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Flexwatt question

Coty

Coty

New member
I currently have a UTH set up with a Zoo Med 500R Thermostat and I am interested in purchasing Flexwatt Heat Tape to replace it (I will use the UTH for my backup tank that I use for feeding/quarantine etc.) My questions are as follows:
1. How much Flexwatt should would you recommend for a 20 g long tank (it is an R-Zilla critter cage which I believe has the standard 20 g long dimensions)?
2. Would you recommend keeping the UTH as a backup and using the Flexwatt on both tanks?
3. Which size Flexwatt would you recommend, the 11" or the smaller sizes (3" or 4")?

Sorry if that was a deluge of questions - I have done a bit of searching through old posts but I was still uncertain about these issues.
 
Coty, what is your set up? Do you just have the one tank right now? Flexwatt is great in a rack situation but is not real practical to be used for two or three aquariums. You would do better to get another UTH for the spare tank. You can run two UTH of the same thermostat if you are sure both UTH are the same wattage.
 
Coty said:
I currently have a UTH set up with a Zoo Med 500R Thermostat and I am interested in purchasing Flexwatt Heat Tape to replace it (I will use the UTH for my backup tank that I use for feeding/quarantine etc.) My questions are as follows:
1. How much Flexwatt should would you recommend for a 20 g long tank (it is an R-Zilla critter cage which I believe has the standard 20 g long dimensions)?
2. Would you recommend keeping the UTH as a backup and using the Flexwatt on both tanks?
3. Which size Flexwatt would you recommend, the 11" or the smaller sizes (3" or 4")?

Sorry if that was a deluge of questions - I have done a bit of searching through old posts but I was still uncertain about these issues.
Click to expand...

For a single 20 long - I see no reason to use flexwatt over a UTH.
For a row of 20 long it may be more cost effective.

Your ZooMed 500R is not going to cut it for flexwatt. Sure - it may work for years with no issue, but it is an on/off thermostat which means it will send full current to the heat tape when on, and you don't want to send full current to heat tape.

If you still want to do flexwatt - for a 20 long use 3 inch tape. If you go length, you need enough for the length of a 20 long - which I believe is 30 inches, so you'll need to by 3' worth. Personally I don't think the short side of a 20 long is big enough to provide adequate temperature gradient to go the length.

If you go width, I would recommend two pieces of 3" heat tape with an inch between them - but unless you are running it for multiple 20 longs, those are extremely short pieces.

I really think in your case sticking with a UTH is best.

If you go flexwatt, remember to have a digital thermometer probe directly on the heat tape (even if you use a proportional thermostat, they can fail) so that you can see the temp of the heat tape directly. Make sure there is air flow.

Is there a reason you are unhappy with your current UTH? Maybe we can help resolve that issue.
 
Wade thank you for the quick response. My 2nd tank atm is pretty much a sterilite container w/ holes drilled. The reason I was most concerned is that I am keeping Malachai housed there for the next couple of nights as the silicon dries to secure my Zoo Med 500R and digital thermometer probes. At the moment the sterilite is on sections of 2' x 4' elevated above the UTH (which is pulled out so only part of it is under the container).

I do not intend to house any large collections (not yet at least, I had my 1st shed on my 8 week old last night!), I was just wondering what a safe way to heat my back-up sterilite container would be. I figured that if I could have a nice set up then I could leave him in there for a little while after feeding without worrying about whether he has enough belly heat to start digestion after meals (also a temporary spot to keep him while I clean his tank, or to use as a quarantine tank etc). I am kind of stuck checking the temperature every few minutes because I am waiting for the silicon to dry on my only thermostat's probe .

Oh and thanks for reminding me that I could have a 2nd UTH hooked up to my 500R, I may be able to move my tank close enough so that I can use the thermostat (at the current setting it prolly won't get too hot considering it is sterilite and elevated).

I should have made sure that this was all figured out before I started to apply the silicon.
 
If your just talking a day or two, room temperature won't hurt him. Most homes are between 75 and 80. That is plenty warm enough for short term.
 
Ok thank you wade and Funkyres, your replies put my mind at ease. I try to be very considerate about Malachai's temperature - I was struggling to provide a temperature gradient the first week he was home, and it was really bothering me that his 'cool side' was 78 instead of 70-75 (not to mention my stick on hygrometer was giving me bad info until I picked up a digital one hehe).
 
In the summertime, I think a cool side of 78 is okay. At least, mine all do fine with a cool side of 78-80 for most of the summer.
 
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