A few questions regarding heat and humidity...

I'm new here (as in I just joined a few minutes ago) so if I mess this up, I'm sorry!

I'm a few days short of having my BP for one month. I had on of those sticker thermometers which are difficult to read, and I don't feel like they're accurate. So I bought one of the gauges that you stick on with a suction cup. ( like this http://www.petsmart.com/product/zoom...uctId=17794136 ) It was reading the humidity and temp at really low numbers so I was a little concerned. I moved the tank away from the window and I found two more thermometers around my house. Neither of them are meant for terrariums (one was a meat thermometer and the other was just a regular house thermometer/hydrometer) so I wasn't expecting them to be completely accurate. Three of them were placed a few inches away from the floor of the tank, and the food thermometer was placed on the ground.

The readings were as follows:
Sticker: 82-84
House T/H: 81 w/ 67% humidity
Reptile gauge: 70 w/ 52% humidity
Meat thermometer: just over 80

Now, three of them are really close to having the same temperature reading. However, the only one of them really meant for this set up is the one that was only reading 70 degrees. Even the one placed farthest away from the heat source read a full 10 degrees higher than that!

So should I invest in ANOTHER thermometer/hydrometer?

Another question:
Since what I'm really trying to do is heat the ground and not just the air, should I also invest in a heating mat? If I have a heating mat how do I measure the temperatures of the ground so I know if its too hot/cold? Do I need a heating mat on just one side and a basking lamp on the other?

Yeah, basically I'm just a girl who has no idea what she's doing. Any input would be much appreciated!

Welcome to the site!

What you need is a good probed thermometer/hygrometer (hydrometers measure specific gravity, not humidity a hygrometer measures relative humidity)

This one from Walmart is affordable and accurate enough for a snake cage:

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...3.jpg~original

These cost $12 and measure 2 temperatures as well as humidity. You place the probe on the hot side of the cage, and the unit itself on the cool side of the cage.

You want to hot side of the cage to be between 88-92 F
You want the cool side of the cage to be between 78-82F
You want the humidity to be between 40% and 60% normally, and between 60% and 80% during shed.

Here is some more info you should read to make sure you have everything right:

Basic care requirements: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet

Cage Heating/Temperature Measurement: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...t-Thermometers

A How To guide on Setting up glass tanks for BP's: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...With-Pictures!

I don't like a basking lamp,I feel it dries my tank out too much... I keep my heat mat on the hot side and I keep my heat bulb ( not basking light ) a little off center from my tank more towards the hot side.

BPs don't need basking lights they don't bask in them,they are nocturnal and hide all day. So get a reg daylight heat bulb,that's my opinion.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NYHC4LIFE8899

I don't like a basking lamp,I feel it dries my tank out too much... I keep my heat mat on the hot side and I keep my heat bulb ( not basking light ) a little off center from my tank more towards the hot side.

BPs don't need basking lights they don't bask in them,they are nocturnal and hide all day. So get a reg daylight heat bulb,that's my opinion.

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Only things I keep an eye on is hot spot,air temp on the hot side and humidity.. Obviously the cool side will be cooler,lol,common sense. Leave my humidity gauge dead center of the tank as well. Hot side will be drier than the cool side,obviously,common sense again:)