20 Gallon Tank Setup.....HELP!!!

:welcome:

The kind of thermometers you are using is very important. Only a digital probed thermometer or a temp gun will give you the kind of surface readings you are looking for. So first step is to get those thermometers. You are probably only seeing the ambient air temp of ~75º which isn't too bad.

When you get the probed thermometer, you want to place it under the substrate, right over the glass where the UTH is. This will measure the hottest possible spot the snake can get to. You want to measure this spot because the snake could get under the bedding, and the difference between the top and the bottom can be quite substantial.

Once you get a thermometer on that heat pad you will realize how hot it is. Then you will realize why you need a thermostat. The type of UTH doesn't matter so much. You can probably continue to use the one you already have. I kinda like the zoomed pads although I know some people don't.

For hides, ball pythons prefer the rock cave type hides. This can be elaborate or simple. The half log hides aren't really the best for ball pythons because it doesn't cover them on all sides. Basically, you want a hide where you can't see the snake. Unfortunate for us, but the snakes love it!

So do I need to have a heat lamp to heat the air AND a UTH to provide heat on the substrate?? and how much of the tank should it cover?? I have the 10" by 11" size; is that sufficient for heating the tank??

Also, what is "blacking out the tank"?? Is this putting some kind of background on the back (to help retain the heat/prevent extraneous heat transfer)??

And which type of thermostat works well (as inexpensive as possible)

These aren't necessarily my questions; my mother is convinced that having thermostats and other "fancy" electronic controls are too sophisticated for amateur snake keepers like myself. She says "You're not gonna breed the snake; You're not doing research on him...snakes aren't that finicky."


Sorry, didn't realize @kaorte had posted here...Thanks for clearing up some of this

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mephibosheth1

So do I need to have a heat lamp to heat the air AND a UTH to provide heat on the substrate?? and how much of the tank should it cover?? I have the 10" by 11" size; is that sufficient for heating the tank??

Also, what is "blacking out the tank"?? Is this putting some kind of background on the back (to help retain the heat/prevent extraneous heat transfer)??

And which type of thermostat works well (as inexpensive as possible)

These aren't necessarily my questions; my mother is convinced that having thermostats and other "fancy" electronic controls are too sophisticated for amateur snake keepers like myself. She says "You're not gonna breed the snake; You're not doing research on him...snakes aren't that finicky."


Sorry, didn't realize @kaorte had posted here...Thanks for clearing up some of this

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Lol @ your mother :P Thermostats aren't fancy at all! And yes, they can be quite finicky if their temps are completely out of whack. If its too hot, they will cook, if its too cold they won't eat.

Pet stores don't really tell you that you need a thermostat, but you really do. Otherwise you have no way of controlling how much heat your snake is exposed to. There have been tests done by users here on the forum that prove an unregulated UTH will exceed 110+º which is very dangerous for your animal to be laying on.


If your ambient room temps are above 75º then you don't need a heat lamp, just the UTH will be fine. The size UTH you have sounds fine. It should just cover less than half of the tank. Basically you just want a spot where the snake can lay to get warmed up, and then another spot where he can go to cool down.

Blacking out the tank just means covering the back and sides with something to not only make the tank feel more enclosed, but also to help retain heat. I like to use foam core board panels. They provide a little bit more insulation then just plain paper. You can find a sheet at any drug store like CVS or walgreens.

The Hydrofarm thermostat that others have mentioned is the cheapest. You can buy it from amazon.com or check with your local plant nurseries, indoor growing stores to see if they carry it. I found one at my local hydroponics store while I was picking up stuff for my plants.

My mother's scared of our local hydroponics shop...it was full of weed heads lol:rolleyes:

Cool; I'll look on amazon to try and get a thermostat and go to Walmart to get an Accurite (do you know what aisle their usually on??)
I'll need to get another hide I think; I only have 1 currently (can't fit more in a 10 gallon).

Where should the water dish go, just in the middle?

I don't remember exactly what aisle the accurites are but it's near the home improvement stuff. And I keep my water bowl in the middle but that is just personal preference.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mephibosheth1

My mother's scared of our local hydroponics shop...it was full of weed heads lol:rolleyes:

Cool; I'll look on amazon to try and get a thermostat and go to Walmart to get an Accurite (do you know what aisle their usually on??)
I'll need to get another hide I think; I only have 1 currently (can't fit more in a 10 gallon).

Where should the water dish go, just in the middle?

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Haha Yeah I can understand that... but those aren't the people who you should be afraid of :P They are super friendly.

I think the accurites will be somewhere near the outdoor stuff, though I'm not 100% sure.

Yeah you can put the water dish anywhere. If you want to increase humidity, put it partially over the heat pad. But be sure to change the water often as it will make bacteria grow faster.

Not all Walmarts carry the Accurite thermometer. I recommend you check Walmart's website to find a store near you that carries it. That way, you can avoid going from Walmart to Walmart.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.

Just to add, Today I tested an unregulated UTH and recorded the temp with a heat gun it read 120 degrees

Just purchased the Acurite from Walmart today (last one they had) and am waiting for my Hydrofarm thermostat to come from Amazon (my hydroponics shop didn't have those anymore).

ill probably start a new thread with pics of my project as I put my 20 gallon together fully; is there anything else I may need??

So Mycroft is going to shed in the next 1-3 days, and then I'm going to move him over into the new tank. I am noticing a problem though, that I need some help with.

first of all, I don't know if its the style UTH I have, but the temperature of the heat mat doesn't seem to go above about 85F. I've see that the warm spot should be around 90F...will those 5 degrees make a difference??

also, because of the temperate nature of our summer this year (never happened like this before) the temperature of the house has been dropping in the evening (low in the tank last night was 65F). That was with damp paper towels over the top and the UTH on. In the winter our house will drop to 50-60 degrees at night (my folks are into energy saving, which I totally agree with).

Am I correct in assuming that I should probably get a heat lamp to supplement the ambient heat?? I so, what type should I get?? I don't trust the label for how much it will heat the tank, and the folks at the pet shop where I get my equipment were the ones that told me you didn't need a thermostat with a he's mat....

Thanks for he continued help (I feel kinda dumb to keep asking these questions). I just really want to make sure that my 20 gallon tank is the best setup possible.