I've been keeping reptiles for nearly 20 years and have used a variety of different products, including various brands & sizes of undertank heat pads. In my opinion, the heat pads made by Zoo Med are some of the best (I only say this because there are a few other brands I have not tried personally). In the very least, they blow the ones made by Exo-Terra out of the water.
Before I go on, I want to emphasize that if you use these heat pads on the bottom of any caging, you MUST raise the bottom level of the enclosure to prevent it from pinching the cord of the pad. Most heat pads in general come with little rubber "lifters" to do this for glass tanks, and the instructions also go over this. If you do not follow this step, the pinching WILL cause the heat pad to malfunction, either getting too hot or not at all. In addition to the pinching, excess heat will build up underneath the enclosure, causing the heated area to get dangerously hot as well. And obviously, use a thermostat or rheostat.
I have never had an issue with one of these heat pads not getting hot enough or too hot when using them on a glass tank, and have yet to use a Rheostat with on a glass tank [I wager its because I always lift up the caging to prevent the pinching & overheating issue mentioned in the previous paragraph].
One thing I like about these heat pads is that they are relatively easy to remove and re-position, even on another enclosure if need be. I know the manufacturer advises against this, but if you peel it off slow and carefully, there shouldn't be an issue (especially if you are using correctly in the first place* see second paragraph). I have used the same heat pads for years on multiple enclosures as needed, of course, using a rheostat.
Also, the manufacturer recommends only using these pads on glass tanks. However, I have pushed the envelope and used them on plastic tubs and other non-glass caging. I have never had any major warping or overheating because I use a rheostat. I'm not suggesting anyone attempt this; I'm only saying I have good success using these pads on non-glass caging using the ZooMed rheostat.
I genuinely feel that if one follows the directions well, especially regarding raising the bottom of the enclosure and using a thermostat of some kind (both of which the instructions advise), they will not have issues with this product.
Recap...if you just let the bottom of the cage rest on & pinch the cord of the heat pad, you WILL have problems. If you try using this heat pad to heat an aquatic tank filled with water, you WILL have problems. If you choose not to use a thermostat, definitely check the basking area routinely with a thermometer to make sure the heat pad is staying at the optimal temperature.
Another thing is that for most caging, it is recommended that the heat pad should only occupy 25-30% of the bottom surface area of the enclosure. Remember to use this advice when choosing the right size for your reptile and caging. And if the heat pad is the right size for your cage, but your reptile is too large to warm itself on it, then its time to upgrade the caging!
We've had hermit crabs for years now this year with the cost of heating fuel, I wanted to keep the temps down in the house I can put an extra sweater on the kids but what about Hermie I and II? I bought this little item slapped it on the side of their tank (outside) put their water bowl on the inside close to the heat and whalla perfect warm humid environment. Even though the house is usually below 70 Hermie I and II will come out and play they did move their hermie huts to be a bit closer to the heat source but not directly next to it. I haven't even noticed my electric bill going up at all but my gas bill (heat) has certainly gone down and thats a good thing !
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I use it on my 20 month old corn snake's "bedroom". (I hate the word "cage" so I call it her bedroom, it's really a 20 gallon fishtank.) It's just the right heat, anything bigger would get too hot for a corn even in a 55 gallon tank. Anything much stronger could cause burns. When she moves to the 55 gallon "bedroom", I'm going to use two of these next together so that she gets the same temperature she's used to and won't run the risk of burns. I've never had any problems with her getting a respiratory infection (yes snakes get colds too, they're also more prone to them when they're too chilly) and I think that this product is partially responsible for her good health.
Just a side note--when it gets really cold in the winter, I will actually move her so that she's on the heat pad right before I go to bed. It's kinda like tucking a child in for the night. It's easier for a warm reptile to move to the cool spot than for a chilly reptile to move to the warm spot.
Another side note--you need to put it at one end of the tank. Reptiles need a warm side and a cool side, that's most often reffered to as a temperature gradient. IMPORTANT: it goes on the OUTSIDE of the tank. I've heard of people putting it inside the tank and having their "scaly babies" get burns. Also, DON'T put the water dish over the heat pad, put it on the cold side, if it sloshes the heat pad will be ruined. By ruined, I mean it overheats and burns the reptile.
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I bought this for keeping my hedgehog warm at night, since my house stays around 65F. Item work well for the size of it, I mean it does say "small" in the description, so you cant expect it to heat the entire tank. I have it plugged up to a temp regulation plug, set for 72F. I soon as I installed it on the bottom of the tank, my hedgehog nudged his house directly over it. Worked out exactly like I hoped it would!
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This heater adequately heats a 20L for our two sliders, but meets only the bare minimum. We will be looking for an alternate heater for this winter.
One thing about this product is when they say small, they really mean small. I was surprised by the size of the product when it first arrived since it looked like it could barely heat a 10 gallon let alone a 20+ gallon tank. However, since we only fill our tank halfway, that could explain how it was just enough. Keep in mind though that this heater does not have a set temperature so it will continue heating until it is unplugged so you do not want to up size and risk overheating. Which is another reason we will be looking for an alternate. If they added temperature control, it would have been perfect.
The heater is great for the short term. It is still working though we've moved twice and it's gotten banged around quite a bit.
The fact that it goes under the tank is nice since it saves space from our already crowded tank with basking ramps and the water filter. It does not harm the surface we put it on.
Lastly, the heater has an adhesive top that sticks to the tank so you cannot remove it easily. Once removed, I don't think it could be reused as well. It is also thin enough that it doesn't put our tank at an angle which is nice.
Overall, this product was just okay. I do recommend this if you are on a low budget and want a decent heating unit. Something decent is still better than nothing.
UPDATE***9/25/2011
I just bought the medium sized heater for the tank and threw away the small sized ones. Now their habitat's like a spa. I hardly see them bask for extended periods of time any longer. What a worthwhile investment! I'm ecstatic it saves so much room inside of the tank and transfers heat more efficiently than the in-tank heaters. Again, as I mentioned above, please be careful as these do not have temperature control. I carefully monitored my tank temperature for 2 days until I was sure it was safe to keep permanently on.
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These lights work well in a small water feature, but could certainly benefit from longer cords between lamps. They sometimes stay on during cloudy days. Photo cell to control on-after-dark feature is located on the bottom of the transformer which puts it in the shade.
