Ambient/air temp HELP! PLEASE?

[Ash81]

Hi all.... After purchasing 3 seperate tanks/vivs with various different heat sources I'm still paranoid about temps! After visiting various reptile shops with good reputations, they are telling me just a heat mat is all they need?? I would love that if it's true? As it would make my life a lot easier! My hotspot temp 90f isn't a problem with the mat/stat. My air temps 1" from the floor read around 78f down to 75f now I've read this is not ok?? Surely all the snake keepers that purely use mats do not all have the pleasure of a heated snake room, so in the uk is everyone's air temps the same as mine? Do peoples snakes do well at this temp? Any experienced advise would be good? The reptile shops seem to say the ambient temp of my house whatever that is will be just fine as long as providing correct mat hot spot? I've spent hundreds of pound and I've only owned my snake 1mth, who by the way is very sweet, she is my first snake and she's fantastic this is why I want her to thrive not just survive! Please anybody had a bp for years ? How do you keep your temps/supply your heat ?
many thanks

[rlditmars]

75 to 78 ambient isn't bad and if that can be maintained year round (even in the Winter) it wouldn't be horrible. It is just a little low of optimal or a match for their natural habitat temps. If you are keeping you snakes in a seperate room, many people will get those oil space heaters and bump the room temp up closer to 80. You can put it on a thermostat and since you ambient is already in the mid 70's it wouldn't have to run to hard to make up the difference. Hope that helps.

[Ash81]

Hi.... Why is it then all the rep shops say a mat is fine? Surely people don't keep there homes at 80f? She is in my living room where that temp is pretty constant yes, at night the warm end 78f drops to 76f so at night it's 76 75 with heat mat on 24hr. If I put a heater near it the heat will just go around my living room as it's open plan. I really didn't want a heat bulb on 24/7 for various reasons but if I have to then that's that. I just wish this was made clear about the temps when being advised by 'experienced' keepers/shops.
thanks for the reply

[Rickys_Reptiles]

Does your tank have an open/screen top? If so, you can add a low wattage ceramic heat bulb to raise the ambient.

[PitOnTheProwl]

Most pet shops have no clue.
Your temps are close but I would try to get the ambient up a couple degrees.
BTW I am glad to see that you are using a thermostat to regulate your UTH but they dont do squat for ambient.

[Ash81]

Always use a stat yeah , I've got three, a dimmer and two mats plus a billion bulbs and ceramics three vivs lol.... I'm at a loss with it all now

[speedycat222]

How could one achieve this when using a PVC rack without needing to heat the whole room?

[CORBIN911]

If you have a PVC enclosure you would need a RHP (Radiant Heat Panel) on a Tstat, OR even putting a light fixture will bump temp up 3-4 degrees!

[PitOnTheProwl]

Pvc rack.......... Either raise the room temps or heat tape the cool side and run on t-stat at proper temp.