So, how am I doing?

[ArvadaLanee]

So, I thought it would be a good idea to do heating by using 2 UTHs. Both are on a thermostat, of course. One at 80, and one at 90. Ambient temp stays around 78, at the top. (Kind of a high tank.) I am not using any type of light, or heat lamp. The tank does get natural light, but very indirect. So, my question is, of course, is this acceptable, or should I do it different? Would it be better to use a UTH on one side, and heat the other with a heat lamp? Am I depriving her of a basking area, or something? Am I doing alright? For humity, I keep clumps of moist reptile moss around. It's kind of humid here recently, so it hasn't taken much to keep humidity levels between 50 and 60%. It that enough? I'm sure you guys get these questions all the time, and get irritated, but there is just so much conflicting info out there, I feel compelled to double check. Btw, I also always provide a hide with some damp moss in case she needs it. Will they find and use this for shedding? She seems to be doing alright, but for some reason mostly hangs out on the cooler side. She has eaten twice now, with no issues. When I fed her tonight, she was really funny. I set her f/t mouse down beside her, and when I checked a few minutes later she looked like she was trying to kill it, and had it by the neck, coiled around it. I checked a few minutes later, and she looked almost like she was cuddling it, and was gently holding it by the back, all curled around it, but not consticting. A few minutes later, she was gently moving the head towards her mouth. A few minutes after that, it was gone. Lol
She seems a bit goofy to me. I kinda dig it.

[Jon14]

Well having 2 UTH heating an enclosure isn't the norm, but as long as you can maintain the ambient temp you should be ok. As far as ik snakes no not require direct light, so the indirect should be fine. No need for a basking area as they need belly heat. The humidity is fine, just bump it to 70% when in shed. I have no experience with the damp hide, but I would assume it could replace the need to bump up humidity during shed. As for her hanging around her cold side, she may just make brief trips to the hot side when you aren't looking, and it seems that many BP stay mostly on the cool side unless they just ate. Overall you seem to be doing good. Keep it up.

[Coluber42]

If it's keeping your temperatures where they need to be, that's what matters. But you might double check the ambient temperature at ground level, as well as the surface temperatures above your UTH's (with an infrared thermometer) just to make sure they're all where you think they are.
But basically, if you are providing the right temperatures and humidity, it doesn't matter how you get there.

[ArvadaLanee]

Well having 2 UTH heating an enclosure isn't the norm, but as long as you can maintain the ambient temp you should be ok. As far as ik snakes no not require direct light, so the indirect should be fine. No need for a basking area as they need belly heat. The humidity is fine, just bump it to 70% when in shed. I have no experience with the damp hide, but I would assume it could replace the need to bump up humidity during shed. As for her hanging around her cold side, she may just make brief trips to the hot side when you aren't looking, and it seems that many BP stay mostly on the cool side unless they just ate. Overall you seem to be doing good. Keep it up.

So what would be the norm then? If I only heat one side to 90, the other side will not stay near 80 without a heat source, so do most people use a heat lamp? Her enclosure is a 16 gallon, tall, and I have a 10 - 20 UTH on the 90 side, and a 5 - 10 on the 80 side, so it won't over heat the ambient temp. I have been thinking I want to move her to a regular 10 gallon, to make it easier, and because I don't have locks or clips for the glass top I am currently using. I thought it might be better in the long run. I don't exactly feel like I'm doing it wrong, but I wonder if I could be doing it better. Any thoughts on this? (Btw, I have heavy boxes, and books on top of the glass top, but still think perhaps moving her to a tank with locks or clips might be better?)

[Jon14]

Many will either use a RHP or CHE , and save the uth for the hotspot. BTW, in the future you should look into getting THG heat tape from Reptile Basics as it will be cheaper than buying the mats. I recently bought some and I love it (I assume my BP does too).

[chrid16371]

My ambient temps wouldn't stay around 80 so I was using a uth for both sides as well. There is nothing wrong with it as long as your temps are stable. I recently bought a rhp that is the whole length of my cage and I removed the cool uth. I set it so the rhp runs at 82. Most people don't heat with a uth on hot side with a rhp the length of cage but it was my best option bc of the cold winters and air conditioning in the summer. I actually like it better this way bc my ambient is good as well as my ground temp and using both hot side heat mat and rhp the heat mat doesn't have to be set as high to reach my 90 degree hot spot.

[stickyalvinroll]

You're doing alright. Not everything needs to be exact

[ArvadaLanee]

Thanks everyone. I had to look up what an RHP was. Lol. It seems like I'm not getting it wrong, though. Yay! I can't wait to hold her again. That's my favorite part.

[LittleTreeGuy]

I had my bp in a tub in a rack for a while this past winter. My house was cool... around 68F. I ended up doing exactly what you are doing... two strips of heat tape, one hot, one cool. It worked very well for me. As long as they're on a thermostat, you'll be fine. If it gets warm enough in your room, the tape won't be on, so you're good.