Heat Lamp and Measuring temps
Hello everyone,
Since I'm from Germany and I don't speak english very well I'm using Google Translator so I'm very sorry for any mistakes.
I'm a fairly new reptile keeper and have my juvenile ball python since October last year.
He is currently in a 4x2x2 wood vivarium (Doing well so far, never missing a meal). I am using the Arcadia Deep Heat Ermitter 50W for the Hotspot. The ambiant temp around the hot side is around 84° and in the cool side 75°. The heat lamp is connected to a dimming thermostat on the wall of the viv in the hot side. When i'm measuring the ground temps and temps inside the warm hide with a temp gun i get temps between 84-91° in and outside the hide ecxept on top of the hide which is directly under the heat lamp and can go up to 98°. I know this is way to hot. So i lowered the ambient temp to 82°. The inside of the warm hide is know only 88° but the top just 95°
I am a bit confused as to where i have to measure the correct and save temperature.
Re: Heat Lamp and Measuring temps
Greetings,
Your heat emitter is better suited to control ambient (air) temperatures only. You should use an under tank heating pad to control the surface temperature on the bottom of your 'hot' side.
Ideally all heating elements should be controlled by thermostats with probes (so you do not have to adjust temperatures manually).
:)