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  • 04-16-2007, 02:39 PM
    BostonMacK
    Re: Boy is home, I am just looking for reassurance, the first couple weeks are tough!
    well guys, I just freaked out.

    As stated above I was using an RHP to het the ambient temps to 80-83 which worked fine. The heat panel is located over the cool side hide. When I took a temp reading inside the cool side hide with my temp gun it was like 98 in there :eek: This was suppose to be the cool side!

    So I immediately removed the snake and decided to try and use the RHP as the only heat source in the tank. I am at a point now where I am not sure where to place the thermostat probe for the RHP. I had it inside the hide but when the snake crawled in there it went from 84 to like 80 in about a minute. Seeing the snake is cooler I know this would give inaccurate temp readings and I don't want to cook the snake. I feel like I am at square one again after spending the past week and a half getting things setup for the boy.

    Any advice on this?
  • 04-16-2007, 02:54 PM
    fishmommy
    Re: Boy is home, I am just looking for reassurance, the first couple weeks are tough!
    I can only say what I do...which may be applicable :)

    I have flexiwatt underneath, and a CHE ....BOTH on the hot side.
    The thermostat I use controls both at once, running off a single temp probe which I put under the substrate on the hot side. This way my hot side never exceeds the set max temp, and the combination seems to heat the air nicely to provide the proper gradient to the cool side.

    I played around quite a bit with temps and this seems to work well. I use a temp 'gun' thermometer to check spot temps inside hides and whatnot.
  • 04-16-2007, 03:06 PM
    fishmommy
    Re: Boy is home, I am just looking for reassurance, the first couple weeks are tough!
    for clarity, my CHE is hanging from the ceiling on the hot side.

    you could try moving your heat panel and controller to the hot side and you will probably have better luck with temps.
    Those heat panels and CHE's are much more effective at heating the air than the Flexiwatt...they tend to overpower it completely. :)
  • 04-16-2007, 04:05 PM
    BostonMacK
    Re: Boy is home, I am just looking for reassurance, the first couple weeks are tough!
    Fish,

    Thanks for the feedback. The way it's set up right now is with the RHP probe directly on top of his hide with the thermometer probe right next to it. I am getting a reading of 92 on the top of the hide where the probes are but only about 83 in the hide. The RHP is right over the hide. The ambient temp on the cool side is about 77 at the moment. I am not using the UTH at the moment but I am thinking I may have to. I think the cool side temps should warm up a little more with time. I am just really bummed that I am screwing with his cage with him here. I just couldnt beleive it when I got a 101 reading in his cool side hide. I am thinking having the RHP probe on top of his hide is not the best location, just trying to think where.

    Thanks again,
    Jason
  • 04-16-2007, 04:12 PM
    Cleo's Mom
    Re: Boy is home, I am just looking for reassurance, the first couple weeks are tough!
    I have Cleo's crib set up with a large bowl of water on the left side w/heating lamp overhead, tree and branches in the middle where thermostat is (keep at 80) and on the right side i have a underneath heating pad and his log hiding spot...at the moment we just put soil/mulch type of bedding in his crib this week - he seem like a really happy and beautiful snake.
    I have had Cleo since he was a baby
    now...Cleo (a ball python and) is about 3+ ft.
  • 04-16-2007, 06:58 PM
    BostonMacK
    Re: Boy is home, I am just looking for reassurance, the first couple weeks are tough!
    Fish,

    Do you have a good picture of your setup? How did you suspend your probe from the roof of the enclosure seeing you have a PVC cage like myself? Well, I have been running just the RHP over his hot hide. I have the probe hanging down from the top, it's about 2.5-3" above the substrate right under the RHP by the hot hide (Kara's recomendation). I have the thermostat set at 95 and as of right now the outside of the hide is 89 and the inside of the hide is 88. The good thing is the cool side ambient temps are at 81 on the outside of the hide. Id the temps inside the hot hide don't atleast raise to 92 I am going to run my UTH with the RHP.

    I think I should have this ironed out soon. It sure would be nice to be able to get everything right using just the RHP just for simplicity's sake. A picture of your setup would be great.

    Thanks for all the input everyone, it's much appreciated.

    ~Jason
  • 04-16-2007, 07:01 PM
    fishmommy
    Re: Boy is home, I am just looking for reassurance, the first couple weeks are tough!
    you misunderstand....my probe is down on the floor under the cypress mulch. it's on the warm side of the cage but not under a hide.
  • 04-16-2007, 08:02 PM
    BostonMacK
    Re: Boy is home, I am just looking for reassurance, the first couple weeks are tough!
    Gotcha!

    What are you using for a thermostat? That would be ideal to run both the RHP and UTH off the same probe. I may look into possibly getting a Herpstat II in the next couple weeks. Until then I am just going to run the UTH to get a little extra heat underneath the hide. It was about 88 under the hide with just the RHP going so I am sure I can get a little extra with the UTH. The cool side was 81 outside the hide. So that should be OK.

    What a learning experience :eek: I have only been researching everything about 3 weeks! I am already thinking about getting a pastel and I havent even had this guy for a week!
  • 04-16-2007, 08:36 PM
    fishmommy
    Re: Boy is home, I am just looking for reassurance, the first couple weeks are tough!
    I have a Herpstat :)

    I know what you mean...my mind is full of boas but I made myself promise I would wait at least a year between snake purchases to make sure I didn't go overboard :oops:

    I'm an overboard sort of person normally :rolleye2:
  • 04-16-2007, 08:39 PM
    fishmommy
    Re: Boy is home, I am just looking for reassurance, the first couple weeks are tough!
    IF you switch to a single temp controller like a Herpstat, you will have only one probe to work with. So, since your RHP is the primary heater in your setup, you will probably want to keep the probe exposed rather than putting it underneath the substrate. That way it gets the full measure of the RHP.
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