New cage question heating and temps...

[wrobert]

I'm putting together a new cage for my BP (PVC with sliding glass front) and I have some questions on heating and temps. I've installed my Herpstat probe between the Ultratherm and outside cage bottom with the Herpstat set at 91 and its holding it steady. Inside I have about a 1/2 inch of bark and coconut. I have a temporary probe resting directly on the bottom and it reads 84; when I use IR gun on the top of the substrate it reads in the mid/upper 70's. I'm going to be putting in another heat source to raise the overall inside temp. The humidity is currently around 80 (I assume the high humidity is contributing to some cooling of the substrate?). I'm planning on a radiant panel inside for ambient heat. My questions are: Does everything sound ok so far? I believe there to be some heat loss thru the bottom between the Ultratherm and bottom; what would the normal increase of the heat be to get 90 inside on the bottom (is +6 degrees alot)? I wasn't planning on any fixtures and there are no holes in the top of the cage other than a long narrow one with a screen if I wanted a fluorescence light bar; is the radiant panel a good way to go, would another Ultratherm also work? And the last one; could I use silicone to adhere (embed) a temp probe and it's cable to the inside bottom, to monitor the actual temp of the hot side where my BP would be, keeping him from moving the probe?

I hope this hasn't been too long. Thanks for any help......

[Sauzo]

Sounds good as long as you get the RHP to heat the ambient air as UTHs don't do that. I personally don't use UTH in my HDPE cage, I just use a RHP. Even in my 2 glass tanks I just use a CHE set up on a Herpstat and it works fine. I would guess you would probably need to set the T-stat to something around 110F or so to heat enough through the PVC but also you are using 1/2" of substrate which I believe is a bit thick. You want something like 1/4" so the heat can actually get through. That is why I don't use UTH as I usually run about 1-2" of aspen as my BP likes to dig in it and make little tunnels to her hides. A RHP is a great way to go, one of the best imo. They last forever, wont burn your snake, and heat the ambient which is the most important heat for a snake. I personally wouldn't stick a temp probe into substrate or even on the floor since if the snake pisses on it or spills its water dish on it, your T-stat will kick in and think the cage is cool and heat it up. Plus all that water can also destroy the probe. I guess for a BP it isn't too bad but for my BCI, if she pisses on it, it would be destroyed since she pisses a tsunami. The only way really to monitor the bottom in like you did, probe between the UTH and the bottom of the cage and then just temp gun the inside and raise the T-stat until you get the temp you want inside.

[wrobert]

Correction… the cage is ABS not PVC


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