T-Stat Confusion....Ugh

Okay so I got my UTH and T-Stat set up correctly. I have been fooling with the gauge on the T-Stat for a week now and it still fluctuates a lot. It's the Zoomed Repti temp 500R thermostat. I am just confused I think.....ugh

I am using paper towels for substrate and have the UTH under the warm hide with the T-Stat probe and the Accurite probe on top of the paper towels under the hide. I had one reading of 101 degrees this week. I turned the T-Stat down a little till the light went off but then it got down to 88 degrees. It is getting closer to what I want/need but not exactly yet. I am looking for about 92 degrees.

I can't figure out how once it gets to 92 degrees, how do I adjust the knob so it stays there and it doesn't get higher or lower??? I am sooo confused. Maybe I am just misunderstanding the whole T-Stat concept:confused:

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I just got rid of the mites with Provent a Mite about 2 weeks ago. However he still has been fasting for about 3 months. I tried a f/t mouse for the first time this week and he was very interested. More then I have seen him be, to the point he was in S position for awhile staring at it.No such luck though. However, I was hoping to get his tank temp fixed with belly heat now instead of a lamp so maybe he would eat. He did have a complete shed a couple days ago:D It was fabulous!!! But he's still hanging in his cool hide the majority of the time.

Thanks a bunch:tears:

Hi,

I would moive the thermostat probe so that it is between the UTH and the bottom of the tub.

This stops the snake affecting the temp reading by P'ing or lying on top of the probe or spilling water on it - all of which can give a false reading and lead to the thermostat overcompensating and actually overheating the enclosure. Also check the tank isn't sitting in drafts from windows or doors etc as that will cause more extreme temp swings.

Iirc the reptitemp is an on/ off thermostat so when you see the thermometer reading 92 it could be that the power is either on or off to the heater and so it could be cooling down or heating up.

Move the thermostat probe and readjust it ( if the snake is in the tank err on the cool side rather than the hot as it is less dangerous to the snake ).

If you see temps getting over 95f turn it down immediately rather than following the routine below.

Let everything settle for at least an hour and see what the thermometer reads. If it needs adjusting do that in very small increments and wait another hour to see what it does to the temps.

The posts I have read do say the repti-temp can have a bit of a temp swing to it but you should be able to adjust it so it stays within the 92-95f range I think.


dr del

I've used the 500R. It's got a fluctuation of about 5 degrees or so from my experience. You have to slowly dial in the temperature that you want. When you get close, keep an eye on the accurite. When it hits the max temp that you want, turn the dial to the left just a little bit so the green light shuts off and it shouldn't get any higher.

Thanks to both of you I think I have it under control now and a MUCH better understanding of what my goal is with the T-Stat:D As of last night, after reading Dr. Del's reply, I have gotten it to 91.6 and it has stayed there! It really helped when you said to check it every hour or so and then to make slight adjustments:D

M00kfu thankyou so much for posting as well about the 5 degree fluctuation! That makes a lot of sense now to get it to the max temp I want and then adjust till green light goes off!

Thank you both for saving my sanity and Tanveer :bow: