• Posted 12/19/2024.
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    I am still waiting on my developer to finish up on the Classifieds Control Panel so I can use it to encourage members into becoming paying members. Google Adsense has become a real burden on the viewing of this site, but honestly it is the ONLY source of income now that keeps it afloat. I tried offering disabling the ads being viewed by paying members, but apparently that is not enough incentive. Quite frankly, Google Adsense has dropped down to where it barely brings in enough daily to match even a single paid member per day. But it still gets the bills paid. But at what cost?

    So even without the classifieds control panel being complete, I believe I am going to have to disable those Google ads completely and likely disable some options here that have been free since going to the new platform. Like classified ad bumping, member name changes, and anything else I can use to encourage this site to be supported by the members instead of the Google Adsense ads.

    But there is risk involved. I will not pay out of pocket for very long during this last ditch experimental effort. If I find that the membership does not want to support this site with memberships, then I cannot support your being able to post your classified ads here for free. No, I am not intending to start charging for your posting ads here. I will just shut the site down and that will be it. I will be done with FaunaClassifieds. I certainly don't need this, and can live the rest of my life just fine without it. If I see that no one else really wants it to survive neither, then so be it. It goes away and you all can just go elsewhere to advertise your animals and merchandise.

    Not sure when this will take place, and I don't intend to give any further warning concerning the disabling of the Google Adsense. Just as there probably won't be any warning if I decide to close down this site. You will just come here and there will be some sort of message that the site is gone, and you have a nice day.

    I have been trying to make a go of this site for a very long time. And quite frankly, I am just tired of trying. I had hoped that enough people would be willing to help me help you all have a free outlet to offer your stuff for sale. But every year I see less and less people coming to this site, much less supporting it financially. That is fine. I tried. I retired the SerpenCo business about 14 years ago, so retiring out of this business completely is not that big if a step for me, nor will it be especially painful to do. When I was in Thailand, I did not check in here for three weeks. I didn't miss it even a little bit. So if you all want it to remain, it will be in your hands. I really don't care either way.

    =====================
    Some people have indicated that finding the method to contribute is rather difficult. And I have to admit, that it is not all that obvious. So to help, here is a thread to help as a quide. How to become a contributing member of FaunaClassifieds.

    And for the record, I will be shutting down the Google Adsense ads on January 1, 2025.
  • Responding to email notices you receive.
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    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

Undertank heat

BluGnat

BluGnat

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What's the best, most economical undertank heat supply for Leos? I was looking at the Flexwatt, but that looks cost prohibitive because of the necessity of the thermostat. I only have 4 cages right now, and don't anticipate more than a couple more. Would the Zoomed UTH type things for $20 a pop be my best bet?

Thanks in advance for any advice/links/etc.
 
What type of cages do you have? You don't need a thermostat with Flexwatt. In fact, I've never used a thermostat with mine, just a dimmer switch, which cost about $10 from home depot. You can either use the plug in type that people use with lamps, or the hardwired type you'd put in your wall. You'll need either a dimmer or thermostat for each of your tanks if you go with a reptile undertank heater as well.

Another option is human heating pads, at $10-15 a piece. Most of them come with a three position switch to control heat output. I've used these in the past for up to two years at a time with no problems. Just check them every few months to make sure they're not discoloring the plastic. If they do, just ditch that one and get a new one. However, I've never had a problem with one.

Whatever you use, if you've got glass tanks, make sure the heat can escape from underneath by raising it a bit off the table or whatever they're sitting on. If not, the heat will build up in the space underneath the tank and possibly crack your glass.

Good luck.
 
Ooh, VERY helpful, thank you so much. I've got glass 20L aquariums. I've got the ZooMed undertank heater on one of them, and I've never used a thermostat/dimmer - I just have the bedding (ground walnut shells - ESU Lizard Litter) deep enough that it's not too hot - but my husband is changing everything over tonight to carpet, so I'm guessing that's going to be a factor for the cage with the UTH.

I'm adding Home Depot to my list of places to go today...thanks!
 
er sorry for interupting this but any way so the dimmer you just put the plug in and then put a plug from the dimmer in the outlet?
 
There are two kinds. The one I use in my racks, seen here is actually wired with the heat tape and a cord with a plug on it. This would be how many people use flexwatt heat tape. These are rated to 600 watts.

The other kind you'd use with a lamp, seen here. These are rated to 300 watts, but flexwatt is pretty low wattage, so you probably won't need anything more. I use one of these on a zoo med heater w/my viper gecko. You'll just plug the heater into the end of this plug and this plug into a wall.
 
I just switched to flex watt because it was cheaper per cage than human heating pads but I have 24 set ups now.

When I only had a few I used the human heating pads, put them on medium and used a dimmer to set the proper heat amount.

But if you look at 11" x 12" of heat tape at less than $4, the connections of $2.50 and my cords were $1, thats labout $7.50 per cage plus a dimmer switch of maybe $2, but I do use a thermostat.

Then the human heating pad at $10-$15 for 12X18 or so plus a dimmer to control heat output you are really cheaper off with the heat tape.
 
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