Re: What's your Ranco set at?
Re: What's your Ranco set at?
not a great pic. I should have taken them as I did it. I'm probably going to try again tomorrow if the temps don't go up overnight. The ranco is set to high for it to only be 84/85 on the warm side:confused:
Re: What's your Ranco set at?
here's what i would try, cover most of the top of the tank like 90%. leave the gap at the cool end. find a way to get a 1/8-1/4" gap between either the flex and the tank bottom or the flex and the insulation. this airspace will let the flex heat more evenly. tape the probe on the inside bottom of the tank centered over the flexwatt. use a good foil tape and smooth it out cleanly with a credit card or similiar object. don't use duct tape or scotch tape or masking tape. use only about a half inch of substrate. set the stat to 95 and wait a few hours, if not hot enough go up in temps. don't go above 100 on setpoint! if you have to set it above 100, something is wrong with the setup and this is unsafe for your snake. you might also want to try paper as a substrate, this will let more heat through and you should be able to use lower setpoints. try this and see! just curious what are the room temps the tank is in?
vaughn
Re: What's your Ranco set at?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Damian7
It shouldn't be lost anywhere. The flex is insulated with reflectix very well underneath the tank.
Temps are lost through each medium it passes through. I was not talking about temp loss to the air. What is the temp on the glass underneath the mulch?
What are you using to record temps and where and how are you recording them?
Re: What's your Ranco set at?
There actually is a bit of a gap between the flex and the bottom of the tank. I honsetly think my problem might be that it's just too much cypress mulch. It's 8 qts in a 20L.
Re: What's your Ranco set at?
Quote:
Originally Posted by daniel1983
What are you using to record temps and where and how are you recording them?
I'm using an acu-rite digi therm. I do plan on investing in a temp gun. Know where I can get one and how much I'd be looking to spend?
I also put 1 sheet of newspaper down before adding my mulch. I was under the impression this would conduct the heat more evenly.
I'm so frustrated thinking that I got everything right. I just fed Damian last nite and i don't want to disturb him again today by taking everything back out of th ecage including the mulch. And then flip the tank over and disect my problem, But i'm goinng to have to because just to achieve 90 on the hot side above the cypress surface the Ranco is set at 127!!
Re: What's your Ranco set at?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Damian7
should I just wait and see what happens when the fresh cypress mulch dries out a bit and heats up?
There's a big part of your problem! Wet things aren't as warm as dry things... Are you getting this cypress from Home Depot or something? If it's wet cypress, I would recommend drying it out in the oven at like 350 for a few hours. Not only does it dry it out, It kills all the little buggies that could be roaming around in there. Then, only use 1/4 to 1/2 an inch on the bottom. I bet after you do that, you'll see your temps skyrocket.
Re: What's your Ranco set at?
I got it from Petco "Forest Floor". Yes it is damp. More damp than the old dried out cypres I took out. But I need it to be a bit moist so that humidity will stay atr the right level. I think I'm just going to remove some of the mulch. Also what about the sheet of newspaper on the bottom should that be ok? I just put it there for easy removal of teh substrate next time but I also remember seeing somewhere that it makes the heat disperse more evenly.
Re: What's your Ranco set at?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Damian7
I got it from Petco "Forest Floor". Yes it is damp. More damp than the old dried out cypres I took out. But I need it to be a bit moist so that humidity will stay atr the right level. I think I'm just going to remove some of the mulch. Also what about the sheet of newspaper on the bottom should that be ok? I just put it there for easy removal of teh substrate next time but I also remember seeing somewhere that it makes the heat disperse more evenly.
I understand your concern for humidity, and i feel your pain (i too, once had a glass viv). You would be better off drying the cypress, putting less in, and putting the water dish over the heating element to help with humidity. You could even add 2 or 3 water dishes, and cover the screen top with a blanket, a piece of glass, or whatever you have on hand to help with humidity. It takes fiddling, but you too can achieve humidity bliss without damp substrate.
I just know that i wouldn't want to crawl around on wetness all day without being able to get dry, although i am unaware of any medical conditions this can cause. If someone does, please enlighten us :O)
Plus, wet cypress=wet newspaper, in which neither will conduct heat well at all.
Re: What's your Ranco set at?
Quote:
Originally Posted by adizziedoll
I just know that i wouldn't want to crawl around on wetness all day without being able to get dry, although i am unaware of any medical conditions this can cause. If someone does, please enlighten us :O)
Plus, wet cypress=wet newspaper, in which neither will conduct heat well at all.
Constantly wet substrate can cause scale rot...a nasty infection in their belly scales.
