Help- New BP owner Temp and Humidity problems
So I recently got a Normal Ball Python named Udon. I bought a 40gal snake kit Zoo Med tank from petsmart and I’m having difficulty keeping the temperature and humidity right.
First with the Temperature.
There is a 16w UTH that I am using with a Thermostat. The temperature on the hot side won’t get hot enough when I set my thermostat to 90 degrees. It stays around 78-80. There is about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of coconut fiber substrate. So I have been trying to compensate by raising its temperature and I have a 75 watt basking bulb trying to bring the temperature up. It is not working. The temperature on the cool side sits at 73-75 degrees. I know that is to low.
Now for Humidity.
i was using aspen bedding but the humidity kept falling to 40%. I was having to spray the tank multiple times a day to bring it up. I switch to coconut fiber cause I read that it hold water better and will help with humidity. There is a large water dish as well. So now the humidity was staying between 50-65 when I put a wet towel on one side of the top. I checked last night and it was at 80 so I took the towels off and that helped.
im not sure what else to do because I feel like I’m just chasing these temperatures and humidity levels and it’s wearing me out.
Re: Help- New BP owner Temp and Humidity problems
Re: Help- New BP owner Temp and Humidity problems
Congrats on the new BP. I use pvc enclosures and I usually have to set my t-stats at 92-94 to get a hot spot of 86-90. My humidity stays around 50% during summer and drops as low as 30% during the winter months. I rarely mist my enclosures but will do so on occasion if an animal is prepping to shed or if I just want to make it rain for the critters. I believe hydration is more important than humidity. Best wishes with the new addition.
Re: Help- New BP owner Temp and Humidity problems
Thanks for your reply. So I am using a temp gun to measure the surface temp of anywhere I want to measure and for my thermostats probe, it is under the substrate on top of the glass above the UTH. I have a digital thermometer/ hygrometer with the hygrometer probe set on the back side of the tank in the middle and the temperature probe under substrate of his cool hide cause its hard to measure the temperature in there. I had a higher watt bulb in but it was sucking the humidity out and making everything too hot. So i went from 100 to 75.
I feel like my heat mat isn't working correctly or something because It doesn't get the substrate anywhere near 90 degrees. I don't know what to do with it. I took Udon out of the enclosure so I could test the temperature and I could crank the thermostat to 120 and it still wouldn't get to the right temperature underneath his hot hide.
Re: Help- New BP owner Temp and Humidity problems
So should I be measuring the substrate at all? I put the thermostat probe underneath the tank in between the mat and the glass.
Re: Help- New BP owner Temp and Humidity problems
Quote:
Originally Posted by
codyhmrck
So should I be measuring the substrate at all? I put the thermostat probe underneath the tank in between the mat and the glass.
You can use your temp gun to check other spots, particularly inside the cool side hide. But aside from the hot spot surface temps you can focus on ambient temps throughout the rest of the enclosure.
Keep up the good work. There's a lot to learn. But I promise it gets easy once you have all the right equipment and everything is dialed in. Then it's just daily equipment checks.
You're doing a nice job asking questions, showing you're eager to kearn and applying what you learn, so you're definitely on the right track! :gj:
Re: Help- New BP owner Temp and Humidity problems
Where should I put my probe for the ambient temperature of the tank? And is the light primarily used to keep the ambient temp up?