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Heat Mat Problem

DrachenDame

DrachenDame

New member
So I'm setting up my tank for the new corn I'm getting next week, and I am seriously disappointed. I have a heat mat on my 15g tank, and it's not getting hotter than 85 (With the probe DIRECTLY on top of the glass where the mat rests). I bought a rheostat for fear of it getting to hot, but it's not getting hot enough! What can I do? Do I need a larger heat mat? (This one is for a 10g). I was really trying to avoid using heat lamps, but I really see no other option. Help?
 
What sort of thermometer are you using? Do you have another one in the house that you could use to double-check? It'd be the cheapest part of the kit to replace if that's what's faulty.

I have a heat mat on my 15g tank, and it's not getting hotter than 85 (With the probe DIRECTLY on top of the glass where the mat rests).
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Could you quickly clarify the setup that you're using? The tank should be standing on top of the mat for best results.
 
bitsy said:
What sort of thermometer are you using? Do you have another one in the house that you could use to double-check? It'd be the cheapest part of the kit to replace if that's what's faulty.
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I'm using a zoo-med digital thermometer with probe. I don't have another, as the store was out of them yesterday.

Could you quickly clarify the setup that you're using? The tank should be standing on top of the mat for best results.
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It's a 15 gallon glass aquarium with the heat mat stuck to the bottom. The exact heat mat I have is this one:

pPETS-3759857dt.jpg]
 
Kit and setup certainly sound good. I've not used that make/model of mat before - hopefully someone will be along soon who has.
 
I have the 10X11 version of that same heat mat. Mine needs to be regulated. I am less than half power on the Home Depot Leviton dimmer for $10.

Yours should need a rheostat as well...but 85 degrees is near perfect. I don't see this as a problem, except for the fact this it's not normal for that pad to be so cold. I think it will be fine as long as you can keep 85 degrees.

For reference, I wish i could get 85 degrees from mine. Getting it at 85 degrees is tough. I can float around 84 or 86, but 85 is elusive to me.
 
Well, that's when the probe is RIGHT on top of it. Now that I have substrate in the tank it's even lower. It's hovering between 75 and 77. What should I do?
 
You should give it a little time to adjust to the change in the tank, ie the substrate will be cool and will need to warm up before you get a true reading. I just set up a tank yesterday and it took the better part of the afternoon for the temperature to stabilise :)

I didn't realise earlier that you were testing the heat mat temp without substrate. This will allow the heat mat to run cooler, all mine do without substrate, so you may find that once the substrate warms up and the tank stabilises after a few hours, that your heat mat may then run too hot and you will need to add the rheostat/dimmer or whatever to control the temps.

Just make sure that you keep the thermometer probe on the glass over the heat mat, under the substrate, under the warm hide, as that will be the warmest place your corn will be able to get to and that is where you need to have the temps in the mid 80's :)
 
Susielea said:
You should give it a little time to adjust to the change in the tank, ie the substrate will be cool and will need to warm up before you get a true reading. I just set up a tank yesterday and it took the better part of the afternoon for the temperature to stabilise :)

I didn't realise earlier that you were testing the heat mat temp without substrate. This will allow the heat mat to run cooler, all mine do without substrate, so you may find that once the substrate warms up and the tank stabilises after a few hours, that your heat mat may then run too hot and you will need to add the rheostat/dimmer or whatever to control the temps.

Just make sure that you keep the thermometer probe on the glass over the heat mat, under the substrate, under the warm hide, as that will be the warmest place your corn will be able to get to and that is where you need to have the temps in the mid 80's :)
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Thank you so much! The temp shot up to the 90s almost instantly! Right now it's at 102, so I've hooked it up to the rheostat. I just have to wait for it to cool down! Thank you so much for that insight. I was really concerned that it was going to be too cold.
 
DrachenDame said:
Thank you so much! The temp shot up to the 90s almost instantly! Right now it's at 102, so I've hooked it up to the rheostat. I just have to wait for it to cool down! Thank you so much for that insight. I was really concerned that it was going to be too cold.
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You are most welcome! It does help when someone gives as much information as possible, even if it seems irrelevant to the person posting, we as a community will have probably seen most things and be able to help find a solution if there is one available :)
 
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the substrate is what held in the heat. When you first started, the probe couldn't get hot enough as the heat would all escape around the probe. Now you are getting a true reading. Be careful with those lamp dimmer rheostats. I small change can make a big difference in temps.
 
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