2 tanks.... Same set-up ..why am i getting different temps...Herpstat 4 help!

Good morning all!!

So my I got my 2 v221 tanks on Wed. My thermostat (Herpstat 4) arrived on Friday.

i have both tanks set-up with the Heat panels mounted in the same location (upper right corner of tank).

The tanks are stacked on top of one another and I put the probes directly under the heat panel above the substrate.

I have the thermostat set to 90° proportional...

The tank on top is reading perfectly at 90° while the tank on the bottom is having a hard time getting to 90° ..... The heat panel has been working at a hundred percent for a few days now and I can't get the temperature any higher than 87 on the bottom tank.

Anybody have any suggestions or thoughts as to why this is happening?

Unless the tanks are as insulated as a cooler, then the top tank is probably getting radient heat from the bottom tank. Try bumping the bottom tank up to 93 and see what happens. You may even be able to lower the top tank value on the Herpstat and still maintain proper temps. As long as your thermometer is showing the tank to be at the temp you want it to hold then that is what matters.

What size are the enclosures, and what wattage are the RHP's? The RHP's may not be powerful enough.

My first comment is the probe placement. They must not be able to move and the snake should not be able to get in between the probe and the heat source.


I am also looking for some clarification, one probe is not reading 90º and is not shutting down at all? The other is reading 90º and is shutting down correctly? Are the temp reading coming from the herpstat or other thermometers? Most digital thermometers have an error range the vast majority are 2ºF from correct some (very popular ones) are specd at 4ºF from correct. If you are using a digital thermometer to read the temps it is likely they are not going to read the same. I would suggest using the same one and see what they come up with. Or use one of the empty probes of the herpstat to check the temp.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TheWinWizard

What size are the enclosures, and what wattage are the RHP's? The RHP's may not be powerful enough.

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The Vision V221's are 28w x 24d x 12h .... the RHP's are 28 watts each.... what doesn't make sense is that the top tank is holding the temperature fine.

Its the bottom tank is the one that is not getting up past 85-86 degrees.

I unstacked them a few minutes ago to see if one had an effect on the other.

Appreciate the input

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kitedemon

My first comment is the probe placement. They must not be able to move and the snake should not be able to get in between the probe and the heat source.


I am also looking for some clarification, one probe is not reading 90º and is not shutting down at all? The other is reading 90º and is shutting down correctly? Are the temp reading coming from the herpstat or other thermometers? Most digital thermometers have an error range the vast majority are 2ºF from correct some (very popular ones) are specd at 4ºF from correct. If you are using a digital thermometer to read the temps it is likely they are not going to read the same. I would suggest using the same one and see what they come up with. Or use one of the empty probes of the herpstat to check the temp.

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Correct....one probe is not reading 90 degrees and is not shutting down at all.....the top tank is reading 90 and shutting down properly! Both temps coming from Herpstat 4 probes... so should be consistent.

LD

move the probes closer and see if the temp stabilizes.

what you are experiencing is contact heat loss. I have RHP in all my cages and am very familiar with your problem. the bottom cage is losing heat thru the top of the cage into the bottom of the upper cage therefore making the top cage hot enough but the bottom one not. Your panels may be a bit too small for the tank but there is a few things you can try. home depot sells a product called Reflextix. It is a foil covered bubble wrap that blocks96%of radiant heat loss. place a piece of that on top of the bottom cage, then set the upper cage on top of the wrap. That will stop the heat loss from the bottom tank, but it may also lower the temps in the top tank because it will no longer get heat from the bottom tank. Hope that helps some?If not i have a few other tricks you can try.

It is clearly heat related I would suggest the room is simply too cool. What are the cool end and ambient temps in the enclosures?