amazingpetenclosures:

@kannibalcat: replied to your photoset “allsnekky: Maze’s cage as of two minutes ago. Dimensions are…”

Any opinion on CHE’s vs UTH’s? Obviously if they’re in a plastic tub the UTH would melt it, but for glass terrariums?

They both can be equally as effective and appropriate depending on how they’re used and what works best for you and your setup. A UTH needs to be on a thermostat. If properly used and set up with a thermostat, a UTH will not melt a tub. Those plastic bins are far sturdier than they’re given credit for. Out of curiosity, I actually hooked up an old pet store brand UTH (which get notoriously hot) without a thermostat and placed it directly under a plastic bin (without an animal in it!). Even without the heat being controlled and reaching well over a hundred degrees fahrenheit, it didn’t melt, warp, or scorch the plastic. That is, however, WAY too hot for your reptile. On the other hand, if you modify the lid of your tub to fit a CHE, that can be used as well. It has to be set up to simulate the way sunlight works to heat the ground, though, and you have to be careful that you still have a hot spot at the correct temperature. The exact same things go for a glass terrarium. You still need a thermostat for your UTH so you don’t burn your reptile and/or a careful set up with a CHE. Depending on where you live, you may actually need both. I, for example, live in Washington state currently and it doesn’t get warm enough for a UTH to create a safe hot spot while still keeping my ambients appropriate, so I have a UTH to create a hotspot, and a CHE to keep my enclosures at a proper temp overall.

Both heat sources have their pros and cons, it’s really just down to what works best for you.

Keep in mind that you can use a UTH on the side of an enclosure to create a hotspot over there. That’s what I’ve done with my domino roaches, the heater is on one side of the (glass) enclosure. It warms the entire thing just slightly and keeps the substrate right up against it nice and warm. I’m in Central Texas, though, so it doesn’t ever get that cold even in my un-insulated room.