Temp Variations

[Spaniard]

So I wake up this morning and check my temps like I usually do. I keep my 2 vivs on a metal rack, with adjustable shelves. My top viv was fine 94 on the warm. But my bottom tank was at 86 on the warm. Now I'm thinking its getting colder in NY and that was the cause for the drop, but the temps were fine at night when I went to bed. Anyone have this happen to them and know how to remedy it? I turned up the thermostat and the temps started to climb so my UTH is working. My UTH is smaller on my bottom tank than on the top tank, could this be the problem? It doesn't make sense to me because if the overall room temp dropped shouldn't my top tank also have had a drop in temp? And I know tubs would fix this problem but I usually don't have problems maintaining steady temps in them and I need a couple of months before I buy my rack, so any suggestions besides get a tub would help.

Thanks for the Help

[muddoc]

Witouht being there to troubleshoot, my first suggestion to alleviate your problem would be to get a larger piece of heat tape for the bottom enclosure. Which piece of heat tape, top or bottom, does your temp probe monitor temps on? If your temp probe is regulating temps on the large piece of tape, it is possible that the tape is getting warmer faste than the smaller piece, and the smaller piece is staying cooler, thus keeping the enclosure cooler. Try putting the same size heat tape on both enclosures.

[Freakie_frog]

Just a guess its getting colder and heat rises. What do you have for flooring. The bottom rack could be getting cooler cause all the heat in the room is going higher. Just a though, try a little space heater in the room at night to keep the air temp in the room up.

[Spaniard]

Well both tanks have their own thermostat, its one of those Zoo Med dimmers, not the greatest but once I get the temps right they do the job fine. I'm usually home anyways and always glancing at the temps (OCD with the snakes) I'm in the basement, which is carpeted, I think the heat rising theory might be right on. Is there something I can do to the bottom of the viv to act maybe as some insulation against the cooler room temps, maybe if i lay the tank on a towel or something like that?

[muddoc]

I believe that if the heat rising is the issue, then the towel will probably not do the trick. That theory is based on the fact that the air in the room from top to bottom is warmer to cooler. The towel will insulate the bottom of the bottom enclosure, but the ambient air around the enclosure will still be cool. If that is the case, I am still sticking with my original thought that you need a larger heating surface on the bottom enclosure. This all assumes that your bottom heat tape is actually working properly.

[Freakie_frog]

if you have the room in between the rack and the tank. They make this stuff I think its call thermo-sheild. It looks like foil covered bubble rap. You could try that, or take the cheap way out stuff blankets around it. Not under or on top but three sides should do it.

And I agree with Tim, you have got to get the air temp around it up. Get you a little space heater and set a couple of feet away set it on a lower setting and see what it does to your temp. if it needs to go up then up it if it get to hot then lower it. The blankets and thermo sheild will help with heat loss once the air temp is up.

I wouln't incress the size of heat tape cause it would require the tape getting hotter granted for a shorter period but still. if you have it hooked to a thermostat then it going to try and get the temp where it should be and if that means getting the heat tape really hot then thats what it does. And then you have go a burned snake.

[Spaniard]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, I'll try them out and see how it goes. Back to work before I get nabbed on the net. Lata