Tub not holding heat

I have an XPVC rack that overall works very well. The heat tape reads 90, and that's the temp in my Vision tubs. However, I have a couple young ones in Sterilite 6 quarts, and the temp inside the tub was reading 70 degrees despite the heat tape being 90! Is it normal for Sterilites to not warm up?

I just now tried taping styrofoam to the back and back sides of an empty tub to see if that helps, but it's kind of an inelegant solution.

A few things can affect the temps, probe placement, where the tub is located (top or bottom shelf), make and manufacturer of the tubs (tubs are not all the same), substrate used etc

However the variance are usually minimal not 20 degrees.

What's your room temp? Might play a role in the temp variance.

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I've used steralite tubs for over 20 years with no issues.

If your reading a temp of 70 degrees then your saying that your ambient room temperature is 70 which is way too cool for ball pythons.

Is your probe making intimate contact with the heat tape, are you using belly heat or back heat?

Give me a call at 408-981-6694, I might be able to help you.

Brian Gundy / For Goodness Snakes

Yes, the ambient is unfortunately 70. I don't have central heating so I do what I can with a space heater. : ( I really want to move, actually, so I can have a proper snake room.

They have belly heat. I've noticed that the back corner is usually the warmest spot (90-92) and the floor is 85-88. So I tell myself they have some gradient, even if the cool side is too cool. I know it should be warmer.

My rack is seven shelves tall. The probe is on the third shelf down, under the heat tape, so it's making contact. Both Vision and Sterilite tubs have paper towels, so that shouldn't be a factor in the disparity.

Btw, this problem tub is on the highest shelf, so you figure it would be warmest, right?? I figure this has got to be an insulation issue. The shelf is taller than the tub, so I have the tub's lid on. When I checked the 6 quart with added styrofoam it read 85, so that's an improvement but still not where I need it.