do you keep your temp dial at? Do you use a light in addition to the UTH?

 

[Mysfitz]

digital thermometer with probe.

set probe on glass mid UTH.

 

[kcaven]

Well, I know how to set it up...its already set up and running.

I wanted to know if anyone has the same set-up and if so where do they keep their dial set? I have mine mid way and my temps are still at 82 no matter if I have it on low or med. Id like it to be aroiund 85 degrees.

Should I use an incandescent bulb in addition to it?

 

[Blue Apple Herps]

I keep all my corns at 80-82 with no problems. My house during the summer sits around 80 degrees and around April to Sept I turn off the heat for the corns. They do just fine at those temps.

And because your house is already warm the UTH won't feel that warm as it doesn't have as big of a job to do. Wait until during the winter, then it will feel a lot warmer as it has to do a lot more heating.

 

[Corny Noob]

Mine are all around that temp with the same devices as well.
Just to be sure, the uth is *under* the tank not in it right? I only ask since you say what is covering it.
Also, they take some time to set up, if any of mine were set to the half way mark the animals would be baking right now...so make sure you keep checking back on it to adjust it the first 24hr or so.

 

[kcaven]

Heat Trapped under Hide?

Yes the UTH is under the tank not in it. I have reptile carpet inside the tank on top of the UTH so he doesnt get burned. I have it set at half way but our house is set for the AC to be at about 73/74 degrees (but it is warmer upstairs where he is).

I though the mid way setting seemed a little high of a setting. Ive been reading a few threads and most people have said theirs is set at the low setting. I wonder why mine is running at 82 on Med??

I have my temp gauge on the bottom righthand side of tank (1 inch from bottom). The UTH is in the same rear corner of the tank (underneath) but his hide is directly on top of it (hide almost covers the UTH completely). Could the heat be getting trapped inside the hide and not registering on the temp gague?:shrugs:

 

[Mysfitz]

temp gauge needs to be on the bottom of the tank, touching the glass.(digital with probe)

you need to know the temperature of the glass, not the temperature of the tank/air above the floor.

are you using a digital gauge with probe or a stick on gauge?
the stick on tend to be inaccurate, and also can not be used to check floor temps with UTH.

 

[kcaven]

I am using the round ones..not a "stick on" but it is a combo temp/humidity gauge. And it is basically as low as it can go at the bottom of thetank resting directly on top of the substrate.

I guess I will have to get a digital one with a probe to be able to be absolutely positive. Unfortunately I cant get to the store til this Friday.

 

[TripleMoonsExotic]

You can get a nice digital thermometer & hygrometer from Walmart for about $12. It's called an ACURITE and is very accurate. I have them all over my reptile room. They'll be round about where the garbage cans are in the store (look for the big ugly outdoor thermometers).

The ZooMed 500R is not a thermostat, it is a rheostat. That means that you have to adjust the low/high setting to suit the proper temperature (more then likely frequently because fluctuation in the room temperature will require you to adjust the rheostat to maintain the appropriate temperatures), while with a thermostat you set an actual temperature and it adjusts to suit by itself.

 

[Blue Apple Herps]

The ZooMed 500R is not a thermostat, it is a rheostat. That means that you have to adjust the low/high setting to suit the proper temperature (more then likely frequently because fluctuation in the room temperature will require you to adjust the rheostat to maintain the appropriate temperatures), while with a thermostat you set an actual temperature and it adjusts to suit by itself.

Actually the 500R is a thermostat. It's an off type and not as accurate as a Herpstat or similar. But it is more than a rheostat, but like a rheostat it takes some time to get set up as its just not as precise as others. But it will turn the element on/off accordingly as it gets warmer and cooler.

 

[TripleMoonsExotic]

Hmm...I got it being a rheostat from this image when I searched:

Weird. Maybe it's an old version?

This one (which does have the "R"):

Doesn't appear to have actual numbers on it to select a temp as a normal thermostat does? If it doesn't allow you to select an exact temperature, I don't understand why it would be considered a thermostat at all...You will still need to frequently manually adjust it yourself to maintain the appropriate temperatures.

 

[kcaven]

This one (which does have the "R"):

[/QUOTE] Doesn't appear to have actual numbers on it to select a temp as a normal thermostat does? If it doesn't allow you to select an exact temperature, I don't understand why it would be considered a thermostat at all...You will still need to frequently manually adjust it yourself to maintain the appropriate temperatures.[/QUOTE]


This is the thermostat that I have. I asked for advice as to what I should get and this is what I was advised. UGH..I wish someone would have told me that there was something that I could actually choose an exact temp (number) and have it maintain that.

How much do one of those cost? And what is a good name brand of one?

 

[Bram]

I have a 500R and it works quite well. You won't go wrong with it if you take the time to set it up properly. Turn it up about mid way, when your separate temp probe registers the temperature that you want turn the dial on the 500R down until the green light just turns off. You can now label that spot on the dial with the temp reading if you want.

Doesn't appear to have actual numbers on it to select a temp as a normal thermostat does? If it doesn't allow you to select an exact temperature, I don't understand why it would be considered a thermostat at all...You will still need to frequently manually adjust it yourself to maintain the appropriate temperatures.

The dial isn't just a rheostat, each part of the rotation does equate to a temperature setting like a thermostat, not a power output like rheostat.
I personally think it's better that it doesn't have numbers right on it. Many devices with temps printed on them aren't very accurate and so the numbers don't really mean anything anyways. The setup for the 500R calibrates it to the exact temp desired.

 

[Bram]

Should have mentioned this too. The calibration should be a one-time operation unless something significant changes with the vivarium. No frequent adjustments necessary.

 

[TripleMoonsExotic]

I use Helix, but they're a bit overkill for a single UTH (they cost around $140).

ESU used to make an inexpensive thermostat (not sure how good they are):

But I'm not sure how much they cost or if they're still being made. This one looks similar, just a different brand.

 

[TripleMoonsExotic]

The dial isn't just a rheostat, each part of the rotation does equate to a temperature setting like a thermostat, not a power output like rheostat.

Then what are the exact temperatures for the different colors? It should either be labeled or the directions should state what each colors temperature is.

 

[Blue Apple Herps]

Then what are the exact temperatures for the different colors? It should either be labeled or the directions should state what each colors temperature is.

That's what makes the set up somewhat difficult. You have to "guess" the temp to start at, and then adjust accordingly. But once set it will hold +/- a couple of degrees. But even with my Herpstat, the temp on the herpstat wasn't necessarily the temp of the heating element and it required some calibration.

 

[kcaven]

Does anyone think my hide could possibly be holding in the true temp/heat? The warm hide covers most of the UTH surface. Im a bit worried that the real temp is not being read. Thats where a digital temp gague comes into play Im sure but I cant get to a store until the weekend.

 

[Bram]

You should be all right until you can get a digital thermometer with a probe. They really are vital for regulating the temps in the vivarium.
Assuming you're using a glass viv, the glass in contact with the heater will be the hottest spot and what needs to be regulated by the thermostat. As long as the hottest hot-side temp is all right, everything else, including the hide, should be ok too.

Having the probe for the thermometer and the one for the thermostat side-by-side on the glass above the heat mat works quite well. I even glued mine down onto the glass.

 

[TripleMoonsExotic]

That's what makes the set up somewhat difficult. You have to "guess" the temp to start at, and then adjust accordingly. But once set it will hold +/- a couple of degrees. But even with my Herpstat, the temp on the herpstat wasn't necessarily the temp of the heating element and it required some calibration.

So, say my house varies 65 degrees in winter versus 75 degrees in summer (which is actually pretty accurate)...With my helix (and any decent thermostat), it automatically adjusts for that 10 degree difference. Do these ZooMed ones do that? I can't figure out how it can know what temperature it's supposed to be set at if it doesn't have the ability to set it at a specific temperature.