Final Tweaks to my 20L tank Thoughts?

So far my setup

• 20L tank with
• 2 Zoo Med 11x8 UTH's hooked up to
• 2 hydrofarm thermostats
• The back and sides are blacked out with a thick black cloth(2 layers) fastened with black duck tape
• The lid is covered 90% with 3 layers of foil and black duck tape
• 2 acu-rite thermometers each monitoring their own side (under the hides and ambient temps on the back wall)
• 1 flukers thermometer/hygrometer mounted to the very top/center/back wall.
• I am using 1 repti-carpet and cut to the exact dimensions of the tank
• I then have a layer about 1/4 inch deep of eco earth on top of the carpet

Underneath each hide under the eco-earth(on top of the carpet) the temps on the warm side are 91-93, and the cool side 80-82.

However the substrate top layer not under the hides is staying only around warm side 83-85 and cool side 76-78. Ambient temps in the tank are only around 76-78.
Room temps are only 72-75

So how can I improve this setup?

Humidity is staying at a constant 55 since I shut off the CHE!
If you do recommend that I hook the CHE back up, What would be the best method to not kill my humidity? If I run it 2 feet from the top center of the lid without any holes (so its pointing at the tape/foil) would this hurt humidity?
I do have it on a lamp dimmer.

Is there a reason you have two UTHs along with a CHE?

I would remove the Eco earth. That would fix the temp problems.

I am not running the CHE, I originally started with 1 UTH and it wasn't enough for the cool side. So I bought a CHE and it put my humidity down to around 30%.
So I bought another UTH and put it on the thermostat that the CHE was on.

So I have 1 UTH on the warm side set to 92 and 1 UTH on the cool side set to 82 and the top of the carpet is perfect.

I have tried removing the eco-earth but the humidity falls greatly

Maybe a thinner layer of Eco earth? If you have the funds a radiant heat panel will heat your tank really well without zapping the humidity.

I just scrapped up a good bit of the eco-earth off the carpet to a thin layer everywhere but the hides.(didn't want to uncover the probes).

I guess ill give it a few hours and see if the temps stabilize higher than before.

Yeah getting your set up just right takes some playing around with. Hopefully you will find a set up that is low maintence and cost effective. I tried 3 or 4 completely different set ups before I settled on my current set up

I do have some flexwatt on the way and I already have a 28qt tub. I am hoping to be able to get it set up correctly this weekend as well. I would like to have the tank and tub setup correctly.
That way I can decide which I like the most. I truly like the idea of the tank so I can look in on him, and a nice natural tank looks great!

You will be regulating the flexwatt with a thermostat right? I would strongly suggest a proportional thermostat like the Herpstat ND. If unregulated flexwatt will get hot enough to kill your snake.

I prefer enclosures over tubs as well I keep all of my snakes in Animal Plastics PVC enclosures.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

Maybe a thinner layer of Eco earth? If you have the funds a radiant heat panel will heat your tank really well without zapping the humidity.

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A RHP won't work with a fish tank (with a screen lid) - they're ment for PVC/melamine type enclosures.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jdouglas

I just scrapped up a good bit of the eco-earth off the carpet to a thin layer everywhere but the hides.(didn't want to uncover the probes).

I guess ill give it a few hours and see if the temps stabilize higher than before.

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If temps and humidity keep giving you trouble, I would look into a tub setup unless you're set on the 20L. Also for substrate I recommend starting new snakes on paper towels so you can check for mites better.

Edit: you two type faster than me: to the OP a tub will be a lot better for regulating temps and humidity.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Daybreaker

A RHP won't work with a fish tank (with a screen lid) - they're ment for PVC/melamine type enclosures.



If temps and humidity keep giving you trouble, I would look into a tub setup unless you're set on the 20L. Also for substrate I recommend starting new snakes on paper towels so you can check for mites better.

Edit: you two type faster than me: to the OP a tub will be a lot better for regulating temps and humidity.

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I could see a RHP not working as efficiently in a glass tank than in a PVC enclosure but it should work well enough to bump his temps a few degrees, which is all he needs.

Well it appears that since I removed a good bit of the eco-earth the warm side has certainly warmed up. I am reaching 90f on top of the substrate.
Humidity is still good at 50% now so its only dropped 5%.
The cool side is now at 78f on top of the substrate out side of the hide. But the hide is 82f

Ambient temps are now 78F

Yes it will be on another hydro farm thermostat.

My final goal is to have two cages and if I don't like the tank I will be easily able to switch to a 2nd tub. I am wanting to get 2 snakes in the end.


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Temps first. 50% humidity is fine for everything but a shed when shed sign starts you can just add a humid hide and be done with it. Humidity comes from size and location of water bowls balanced with ventilation not the type of heat source you are using. It would be good if you can increase the ambient some 78 is ok but if the room changes (at night for example) the ambient will too and 77-78 is about as cool as I like to see. Insulating the sides likely will work the addition of a fluorescent light under the screen will bump ambient temps a lot too.

Tubs are MUCH harder to manage ambient temps in rooms as cool as yours is. There are also very limited heating options there is a reason why most keep tub systems (racks) in rooms that are regulated with oil heaters to 80º.

Thanks for the information. Yea last night I allowed the ambient temps to drop in my room to 68F. This was for testing of what could happen on a very cold night.

Well I awoke to discover the ambient temps in my room were 69F and the ambient temps in the cage where 71-72. I guess I will end up using the CHE as well.

Are there any tricks to using a CHE without removing so much humidity?