Thermostat/thermometer different temps?

I have set up the tub the way that is shown here http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...my-Ball-Python

The issue I am having is that the thermostat and thermometer read at very different levels. I tested both and they are accurate. Is it because the thermostat is directly on the heat pad where as the probe for the thermometer is on top of the substrate? Currently the thermometer is at 89, but the thermostat is at 98.

Is this normal or am I doing something incorrectly? I have the thermostat turned up because I want the warm side to sit around 90, when I have the actual thermostat at 90 the thermometer on the substrate reads at 81ish.

Any ideas?

Yes that is normal. The thicker the material the heat has to travel through the more heat you will lose. Everything is close to correct but the thermometer probe should be on the bottom of the tub, under the substrate. Also your substrate should be thin, 1/4 inch range. This will allow you to keep the tstat set at a lower temp and keep your snake safe no matter if it lays on top of the thin layer of substrate or moves the substrate and lays directly on the tub floor.

Substrate is currently just 3 sheets of newspaper and I have the temp probe in the middle. I can move it to the bottom if that is better though.

It may not make much of a difference with newspaper but I would move it. The reason you want to know the floor of the tub is you need to know what the hottest temp available that the snake could reach. This way no matter where the snake goes the temps are safe.

The floor will be a bit warmer than the top, so should I increase the heat a bit to make it warmer, or just leave it as is?

As long as the temp is within range you could leave it. 90 on the floor and 88 on top is just fine.

Thank you so much! I was not able to sleep because I was stressing that he was either going to fry to a crisp or be too cold overnight *sigh*.

I am now having the opposite issue. The thermostat is set at 91, but the probe under the substrate is reading at 97, when I put the probe ontop of the substrate it is reading at 89-91. Is this safe? Substrate is newspaper so I doubt he can get under it.

How many sheets of newspaper are you using?

I guarantee the snake can and eventually will get under the newspaper. When It does it will think its the greatest hide ever.

There is like maybe 6 now? The reason he won't get under is because there is stuff in the cage that keeps the edges down, hides and whatnot.

I think I may have figured it out. My probe for the thermostat was on the edge of the mat, I retaped it to the middle of the mat and it is getting a more accurate reading now.