Final set-up questions...promise

[Crowfingers]

NOTE : I DO NOT yet have the snake, I am waiting until habitat is perfect. I am currently still in the experiment phase. Here is what I have. It's a 40 gal tank with locking screen top (I made a custom divider so I can adjust space based on the size / stress level of the snake), I have various regular heat bulbs (from 60 - 100 watt "moonlight" also depending on size that tank is adjusted to), 1 ceramic heat bulb, a small UGH with thermostat, cypress mulch, multiple digital thermometers (two that also measure humidity). I do not have hides in the tank yet, since I don't know how big the snake will be (but I have several sizes laying around the house that would work), water bowls, fake plants, and branches to climb on.

1. I have a zoo med repti-therm under the tank heater AND a repti-temp 500 R thermostat to plug it into.
The questions: A.) Do I have to use foil tape to attach the thermostat between the glass and the pad, then use foil tape to hold the pad on, or is the adhesive backing from the pad itself enough to hold both?
B.) The thermostat probe is under the tank, so if the thermometer probe is in the tank, should it be directly on the glass under the substrate, or on the surface of the substrate?

2. I have 1 Ceramic Heat Emitter 'bulb' in a porcelain socket lamp.
The question: It is a 100 watt bulb, but depending on ambient temp in the room, is sometimes keeping the tank too warm, so is it safe to use with a dimmer switch?

3. I now realize that tanks can be hard to keep humidity up in, so if I start having a hard time with humidity, can I add a third hide (on the warm side) that always have moist sphagnum moss in it as an option for the snake - or will this cause health problems? My ambient humidity in the summer is between 55% and 68%, but I'm not sure about the winter when the heat is on...

*If I had known before purchasing the tank that most people don't recommend them, I would have saved up for one of the PVC types, but what's done is done, and I'm going to deal with it for now and work with what I have. In a year or so when I have all the habitat upkeep down to a science and the $$$, I probably will upgrade to an animal plastics type*

Sorry about the long text wall...

[enweezy]

I'm only gonna touch on the questions i feel i can answer correctly so sorry about not answering them all

2. I also have a CHE and i have mine hooked up to a thermostat. For my set up, i use a 150watt CHE as the sole heat source for a 55gal aquarium. Balls don't need belly heat, however its usually more efficient since heat rises. With a 100watt CHE and a heat pad, you are going to have to control the lamp in some form. Whether its with a dimmer or thermost stat is up to you. Dimmers are cheaper but are flawed in that it can't account for changes in outside temperature. I prefer thermostats.
Something you should do to your cage is go to the dollar store and by some black foam poster board. Its about 1cm thick and really helps retain some heat. It also closes off 3 sides of the cage which looks better and reduces stress for the snake!. I use black ducktape or electrical tap and just tape it on the outside. Absolutely DO NOT put any tape on the inside of the enclosure

3. Humidity is a big problem for glass tanks. Honestly, you should ditch the screen top. The reason is they allow a lot of airflow. More airflow= less humidity, so limiting airflow will preserve some humidity.
On my set up I have 2 custom cut panels made of some type of plastic.... cant remember what but anything like plexiglass should work.. This allows you to customize the amount of airflow you want on your cage. It will also retain much more heat.

Glass tanks aren't so bad if you have a little ingenuity (and when you get them for free ). My ball has been happy for over a year now

[Crowfingers]

I'm only gonna touch on the questions i feel i can answer correctly so sorry about not answering them all

2. I also have a CHE and i have mine hooked up to a thermostat. For my set up, i use a 150watt CHE as the sole heat source for a 55gal aquarium. Balls don't need belly heat, however its usually more efficient since heat rises. With a 100watt CHE and a heat pad, you are going to have to control the lamp in some form. Whether its with a dimmer or thermost stat is up to you. Dimmers are cheaper but are flawed in that it can't account for changes in outside temperature. I prefer thermostats.
Something you should do to your cage is go to the dollar store and by some black foam poster board. Its about 1cm thick and really helps retain some heat. It also closes off 3 sides of the cage which looks better and reduces stress for the snake!. I use black ducktape or electrical tap and just tape it on the outside. Absolutely DO NOT put any tape on the inside of the enclosure

3. Humidity is a big problem for glass tanks. Honestly, you should ditch the screen top. The reason is they allow a lot of airflow. More airflow= less humidity, so limiting airflow will preserve some humidity.
On my set up I have 2 custom cut panels made of some type of plastic.... cant remember what but anything like plexiglass should work.. This allows you to customize the amount of airflow you want on your cage. It will also retain much more heat.

Glass tanks aren't so bad if you have a little ingenuity (and when you get them for free ). My ball has been happy for over a year now

Thanks for replying so fast. I have already covered the tank in black foam board - I forgot to mention it above. I will have to get some plexi-glass cut for the top of the tank, maybe add hinges and a sliding panel that can expose more or less small vent holes...I'll look into making a new top, I've just been using stiff cardboard wrapped in foil. . .

So, about the CHE on thermostat: if I just use that and not the heat pad, where would I place the thermostat probe to regulate the ceramic heater? And is the CHE centered on the lid, or placed at one of the ends?

[frostysBP]

I would use foil tape on the heat pad that way if you every need to remove it it will be much easier. The thermometer prob should be under the substrate....I would just use a lamp dimmer for the che.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[Crowfingers]

I would use foil tape on the heat pad that way if you every need to remove it it will be much easier. The thermometer prob should be under the substrate....I would just use a lamp dimmer for the che.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

This may seem like a no-brainer and I'm not trying to be dense, but when you say that you use the tape so that the pad can be removed easier, does this mean that you don't remove the adhesive protective backing? Wouldn't that melt?

[Cassiopeia]

I'm addressing question 3

I use a sterilite tub rather than a tank and have no problems with humidity. However, this does not mean you can't use the tank you have. Some people say cover half of the screen top however with high humidity and less ventilation this is an equation for mold (visible and not) so I don't recommend this. Some tips I do have for keeping humidity up are

1.) Large Water Dish. Placing the water dish in a warm (but not hot) area of the enclosure can help even further. Having a water dish big enough for your snake to soak in also helps during shedding.

2.) Regular Misting. Spray the cage once or twice a day with room temperature water and the molecules will evaporate and increase humidity.

3. Proper Substrate. Cypress Mulch is a great substrate for holding humidity so you're already set with that.

Also for my snake, my main source of heat is my ZooMed UTH. I have it hooked up to a thermostat and haven't had any problems in keeping temp up I recommend not using the bulbs if you can avoid it as they tend to suck heat out from the tank.

Also keeping sphagnum moss in the tank will not harm your snake or cause health issues! Many people make moist/humid hides with it. You can also rewet it and reuse it as long as it is clean!

[Crowfingers]

I'm addressing question 3

I use a sterilite tub rather than a tank and have no problems with humidity. However, this does not mean you can't use the tank you have. Some people say cover half of the screen top however with high humidity and less ventilation this is an equation for mold (visible and not) so I don't recommend this. Some tips I do have for keeping humidity up are

1.) Large Water Dish. Placing the water dish in a warm (but not hot) area of the enclosure can help even further. Having a water dish big enough for your snake to soak in also helps during shedding.

2.) Regular Misting. Spray the cage once or twice a day with room temperature water and the molecules will evaporate and increase humidity.

3. Proper Substrate. Cypress Mulch is a great substrate for holding humidity so you're already set with that.

Also for my snake, my main source of heat is my ZooMed UTH. I have it hooked up to a thermostat and haven't had any problems in keeping temp up I recommend not using the bulbs if you can avoid it as they tend to suck heat out from the tank.

Also keeping sphagnum moss in the tank will not harm your snake or cause health issues! Many people make moist/humid hides with it. You can also rewet it and reuse it as long as it is clean!

Thanks so much! I have both the UTH and CHE and have been trying various combinations and temp settings on the thermostat. I'm home most of the day so regular misting won't be a problem if needed. I was just concerned that leaving a moist hide option could cause scale rot or respiratory infection, so I'm glad that this won't be a problem. Luckily I can fit 2 dry and 1 moist in the tank.
This winter is supposed to be colder than average, and my house is not exactly draft-proof, so if needed for extra heat, can you use both a heat pad (one 1 thermostat) and the CHE or a bulb on another Thermostat? And if so, where would I put the thermostat probe for the light / CHE? On a normal winter (days over 20 F) the house is around 66-68 with the heat going, but if we get really cold windy days, I know our heat won't keep up and the rooms will drop to 64ish. The tank is in the warmest room in the apartment.