A few temp questions

[sarbear]

Hi I just got a infrared temp gun and added a UTH on the cool side of my bp's tank and I can't seem to get the temps right. I was using dial thermometers but I bought digital ones and placed them close to the bottom of the tank. I was using a 50 WATT red lamp for the warm side in addition to the UTH on that side but I've turned it off since adding the 2nd UTH. The ambient temps have been too cool, I think, 78-80 on the warm side but the cool side was 74 when I woke up this morning. How can I raise the ambient temp? Or do I need to at night? During the day the AC will kick on in my house but the room temp will still raise to at least 76 so the tank will be warmer I assume.

Also, this morning the temp under the cool hide is 90 and under the warm side it's 98, measuring with my temp gun. During the night I woke several times to check the temps and the warm side was 90 or so under the hide and the cool side under the hide was 80-84. The substrate outside of the hides are lower, so do I go by the temp under the hide only? I have the UTH on a dimmer, on low. The warm side UTH was just plugged into the wall. I plugged the warm side UTH into the dimmer but I'm worried about how to keep my ambient temps up now.

It's a glass tank with aspen bedding. I've never seen him burrow. I can post pictures in a bit if that will help answer any questions. I have to take my son to school first.

Thank you for any help.

[BPelizabeth]

hmmm.....I don't use dimmers due to the fact that you are always checking to make sure it is ok. I would suggest getting thermostats....I know reptile basics has some reliable ones that are fairly inexpensive. Also when you are using your temp gun...make sure you are taking the temp on the substrate as doing it right on the glass will give you wrong readings. It sounds like you are having a lot of fluctuation. To keep up your ambient temps you could foil off the top screen part of the tank. Also make sure it is not near a window or a air conditioning/heating vent. We keep our house at 78 during the winter and the summer due to our animals. Try to shoot for 78-82 cool side and 90-92 warm side. Sorry I don't have more info for you.

[sarbear]

Thanks. Yeah, the temp gun readings are on the top of the substrate. We have our AC set to 78 so it won't kick on until then, I meant that room temp will be 76 at the lowest during the day/morning. I do have a towel on part of the lid, foil will work better?

I think the fluctuation was mainly because I had just set up the UTH and it takes several hours, according to the instructions, to get to the right temperature.

[Danounet]

You wont get accurate readings as long and you are using a dimmer and your A/C temps move around.

Get a Ranco or Johnson which are on/off type and cost around $60.

If you can afford it, A herpstat by spyderrobotics would be great for you, but those are around $100.

[BPelizabeth]

Go ahead and use both...foil and the towel. That should assist in keeping up the humidity as usually that is a challange in a tank.

As Danny stated...those are all great thermostats....I personally use the herpstat...but as stated...they are a little more pricey.

[sarbear]

Thanks for your replies. I'll look into getting a herpstat.

I'm still wondering if the ambient temps at night are ok and if I use the temp gun just under the hides. Does the temp of the substrate outside the hides matter? Was that 78-82 cool side and 90-92 warm side the ambient temp or the substrate temp?

Also I'm not sure what you meant, Danounet, by my AC temps moving around. Our thermostat for our house is set to 78 so it only comes on until then. At night the temp cools off in our house but not because my AC is moving around, just because nights are cooler.

Thanks you guys for your help, I really appreciate it.

[BPelizabeth]

that is the temps on the substrate...shoot for an ambient of around 78-80 if you are able. I know that some ppl use a space heater in the room when it cools off. ?? they scare me a little but just keep an eye and make sure there is nothing around.

[sarbear]

Ok thanks so much A space heater isn't an option, the snake is in my son's room and he's 6, but like I said, it doesn't fluctuate much in that room really. I think it's just because I had just added the second UTH and turned off the lamp.

And I'm only concerned with the substrate temp under the hides correct? Does it matter that the substrate outside the hides is lower on both ends?

[BPelizabeth]

as long as it is not jumping up high....they will go to the warm spot and the cool spot. But you worry when overall it is too cold or too warm.