where should I place my acu-rite?

[mm91187]

Im back with another question, i tried to search but it was hard to understand. where should I place my acu-rite thermometer, the one from wal-mart with indoor/outdoor/humidty. I think some said to put the unit on the cold side, and run the wire probe under the substrate to the warm side of the tank. Should I put the unit on the cold side, against a wall (inside tank) or just lay it on the substrate? And should I put the probe on top of the substrate(right next to the hide box? inside the hidebox?). or have it stuck to the glass(under all the substrate, reptibark) right above the UTH? Here is a picture of the setup but I have changed it around a bit. the lamp is in the middle of the tank and so is the water bowl, and I have another hide box on the left side (cool side) of the tank.

[rabernet]

I have mine velcroed inside the tank, with the bottom of it nearly touching the substrate on the cool side. I run the probe outside the tank, and then back in. I have the probe lying on top of the substrate, inside the warm hide. You want to measure the temps where your snake will actually be lying.

[JLC]

I just prop mine up in the back corner of the cool side of the tank. I've heard of using sticky-backed velcro to attach them to the side of the tank as well. If I did that, (which I may if my soon-to-be bp is more active than my gopher) I would attach it to the back wall in that same corner so the bottom of the unit is still right at or just barely above the substrate.


The cord runs along the back wall under the substrate and the probe goes under the hide on the warm side. There are differing opinions as to whether the probe should rest on top of the substrate, or underneath it against the glass and the UTH.

[mm91187]

ooh alright ill try what you guys do, right now I have the probe laying on top of the substrate inside the hidebox and the temp was around 93F during the day but at night it drops down to about 89F so im trying to turn the dimmer up a tad to keep it around 92F

[JLC]

ooh alright ill try what you guys do, right now I have the probe laying on top of the substrate inside the hidebox and the temp was around 93F during the day but at night it drops down to about 89F so im trying to turn the dimmer up a tad to keep it around 92F

That's the drawback to using a dimmer instead of a thermostat. If you know the room temps don't fluctuate, then a dimmer can work ok....but if you get a sharp night drop, you're usually in bed rather than watching the thermometer to make adjustments.