What is your source of heating?

flexwatt on thermostat

This topic reminds me of questions regarding computers! There are so many variations and circumstances surrounding the issues it's hard to come up with just one hard fast rule that fits all
(though I realize the questions was simply what is your source of heating). Some people live in humid/hot climates, some people run their homes with the ambient air cooler than others, blah, blah, blah. Interesting to see all the challenges and solutions.

My big Burmese I had 'way back when' while living in New Jersey only had an UTH and having it humid wasn't a problem nor was heat very much an issue as during the winter we tended to keep the place pretty hot anyways.

Living here now in southern Arizona our young ball python currently has a ZooMed UTH with a 50w red heat lamp along with that. Hot side runs about 90-93 degrees while the cool/ambient air temp stays around 81-83. Humidity is constantly a problem here. Introduce heat and the humidity levels drop and vice-versa. He's getting transferred over soon to an Exo-T tank which should hold the temps and humidity levels more steady with the front vent flow design. This allows the top to be closed off. I had 1/4 arcrylic cut to fit and it works great. The Exo-Terra tank my wifes Emporer Scorpion is in pretty well holds the temps steady along with the humidity levels. It's a 18"x18"x18" and the two 15w SunGlows keeps it at around 77 at night and 85-90 during the day with a pretty constant 70-75% humidity.

Until Exo comes out with the newer dual top canopies in the US with the hotter halogen spot lamp/florescent combo for our redtail boa right now he's kinda in a semi-permanent setup with their Rainforest UTH and two 25w SunGlows over top. I'm glad I went with the Rainforest UTH because this guy LOVES to bury himself right down into the substrate - I mean, you can't find him. He was this way all the time at the place where we bought him too so I know it's not just because he's seeking out more warmth. It's just his nature. Eats like a pro and seems "happy" enough so I guess all is well so far.

When Humphrey our BP (aka "Monkey Boy") gets transferred to the Exo-T tank I'm going to go with the higher wattage UTH instead of the Rainforest though.

Just my 2 cents on one REALLY old thread...is anybody even reading this yet? If not that's okay as the wifey is still sleeping away yet and I can't go and check on the critters as they all are in there with her...naturally in seperate beds.

I am a newby, having only owned my ball for about 4 days. I used to own a corn and milk snake during my younger years but never actually researched it due to my lack of knowledge and ignorance. ANYWAY!

I currently have a 20 gal glass tank with a locking lid, I have a "water hide" made out of a ziplock tupperware, a wooden half-log for a hide and a cereal box cutout that has a seperate water dish inside. I use a 75 wat nocturnal infrared heat lamp and I maintain a 92-96 F temp on the hot side and a 80-83 F temp on the cool side.

How am I doing? I have read a lot of online guides... some say I need a moderate humidity level and some say it doesnt matter, as long as i have a water dish and water hide in which the snake can submerge itself in.

any suggestions would be most welcome!

edit: the snake is currently in my room, I keep the night temp in the house at about 65 F and the daytime in the low 70's. The humidity level in the tank hovers around 47-50. The half log hide is currently on the warm side and the box cutout is on the cool with the water dish, so the snake can have hides on either sides as to feel secure on either side of the tank.

Since my last post was getting a little long I decided to start a new one!

The first day I purchased the snake, it did not bite me and ate for me that night without a problem. It stuck the mouse as soon as i put it in its feeding box! Is this normal? I have read a lot on guides that say that these snakes require several days to a week to get comfortable enough to eat at all, let alone so quickly once exposed to the food.

edit: sorry to get so off-topic, but I am lazy and this was the first thread that poped out at me -.-

I use flexwatt back heat works great in my racks. Use it with the Helix t.stat and never moves off 89 degrees now. use to use uth but didnt like it too much. Since the change all my snakes seem alot happier with the way its set up.

CHE and UTH on hot side on herbstat

UTh on cold side on rheostat

Believe it or not my temps stay stable in my tank with just a heat light. My humiditys right too!


I think its cuz i have two other 100 watt heat lights in my room as well keeping my room temp fairly warm.

I use a combination of UTH heat for the basking spot and a Radiant Heat Panel for the cool spot.

what i used to think was a flaw in the house we're renting has actually turned out to be a bonus...see our a/c doesnt work in our computer room. there's a vent and everything, but it has NEVER worked in here. well when i got my housing for my snakes, i took temps, and even with the a/c on in the house and the door open, ambient temps are 81-82. Perfect! so i put the snakes in here when i got them, and the only heat source i need is 2 heat cables wrapped on top of the shelves with electrical tape, and the tubs have those little circular sticky feet things on them that you put on lamps and stuff. their basking temp is 92.3. i have had to mist twice daily to keep their humidity at 55% cuz we have REALLY dry summers around here. in cali. but i use 2 heat cables with a rheostat and thermo probes in one tub on every level. and its worked out great! now i just have to worry about getting their eating habits to be normal........:D