Where to monitor temps for my new ball python viv

The sensor from your thermostat should be placed directly on your heat source or you are in serious jepordy of an over temp.

Keeping the heat mat inside the tank is not a standard practice for a verity of reasons.

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Originally Posted by Slim

The sensor from your thermostat should be placed directly on your heat source or you are in serious jepordy of an over temp.

Keeping the heat mat inside the tank is not a standard practice for a verity of reasons.

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The base of the tank is made out of quite thick wood, so I doubt a heat mat would do anything at all if place underneath the entire tank.

Perhaps I need to think about a ceramic lamp instead?

I should also point out that I use a radiant heat panel. So my thermostat probe is on top of the substrate. The thermostat puts out 93.8F to keep the surface of the substrate at 91f. The temp then progressively falls off as you move further away from the hot end, at its coldest point its 78f on the substrate.

The hide in which my BP spends all of his time in the day is at 80-81F and then he basks on a branch at night that is at 92F

I don't have the thermostat on a night setting it stays at those temps mentioned all the time.

You need to think about something other than wood unless you're talking about something that is 100% sealed, like melamine. Wood will mold and rot in no time under the humidity requirements for ball pythons and as the snakes do their thing all over it.

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Originally Posted by ShaggyRS6

That's interesting you say about burrowing Pitontheprowl, mine never has.

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Mine do! I have them in aspen, and make it a little deeper then usual just for this purpose. They really love pushing it around and and making little paths under and through it.

Oh, and if you get stuff from outside as Zinc suggested and not from a specific pet or reptile place, be sure to cure it first. You do not want to introduce possible disease, parasites, annoying bugs, etc into your snake's or your home!

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Originally Posted by Lizardlicks

You need to think about something other than wood unless you're talking about something that is 100% sealed, like melamine. Wood will mold and rot in no time under the humidity requirements for ball pythons and as the snakes do their thing all over it.



Mine do! I have them in aspen, and make it a little deeper then usual just for this purpose. They really love pushing it around and and making little paths under and through it.

Oh, and if you get stuff from outside as Zinc suggested and not from a specific pet or reptile place, be sure to cure it first. You do not want to introduce possible disease, parasites, annoying bugs, etc into your snake's or your home!

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Maybe I will make the substrate deeper the next time i change it. How deep do you have yours? I use Cyprus mulch and dont keep it that deep, maybe about a half inch

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Originally Posted by ShaggyRS6

Maybe I will make the substrate deeper the next time i change it. How deep do you have yours? I use Cyprus mulch and dont keep it that deep, maybe about a half inch

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At a 1/2 inch they can move it to come in contact with the floor of the enclosure, it would explain that yours don't burrow when they don't have an option to.
Mine move their aspen all over the place, several of my tubs look empty because they have moved all the aspen to the back of the tub.

Maybe I will leave a pile in a corner to see what happens.