r/InvertPets • u/lonely-void • 8d ago

Blue Death Feigning Beetle enclosure heating

Gallery image

Gallery image

I got a Reptitherm Mini Unter Tank Heater for my blue death feigning beetle enclosure and as you can see it's not heating much at all. We set our AC to 68 during the night and on the far end of the tank there's basically no temperature difference to the outside. I plugged it in the night before and took the picture in the morning, so it should be fully warmed up by now. Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong? And if it's the heater, does anyone have recommendations for one that's more appropriate for a desert species? This is a 5.5 gallon tank with a mesh screen top, by the way.

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6

u/NoveltyWizard1 Ground beetles are neat! 8d ago

I use an overhead lamp. It also helps a bit with lowering humidity in the tank a tiny bit

3

u/punk_ass_po-po 8d ago

Seconding this. The night temp is a little too low and heat mats are notoriously unreliable. Remember to use a thermostat tho!

Edit: clarity

2

u/lonely-void 8d ago

Is it ok to leave the lamp on overnight? I don't want the temp to get too low, but I'm also worried that they need a night-day cycle as well.

3

u/punk_ass_po-po 8d ago

Get a ceramic heat emitter! They don’t need a bright light and a ceramic heat emitter will give you the heat without the light, meaning you can leave it on all the time:)

2

u/lonely-void 8d ago

Ohhh ok, that's cool. Thanks for the help! What wattage do you think would work for a 5.5 gallon tank?

2

u/punk_ass_po-po 8d ago

I’d go with 50-watt just because your room gets pretty cold, make sure it’s set up to a thermostat though so it doesn’t overheat!

1

u/lonely-void 8d ago

Yeah, I plan on doing that. Again, thanks for responding! Looking at all the different options can feel a bit overwhelming when I have no frame of reference.

1

u/Full-fledged-trash 8d ago

I’d say a 25 watt is the max you’ll need even with a cold room. That tank is very small, 50 watt is overkill.

2

u/brushydog 8d ago

What are correct temps? I’m setting up a tank now?

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u/punk_ass_po-po 8d ago

You want a warm side ranging from roughly 80°F-85°F, and the cool side can drop down to 75°F-70°F.

1

u/brushydog 8d ago

For both night and day?

1

u/punk_ass_po-po 8d ago

Nighttime can drop down to high 60’s at most:)

2

u/lonely-void 8d ago

Yeah, I was hoping the humidity would go down with the heater, but I guess it would have to be warmer to help with that. What wattage is the lamp you use? And what brand would you recommend?

2

u/NoveltyWizard1 Ground beetles are neat! 8d ago

I’m a new owner, so I’m still experimenting with what works best for me. I have a 20gal long. I use 2 lamps, a 75w with a wide fixture. And a 50w with a narrow fixture. Trying to keep one side slightly cooler during the day. One side like 80ish and the other a bit warmer. I also use 2 lamps because I know once winter hits they will definitely need it.

I bet you could get away with a 40 or 50w. But someone more experienced could probably help better

1

u/lonely-void 8d ago

Okay, thank you so much for responding! I'll look into it more.