Dubia colony which UTH do you use?

[midwestmom]

So we are planning to raise our own dubia for our little dragon. I would love some specific recommendations for an under the tank heater you like for your dubia colony.
Do you use it under your bin OR attach to side. If you attach to side, how?
Also, do i need a thermostat?
Thank you for your thoughts/suggestions!
Midwestmom

 

[CooperDragon]

I use this http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiTherm-Under-Heater/dp/B0002AQCKA I mount it under the tank on the housing side so it heats up the frass at the bottom and the lower cardboard tubes. I keep the tank raised up on a bakers rack so there is airflow under the heater. It gets a little chillier than I'd like in the winter but my colony has been doing very well for about a year and a half now.

 

[GoBigGuy]

I use this http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiTherm-Under-Heater/dp/B0002AQCKA I mount it under the tank on the housing side so it heats up the frass at the bottom and the lower cardboard tubes. I keep the tank raised up on a bakers rack so there is airflow under the heater. It gets a little chillier than I'd like in the winter but my colony has been doing very well for about a year and a half now.

Are you using a plastic bin or a glass tank?

 

[midwestmom]

Cooper dragon, thanks for the suggestion! How hot does this mat get? Can you explain further why you like to use a cooling rack? So does your set up go: roach enclosure, heat mat then cooling rack? GoBigGuy, good question! Cooper Dragon, what are you using? I'm planning to use a plastic bin by Sterilite. CooperDragon/GoBigGuy/those with experience have you found plastic tubs and heat mats to be an okay combo? I do plan to use a thermostat.
Thank you again!
Midwestmom

 

[CooperDragon]

I use a 20g long glass tank. The heat mat sits under it on the outside of the glass, and that sits on a bakers rack on top of a table in my basement. I like to allow airflow because if the mat is flush against the table I'd be afraid of it overheating. Allowing a bit of airflow helps regulate the mat and keep it at it's normal temperature which is warm to the touch, not hot. With proper ventilation (and certainly with a thermostat) it shouldn't get nearly hot enough to cause a problem with a plastic bin. A lot of people use the plastic bins without an issue.

 

[z0mbiebabykiller]

if the UTH is too hot you can wire it thru a dimmer switch and use that to dial the temps down.
you will need:
single pole dimmer switch 6$
blue plastic receptacle housing 2$
roll of electric tape 1$
wire strippers, screwdriver and wire nuts (the dimmer I bought came with some)
replacement lamp cord 2$, not necessary but if you need a longer cord than original get one.

unplug your UTH and cut the cord in half in the middle. strip all 4 ends back 1/4" . drill a hole in each side of the plastic housing just big enough for cord to go thru. pull both cut ends into the holes you drilled. use the wire nut to splice the hot wires (appliance cords are usually flat with 2 wires, hot and neutral, the neutral is always the side with ribbed insulation, hot side is smooth) the dimmer will have 2 black wires and 1 green, cap the green, and splice both hot ends of the UTH cable to each black wire of dimmer. doesn't matter which. the ribbed neutral side can just be spliced back together with a wire but. wrap the splices with black tape. screw the dimmer into the plastic housing and wrap black tape around it if u want. plug it back in and turn it all the way to one side, then take temp and keep adjusting til you get it right.

 

[Taterbug]

Yikes - for that effort you can just get a inline lamp dimmer.
I use zoomed mats too - they need at least a little air gap or they can over heat. I have recorded mine at over 130 before. I don't keep the roaches with a thermostat but any reptiles that get a heat mat do have thermostats. I have mine on the side (outside, they are adhesive) with the egg crates leaned up against it. I don't think it makes a big difference - the key is stacking the crates up against the mat so that heat conducts into them.

 

[GoBigGuy]

You have a pic of your colony setup?

Yikes - for that effort you can just get a inline lamp dimmer.
I use zoomed mats too - they need at least a little air gap or they can over heat. I have recorded mine at over 130 before. I don't keep the roaches with a thermostat but any reptiles that get a heat mat do have thermostats. I have mine on the side (outside, they are adhesive) with the egg crates leaned up against it. I don't think it makes a big difference - the key is stacking the crates up against the mat so that heat conducts into them.

 

[Taterbug]

This is the dimmer I've used for bask in lamps: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000DI241/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1454286544&sr=8-2&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=dimmer+for+lamp&dpPl=1&dpID=41lbC3HV5YL&ref=plSrch

Here are my two setups:

 

[GoBigGuy]

Thanks for sharing, I was thinking of doing something almost the same except I would use a plastic storage bin instead of the glass tank and just put one of these on the side of it:

http://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Ultra-Deluxe-Premium-inches/dp/B00164PW9S/ref=sr_1_3?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1454286967&sr=1-3&keywords=heat+mat+reptile

This is the dimmer I've used for bask in lamps: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000DI241/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1454286544&sr=8-2&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=dimmer+for+lamp&dpPl=1&dpID=41lbC3HV5YL&ref=plSrch

Here are my two setups: