Heat source

Alright, I've come to the conclusion that I'm either going to have to use the tub system because they're easier to maintain heat/humidity OR if i want to keep the original tank set-up i have, purchase a lamp for heat source. My room temperature with my tank is about 75 degrees which, as you all know, is too cold. Anybody have any suggestions on which one I should do (forget about appearances, I just want the best for my snake) and if you recommend the lamp, what kind should i get? I have a ten gallon tank with a hot spot on one side

Right now I'm using infrared but I'm going to be switching to a ceramic heat emitter. I have a large waterbowl where the lamp will go and I've covered half the enclosure. I didn't want to cover too much becasue I want good air circulation. The bulb I got however, does not heat the tank sufficiently and I'm only getting to 79-80 degrees. Thats why I'm switching to a CHE. I have never dropped below 55% humidity so far.

I'm surprised with just a 10 gallon tank and a UTH that it's only getting 75. UTHs can exceed over 130 degrees. How are you reading temps? Are you reading them above or below the substrate?

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Originally Posted by LGray23

I'm surprised with just a 10 gallon tank and a UTH that it's only getting 75. UTHs can exceed over 130 degrees. How are you reading temps? Are you reading them above or below the substrate?

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Yes thank you! that's what I've been wondering because everyone says that a UTH can heat a 10 gallon tank just fine, yet that's the ambient temperature of the tank

Okay....75 IMO ambient temp is not that horrible....people may have thought you meant 75 hot spot. What is the temp of the hot spot???

:D I probably should invest in a temperature gage with a probe to determine that much but to give a guestimate probably around 85

I have the Repti500r and that has a probe but i don't get exact readings with that because the dial goes from yellow-red as you probably know

That is your first problem....don't ever guess your temps. You need to know what they are otherwise you are going to have a severely burned snake. I suggest a digital thermometer, or a temp gun. This is the one I use and I live by it. Do you use a thermostat to control the UTH, because I can pretty much guarantee the hot spot is well over 85, and closer to 110. My small zoo med UTH was exceeding 130 without a thermostat....

Edit: Just read about the reptitemp...I ordered that when I first started, set it up, used it for about 1/2 a day before it almost went out the window. I promptly sent it back and got my money back. IMO a real thermostat is well worth the money. I know some people use them without issue but I personally loathed it.

LGray, I'm using a UTH and have it set on 93 and my ambients are only 75. Thats why I'm using an 15 watt infrared to get mine to 80.

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Originally Posted by pigfat

LGray, I'm using a UTH and have it set on 93 and my ambients are only 75. Thats why I'm using an 15 watt infrared to get mine to 80.

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UTHs don't affect ambient temps at all...I wasn't saying she didn't need another heat source, I just think she needs to know the temps before she goes out and blows more money and then might not even need it. I only use a heat lamp in the winter for any of my tanks...all other times of the years it's not needed. :)

just a quick note if you are using a UTH and no thermostat make sure you have a nice think amount of bedding like Aspen or cypress. That tends to dissipate the heat enough to keep the animal safe(not a perfect way to do it but it works); However thermostat FTW! but if you already have a UTH just get a small lamp that will take care of the rest. Thats what i do.

and

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Originally Posted by LGray23

UTHs don't affect ambient temps at all...I wasn't saying she didn't need another heat source, I just think she needs to know the temps before she goes out and blows more money and then might not even need it. I only use a heat lamp in the winter for any of my tanks...all other times of the years it's not needed. :)

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I agree, i only really use my lamps in the winter as well and knowing the temps is Key.

aye, it's a good thing my snake isn't in this tank yet :please: ill be back with more questions shortly

Yea I use a repti500r to control my uth, other then throwing that out :) and obtaining a thermometer with a probe, what do you recommend I get now to help with the heat?

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Originally Posted by Salab10

aye, it's a good thing my snake isn't in this tank yet :please: ill be back with more questions shortly

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Hypothetically speaking, once you actually know what the temps of the hot spot and ambient temps are for sure without guessing, if you control the UTH and the hot spot is steady at 88-92 and your ambient temps are still too low for your liking, you can buy a low wattage heat lamp or CHE (ceramic heat emitter). Those tend to be pretty intense, I like to keep all of mine on dimmers. You can buy a dimmer from Home Depot or Lowes for $10...it'll be in the lamp section. I hope I helped! :)

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Originally Posted by LGray23

Hypothetically speaking, once you actually know what the temps of the hot spot and ambient temps are for sure without guessing, if you control the UTH and the hot spot is steady at 88-92 and your ambient temps are still too low for your liking, you can buy a low wattage heat lamp or CHE (ceramic heat emitter). Those tend to be pretty intense, I like to keep all of mine on dimmers. You can buy a dimmer from Home Depot or Lowes for $10...it'll be in the lamp section. I hope I helped! :)

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Edit: I say return it! I hated mine and honestly they are unreliable in my eyes. There is no other way to adjust temps until you know what your temps currently are. Bottom line, you need to get a reliable digital thermostat or a temp gun.

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Originally Posted by LGray23

Edit: I say return it! I hated mine and honestly they are unreliable in my eyes. There is no other way to adjust temps until you know what your temps currently are. Bottom line, you need to get a reliable digital thermostat or a temp gun.

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well i have a digital thermostat, it just doesn't have a probe so it's measuring the ambient temperature of the tank, and lets pretend my uth is at 110, which it could very well be at but i doubt it, but hypothetically speaking if it was at 110 my tank temperature is still only 75 so it looks like i'm going to have to get another heat source i.e. i'm thinkin the ceramic with the dimmer.

Yes, hypothetically you could use those as well...I suggest the dimmer simply because on all of my overhead heating it's always far too intense and messes with the hot spot temp as well. I just get a 75 watt bulb and use the dimmer. Just be aware that any light/lamp/heat emitter will mess with the humidity. Some sphagnum moss inside the hides should do the trick.

Thanks! it looks like a 75 watt ceramic bulb, a dimmer, some moss, and a thermostat with a probe are on my to do list! And I thought my tank was all setup ha!

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Originally Posted by pigfat

LGray, I'm using a UTH and have it set on 93 and my ambients are only 75. Thats why I'm using an 15 watt infrared to get mine to 80.

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I was typing this before you had replied again! And I was getting your opinion if this is okay? Someone said it would burn my snake. I have it over a large water dish and the humidity seems to be holding at 55%

Also, where can I buy a ceramic heat emitter other then a local pet store chain? I find they jack up the prices unbelievably.

Amazon.com has them, try googling ceramic heat emitters, a bunch of other reptile stores and pet stores should come up. I've never bought any of them online so I can't recommend a specific website or company.

@pigfat, if you're sure those are your temps then it won't burn him, and as long as he can't physically touch the bulb then I wouldn't be too worried.

Lgrey23 has great advise. I'll just add a little bit of my experience with cool room keeping to the mix. plastic tubs are not good at holding heat they basically will have cool end and ambient temps the same or very close to the room they are in. There is no insulation value to start with and the options to heat the cool end are limited as emitters and lights are out of the question. That leaves a second uth and thermostat and then there is still ambient air temps to deal with.

I'd stick with the tank. Personally I'd try to insulate the tank and add a secondary heat source. i like using fluorescent lights for that as there is little risk of burns and over heating as they don't become much warmer than mid 90's enough to heat the air up and cool end but not enough to cause trouble. It is going to sound stupid and is not intended to belittle you but people forget basics sometimes. Heat rises. The big trouble with tanks is the open top. one option is is to side turn it or cover the top with some insulation, leave a generous air space on either side to promote air flow.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...arium-Solution

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Originally Posted by Salab10

well i have a digital thermostat, it just doesn't have a probe so it's measuring the ambient temperature of the tank, and lets pretend my uth is at 110, which it could very well be at but i doubt it, but hypothetically speaking if it was at 110 my tank temperature is still only 75 so it looks like i'm going to have to get another heat source i.e. i'm thinkin the ceramic with the dimmer.

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I think there's some misunderstanding between the definition of a thermostat and a thermometer...

A thermostat (like the 500R) will CONTROL the temperature of the UTH.
A thermometer is used used to MEASURE the temperature.

These are not a one-or-the-other deal. You should be running a thermoSTAT to control how hot the heat source gets, while running a thermoMETER to measure the temps you're getting.

If you are using an analog dial type thermometer, you're probably not getting accurate readings. Using a digital thermometer with a probe is my preferred method. You can put the probe under the hot side hide to measure the temps your snake is actually being exposed to. I use the Accu-rite indoor/outdoor thermometer with humidity. The probe goes on the hot side, the unit itself sits on the cool side to measure the cool side temps and humidity...

As for the thermoSTAT, I am in the other camp with the 500r. I have had mine for about 4 years and I have never had a problem with it. You do get what you pay for and with as cheap as it is, you don't get a digital readout and the temps can fluctuate within about a 5 degree range, but I find that to be acceptable for what it is... My tip for using and adjusting that thermostat is to make SMALL incremental adjustments when you're getting it set up. Let the temps stabilize for at least an hour after each adjustment before tweaking any more. Once you find the right spot on the dial, mark it with a sharpie or something so if you ever have to take it down and set it back up, you know GENERALLY where to set it and will only have to make minor adjustments from there.

Not to be redundant or not trying to call anyone out, but these are the types of threads that confuse the newcomers to the hobby.

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Originally Posted by Salab10

:D I probably should invest in a temperature gage with a probe to determine that much but to give a guestimate probably around 85

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Never guess your temps. That I agree with. Yes, you should invest in either a digital thermoMETER with probe (or a temp gun) to measure the temps inside the hot hide...

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Originally Posted by Salab10

I have the Repti500r and that has a probe but i don't get exact readings with that because the dial goes from yellow-red as you probably know

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That is correct. The thermoSTAT has a probe that goes on the heat source. This probe will "measure" the temperatures to tell the thermostat when to turn on or off based on where you have the dial set.

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Originally Posted by Salab10

Yea I use a repti500r to control my uth, other then throwing that out :) and obtaining a thermometer with a probe, what do you recommend I get now to help with the heat?

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Again, this is not a one-or-the-other deal. A thermoMETER with a probe is NOT a replacement for a thermostat. I recommend using the thermostat you have now, but getting the thermometer you need to use in conjunction with the thermostat to make sure you know the temps you're getting so you can set the thermoSTAT accordingly.

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Originally Posted by LGray23

Edit: I say return it! I hated mine and honestly they are unreliable in my eyes. There is no other way to adjust temps until you know what your temps currently are. Bottom line, you need to get a reliable digital thermostat or a temp gun.

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Again, this is bad advice telling a newcomer to return the thermostat they already own to get a digital thermostat OR a temp gun. You need BOTH. You need a way to REGULATE and to MEASURE.

Sorry again for the redundant post, but I feel these things need to be clarified before the OP goes out and returns the thermostat in favor of a thermometer, then starts another thread when the temps are too high where he will be blasted for not having a thermostat...

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Originally Posted by Inknsteel

Again, this is bad advice telling a newcomer to return the thermostat they already own to get a digital thermostat OR a temp gun. You need BOTH. You need a way to REGULATE and to MEASURE.

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I agree 100%, and thank you for pointing that out. I completely meant thermometer. I type so damn fast I don't catch typos like that too often. Woops :oops:

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Originally Posted by LGray23

I agree 100%, and thank you for pointing that out. I completely meant thermometer. I type so damn fast I don't catch typos like that too often. Woops :oops:

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I figured... You typically give good and helpful advice, so I just wanted to clarify it for the OP... :gj:

Ok everyone! thank you so much for all the helpful advice! I spent all day today obtaining all the goodies I needed. The only thing I couldn't find was the accu-rite thermometer with the probe which I'm really pissed about because both Lowes AND Home Depot said they both have it and when I went to each store neither of them had it. I even went to Target (although i didn't hold my breath on that one) and they didn't have it either. I think I'm just going to have to order it online which is annoying because I want it now. However, the positives of the day, I purchased a ceramic heat emitter which should start raising the temps in my tank AND i will be attaching a timer to it so that it is on for 12 hours a day and off for 12 hours at night. Thanks again everyone for the wonderful help.

I got my Accu-rite from Walmart. They're stocked in the section with outdoor thermometers and stuff. They can be hard to find on the shelf sometimes, but I know my local Walmarts all carry them and always have them in stock...

Personally I am not much of a fan of them, they have the same accuracy as any other. You can use just about any one you can find. Personally I suggest to but 3-5 cheap thermometer with probes and check them against each other and only trust the ones that read the same. Knowing you temps is very important and thermometers can vary quite a lot.

Hygrometers can be easily tested (salt test for humidors) I like cheap analogue ones designed for humidors accurate and calibratable. Digital ones are nice to have but digital calibratable ones are more than the average price. This week I saw a calibratable analogue one on amazon for under 5¢ I don't know what shipping is but it might be worth a look. Digital ones are sensitive to dust dirt contaminates and probe wires being bent pinched or any physical abuse.