ReptiTherm Under Tank Heater
Zoo Med ReptiTherm UTH | Adhesive Under-Tank Reptile Heat Pad
Quick Facts:
- Best for: Providing belly heat and supplemental ambient warmth
- Key feature: Adhesive heat pad that mounts to the underside of glass tanks
- Format: Low-profile heating element, multiple wattages for different tank sizes
- Key support: Should always be paired with a thermostat to prevent overheating
- Ideal for: Nocturnal or burrowing species needing ground-level heat
Description: The ReptiTherm under tank heater sticks to the bottom exterior of a glass terrarium and warms the enclosure floor above it, mimicking the ground-level warmth many burrowing or ground-dwelling reptile species seek out in the wild, particularly at night when overhead heat lamps are typically off. It's sized in different wattages to match different tank footprints, and choosing the correctly sized heater for the actual tank dimensions matters both for effective heating and for avoiding excessive, unregulated heat buildup. Critically, any under-tank heater — this one included — should be run through a thermostat rather than plugged directly into an outlet, since unregulated heat pads have a well-documented history of causing tank overheating and even glass cracking or fire risk in reptile-keeping communities. It works well as a supplemental heat source alongside overhead basking lighting rather than as a sole heat source for species that also need a basking UVB spot. Some substrates trap heat more than others directly above the pad, so keepers should monitor floor temperature directly with a probe thermometer rather than estimating.
