Bp cooked to death??!!!

ok... so my wife calls me freaking out because her co-worker (who has multiple BPs and other snakes) has told her not to keep the heat lamps on all the time because she says that she did that once with her first snake and the snake got cooked to death
....i don't even know how to ask this question...:confused:

ok here goes,
if you keep the heat lamps on all the time to keep the temperature regulated (90 for the hot side, and 84 for the cool side) is there a risk to the snakes' health?:tears:

unless the person who's snake died didn't keep the temp regulated and let it go too high, i don't think that the snake could die due to the lamps...

i need some help with this because if it's true, i'm leaving work right now and going home and turning off them lamps:rage:...i've had them on for like 2 days already.

As long as the lamp is regulated and the snake cannot come into direct contact with it I don't see how it would die due to the heat.. A UTH is a lot better for BP's then a heat lamp, though.

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Originally Posted by snakeyes

ok... so my wife calls me freaking out because her co-worker (who has multiple BPs and other snakes) has told her not to keep the heat lamps on all the time because she says that she did that once with her first snake and the snake got cooked to death
....i don't even know how to ask this question...:confused:

ok here goes,
if you keep the heat lamps on all the time to keep the temperature regulated (90 for the hot side, and 84 for the cool side) is there a risk to the snakes' health?:tears:

unless the person who's snake died didn't keep the temp regulated and let it go too high, i don't think that the snake could die due to the lamps...

i need some help with this because if it's true, i'm leaving work right now and going home and turning off them lamps:rage:...i've had them on for like 2 days already.

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if it only gets up to 90 hot and 84 cool then the snake will not get any warmer than that and from everything that i know they like to be cooked at that temp for years and years some would even say that they might thrive at that temp :gj:

Ok that question is two fold..first is the animal at risk for properly regulated temps. No
Now with that said, rheostat or thermostat failures do happen so is the animal at risk of the regulator failing and killing the animal. Yes, all be it a very slim tiny chance there is still that chance. I had a thermostat fail and burn one of mine in a rack a few years back.

Well if you consider that 6 inches from a 75 watt bulb its like 120 degrees, so if the person had a 150 watt bulb on the top of a 10 gallon tank, chances are it got up to like 180 degrees and cooked his snake. Otherwise its perfectly safe as long as you keep the bulb at least a foot away from your snake and pay attention to the temperatures.

Thats why i like dimmers :rolleye2: Dont have to worry about it getting to hot.

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Originally Posted by snakeyes

..if you keep the heat lamps on all the time to keep the temperature regulated...

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No one has mentioned anything about how long the lights are on for. Surely you have the light(s) on a timmer for a 12 on / 12 off schedule. The 'all the time' comment in the OP makes me nervous.

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Originally Posted by flynn

No one has mentioned anything about how long the lights are on for. Surely you have the light(s) on a timmer for a 12 on / 12 off schedule. The 'all the time' comment in the OP makes me nervous.

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unless u use a light like infrared when u can leave it on 24/7 and not need to turn it off and just keep a warm/cool side

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Originally Posted by f4n70m

unless u use a light like infrared when u can leave it on 24/7 and not need to turn it off and just keep a warm/cool side

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I dont think we know what kind of bulb is being used, do we?

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Originally Posted by flynn

I dont think we know what kind of bulb is being used, do we?

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i'm using an infrared bulb.

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Originally Posted by snakeyes

i'm using an infrared bulb.

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:gj:

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Originally Posted by flynn

I dont think we know what kind of bulb is being used, do we?

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Nope was just saying u dnt need to do 12/12 if u are using infrared

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Originally Posted by snakeyes

i'm using an infrared bulb.

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Thats good :gj:

heat lamps suck for snakes!UTH

I use an UTH but have trouble keeping the ambient temp high enough (cold house!) so have to use a bulb as well (on a t-stat). Just bought one of those ceramic bulbs in the hope it (a) will give out warmth but not constant light, thus eliminating stress; and
(b) won't kill the humidity like a bulb is at the moment, even infra-red.

Haven't tried it yet though....

Regulated temps with a rheostat or thermostat. This can help set your mind at ease. But I have still heard and known of horror stories of deaths and burns to BP from lamps, UTH and even racks going hay wire.
Hubby checks them in the Am when he gets up. I checked them when I get up and we both check them before bed and many times when the hubby gets home from work he will also check.
Things can happen but it’s our responsibility to try and avoid it as much as possible.

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Originally Posted by severe_bomber

I use an UTH but have trouble keeping the ambient temp high enough (cold house!) so have to use a bulb as well (on a t-stat). Just bought one of those ceramic bulbs in the hope it (a) will give out warmth but not constant light, thus eliminating stress; and
(b) won't kill the humidity like a bulb is at the moment, even infra-red.

Haven't tried it yet though....

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stupid question coming from a newb (me):

what's a UTH? Uunder-The-Tank?

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Originally Posted by snakeyes

stupid question coming from a newb (me):

what's a UTH? Uunder-The-Tank?

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Under Tank Heater :D

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Originally Posted by spaniard

under tank heater :d

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thanks!

If it's truly a worry, get a good thermostat--it will keep the temps correct, and warn you if something goes wrong.

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Originally Posted by severe_bomber

I use an UTH but have trouble keeping the ambient temp high enough (cold house!) so have to use a bulb as well (on a t-stat). Just bought one of those ceramic bulbs in the hope it (a) will give out warmth but not constant light, thus eliminating stress; and
(b) won't kill the humidity like a bulb is at the moment, even infra-red.

Haven't tried it yet though....

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CHE's are just as bad for maintaining humidity. Not to say you can't have proper humidity and a CHE, its just more work than a lot of people want to put in. I had one and switched to tubs soon after.

Ok....you can use an red bulb and be fine as long as you keep checking to ensure the temps are ok. The only concern is how hot the hide gets. Also it will suck you humidity and checking the temps w the light is ....well....it just will make ya crazy.

I started with lights.....however we have switched everything to racks. I used heat tape...and bought thermostats. For me....I bought herpstats. This is much much easier than doing what you are curently doing. You can also keep the viv and put the UTH or heat tape under the tank with a thermostat. Trust me afterwards....you will be so happy.

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Originally Posted by cinderbird

CHE's are just as bad for maintaining humidity. Not to say you can't have proper humidity and a CHE, its just more work than a lot of people want to put in. I had one and switched to tubs soon after.

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Thanks, Cinderbird.

So I guess you're saying they're no different to a light bulb....

Seems like humidity (and temps) is always a pain to control in a caged environment. I hear tubs are the way to go....just seems a little over-the-top for 1x BP! :confused:

You can still have the proper environment in an aquarium, it just takes the right setup. There are lots of posts around about how to keep humidity up etc.

Regardless of enclosure, with the right temperature control (thermostat) & monitoring (thermometer/temp gun), you wont have to worry about cooking your bp.

FWIW I had a handfull of aquariums going for bps for 9 years before running out of room and having to move to a rack lol.

I'm just curious as to where the girl who freaked out had her light set-up and what kind of bulb she had..

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Originally Posted by Vypyrz

I'm just curious as to where the girl who freaked out had her light set-up and what kind of bulb she had..

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yea...as to that i have no idea. i haven't even seen the lady. she works with my wife...but supposedly she's had snakes for years. then again, she said her mistake was made when she was JUST starting out.