Thermometer placement

Hello all,

I'm trying to figure out where to place my new Flukers Thermo-Hygrometer. I may have bought the incorrect type of thermometer as it doesn't have a probe. I have a ReptiTemp 500r and it's probe is right on top of the UTH (on the inside of the tank on the glass). Right now, I have the thermometer laying in the tank right about the probe for the ReptiTemp 500r. I don't want to mount it to the tank wall as I'm afraid it won't be giving me the temperature of where the snake will be laying, but rather the ambient air temperature wherever I place the thermometer.

Should I have bought a thermometer with a probe? Where can I place the one I have now until such time as I can get one with a probe.

--Steve

a thermometer with a probe is ideal. acurite indoor/outdoor thermometers are perfect and at $12 they are pretty inexpensive. they have a probe that you can put right on the substrate. that is the best way to get a very acurite temp reading.

and just a note, the probe for the thermostat being in the tank is not a great idea. the snake could move it off of the UTH and the thermostat will keep the UTH running well past the set temp. a great place to put it is between the UTH and the glass bottom of the tank. then you can monitor it safely, and no worries.

I just ordered a reptile basics cage 2x3x14 the other day. It has a groove in the bottom for the probe. Would I put both the probe for the thermometer and the probe for the thermostat in the groove right next to each other?

--Steve

Hi,

I'm not sure but my instinct says to put only the thermostat probe there and use the thermometer probe to move around the tank and take readings at various points.


dr del

Well, when I asked about that for the building of my own cage, Rich advised that the meter probe go under the warm side hide (or cool side depending on which you are measuring). The slot is purely for the stat probe.

You are going to want your temp probe under the basking spot to ensure that the temp isn't to high or low. The hygro probe is better placed a little ways away from the backing spot as you want an accurate reading of the humidity in the enclosure. When taking random temps in your enclosure its best to use a temp gun which can catch the ambient as well.