This may be a silly question...

So, since switching to the AP cage, I've been monitoring all my temps (except the two CHE's on thermostats) with the IR gun- everything has been perfect. But the past few weeks the humidity has been so abysmally low that every time I open the cage to check temps (usually once a day) it plummets down to 20-30% then takes a while to climb back up into the upper 50's. I got tired of that, so I re-installed two digital thermometers, one wireless and one a regular digital thermometer with a probe.

Now here's the real question, the wired thermometer the is hanging in the center of the cage with the probe maybe a 1/2 an inch above the surface of the substrate and reads between 77-78.5*F, the wireless on the "cool side" reads 79.5-81*F and is sitting in the substrate. ****the one in the middle of the cage is directly between the two CHE's, so the furthest point from any heat source***. When I use the IR gun on the actual sensors of each the temps read 80-81*f and 82-82.5*f respectively.

So, which device is giving me the more accurate ambient temperature? I assume the digital ones are measuring the "air" and the IR is reading the "surface". And if my ambient air temperature is actually that low (77-78*F) should I try and remedy that seeing how the hides are about perfect?

I check the temps inside my hides with the IR gun. For set up, there is a thermostat controlled hot hide that's internal temp reaches 88.5*F, the top of the hide with the IR gun usually measures 90-91.5*F due to it being heated from above. The middle area where it is the coolest has a hide where the internal temperature with the IR gun reaches the ambient temp that the probe is, usually about 80-81*F. The thermostat controlled "cool hide - more of a medium hide) internal temp is usually 82-83*F. And the moist hide that is between the ambient and medium hides is about 80 as well. He uses each hide regularly - the hot hide mostly after eating. Just trying to figure out how off my ambient temps have been all along - but also if I raise them thermostat temps, both hides will also get hotter.
Also the medium hide has a digital thermometer that he usually cover, but when it is on the surface is about 1 - 2 degrees less that what the IR gun says it is.

:explosion
my brain just exploded

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Crowfingers

So, which device is giving me the more accurate ambient temperature? I assume the digital ones are measuring the "air" and the IR is reading the "surface". And if my ambient air temperature is actually that low (77-78*F) should I try and remedy that seeing how the hides are about perfect?

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Wow.. A lot of people as a question and don't give any info to come to a conclusion.. Cant say that for this thread hahahaha.
Your looking into this way to much.
I use my Laser Temp gun in the same place 5 times and get 3 different temps. I can also open both slider doors and all my thermometers will change temps at different times and take different amounts of time to regulate again..then still be 2-3 degrees from each other.
Keep your Cool side 76-82 and your good.. Keep your Hot 86-92 and your good. Other than that you will drive yourself crazy as I sometimes do to hahahahaa

Thanks, yeah - I want everything - and I mean everything - to be perfect. I've had him 2.5 years and never had an issue, so I must be doing something right. I was just thinking way to early this morning for common sense to be awake "I wonder if that thermometer is right and he's colder than I like..." then had to ask.

Lol- I will always over-inform before a question, how else can it be answered?? Can't stand the "why isn't my snake eating" questions when nothing else is stated. Then everyone wastes time asking for the pertinent info. :) thanks for the response, makes me feel better at least that even if they are lower that the IR, it's not too low. :gj:

You should have seen my first tank - a glass aquarium with 5 hides each with their own thermometer, a thermometer on each heat source (connected to the thermostat), one in the middle for ambient temps, and the wireless to be a redundancy to the ambient one. Also three hygrometers - one for each side and middle.

Yep I drive myself crazy sometimes. But I'm not sure I would do it differently.

That is one lucky snake.