Back Heat v.s. Belly Heat for hatchlings

I will mention a tragic incident I had with a snake a few years back in a tank with a damaged heat pad. The heat pad had cracked from age, but it was on the side stuck to the tank.. the glass tank then cracked because of the exposed wires underneath, plus the water (humidity) in the substrate above. The water in the substrate above conducted the electricity from the exposed wires below the tank into the substrate. When we got back from our 5 day vacation we discovered this. Heartbreaking way to lose a snake :(

1. NEVER EVER Re-Use a UTH that has been stuck to the bottom of a tank. When you peel it off, you may/will crack the wiring inside it, thus rendering it unsafe.

2. check the underside of your tank every time you change the water or substrate for cracks

User preference and room temps play roll in what you can use

Used back heat and dont like it. Snakes didnt digest meals as fast.

So I set it up with 3 inch flexwatt back heat and the hottest the floor of the tub ever gets is about 88*F. This worries me because it is just borderline warm enough with the heat tape cranked all the way up. I'm thinking of getting two strips of 11 inch and seeing how that goes. The rack is 24 inches wide so only two will fit. I'm hoping the middle tub will be warm enough. I know the hot spot is usually in the center of the heat tape but hopefully with the other two tubs surrounding it the middle column will stay a good temp. :please:

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Originally Posted by MiamiRoyalPythons

So I set it up with 3 inch flexwatt back heat and the hottest the floor of the tub ever gets is about 88*F. This worries me because it is just borderline warm enough with the heat tape cranked all the way up. I'm thinking of getting two strips of 11 inch and seeing how that goes. The rack is 24 inches wide so only two will fit. I'm hoping the middle tub will be warm enough. I know the hot spot is usually in the center of the heat tape but hopefully with the other two tubs surrounding it the middle column will stay a good temp. :please:

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I have 11 inch for my adult back heat rack.
I think 88-89 is perfect for hatchlings. I like to keep my hatchlings a little cooler than my adults. But that's just me. I'm sure others have other temps.