Hides in racks, temperature difference?

[hungba]

Hi, I am new here, nice to meet everyone.

I had kept snakes just as pets until now, had a small collection that I kept in individual tubs with separate heating. Now that I am planning to breed and my collection is growing, I want to switch to a rack system.

I know that most don't put hides in the tubs in racks, because it is dark enough to serve as a hide itself. The thing is, I find that certain snakes will only feed regularly if they are given a hide. Others can just live in the tub and be fine. However, I don't know how I can use a thermostat to control the temperature if I were to put hides in a few of the tubs but not others, as I am sure that the hide would trap air more in that area. However, I saw some videos of some breeders who just put hides in one or two of the tubs, on the same rack, controlled by the same thermostat, and the other tubs have no hides and it was fine.

How can I have a rack with some tubs with hides while others do not? With the same heating element on each level and the same thermostat?

[Kaorte]

The hides do not affect the temperature at all.

[hungba]

Alright, so I guess I can just put them in. How come those guys are putting their thermometer probes inside the "hot side" hides instead of anywhere in the hot area then?

[Steve-J]

When setting up my newest rack I ran tests for temps and RH for a week. Air temp inside the hide was 84-85 while the overall air (ambient) temp was 80-81. As far as the surface temp there was no difference in or out of the hide. So I'd say yes it's a little warmer inside but I don't think it is anything to worry about.

PS Welcome to BP.net!!!

[hungba]

So in other words if I place the probe of the thermometer OUTSIDE the hide on the surface of the newspaper, that as long as the temperature there is the same as the other thanks, I can run that on the same thermostat as the other tanks WITHOUT hides?

And I am doing an experiment as I type this. I put the probe INSIDE the hide on the newspaper surface and the reading of the thermometer came out at 89.6F and then I took the hide out and waited 20 mins and now the temp reading is 84F!?

[Kaorte]

Put the probe at the hottest place your snake can get. Anywhere under the substrate on the heat source will do.

[kitedemon]

The hides absolutely change the temps and humidity. They hold some heat in unless they are mesh or something that has no insulate value the hides I use are quite heavy and thick and have 4-8ºF (depending on which of the 18 hides I own I check) difference in side to outside on the hot side and 1-2º cool side (not directly over a heat source) Both warm and cool are at least 5% higher humidity. Even newspaper hold some heat check on top and then under it.

I always check temps where the snake is, I place probes on the substrate under the hides (both) and have a hygrometer and thermometer near the middle height between hot and cool ends to check ambient air temps and humidity.

[hungba]

Ok So now seeing that it DOES affect the temps, how do you run a rack where only some tubs have hides and others don't, all on one thermostat?

[kitedemon]

The whole rack temp issue is something of a balance anyway the top and bottom are rarely the same. I use a few hides in my rack in my case with no hides the hot spots run from 89 on the bottom and 91 on the top. I usually only have hides on the cool end and not the hot end. Most racks are in regulated rooms so the cool end temps do not change as much.