Am I doing this right? (Tub set-up)

http://i42.tinypic.com/14awwub.jpg

Please ignore the temp indicated on the thermometer. I'm working with a rheostat so I'm trying to fine-tune it. Also, I was unable to cut through the bowls so I just made little indentations in the bedding and I'm hoping it's enough room for them to slither through to get into the hide. Probably more secure, too? I have about 1-1.5" of repti-bark for bedding.

It might be too much open space? I can pack in around the edges with crumpled newspaper if you guys think it's necessary.

More pictures available upon request, all you have to do is ask.

Hides are probably fine, as long as they can get their heads under them they'll move them around as they see fit. If you're worried about it I've used a utility knife to cut holes in those exact same bowls though, its easy. I keep thermostats on the opposite side as the UTH too, can't tell if thats what youre doing. I do this cause its easy to monitor hot side with a temp gun so having it on opposite side will give you a better idea of the ambient temp inside the tub.

Would also cover that with a towel or something once it gets its resident, as that clear plastic won't do much to make them feel secure.

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Originally Posted by devildog_dk

Hides are probably fine, as long as they can get their heads under them they'll move them around as they see fit. If you're worried about it I've used a utility knife to cut holes in those exact same bowls though, its easy. I keep thermostats on the opposite side as the UTH too, can't tell if thats what youre doing. I do this cause its easy to monitor hot side with a temp gun so having it on opposite side will give you a better idea of the ambient temp inside the tub.

Would also cover that with a towel or something once it gets its resident, as that clear plastic won't do much to make them feel secure.

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The UTH is plugged into a rheostat. Right now it's reading about 100F on the thermometer right on top of the plastic (the hide is right over the thermometer probe.) The bedding is kind of warm to the touch but the ambient is only reading ~75F, but I'm hoping it'll even out as time goes on. Humidity is 60, give or take a few points. The bowl is just barely over the heat mat so I can move it more to the cool side if it's getting too humid. I only have three holes in each side too so I can always make more.

Also, will def be covering with a towel, I don't want to stress the poor thing out any more than I have to.

The only temp gun I have access to without buying a new one is at home. The tub is currently /not/ at home (it's a long, complicated story and one I don't want to get into) so I won't be able to get one until I have a bit more money.

gotcha, although with as much substrate as you have 100 degrees straight on the plastic should put you pretty close to surface temp on the hot side. That is one thing you want to make sure of before you house a snake in there though.

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Originally Posted by devildog_dk

gotcha, although with as much substrate as you have 100 degrees straight on the plastic should put you pretty close to surface temp on the hot side. That is one thing you want to make sure of before you house a snake in there though.

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Yeah, I definitely don't want it too hot (It's about 108-109 right now) and the rheostat's about as low as it'll go, the bedding is warm but not overly so. I had to make more holes in the tub because humidity was 75%+ with the water bowl on the cool side so bluh. I hope it'll all even out soon enough. I keep checking on it.

keep in mind while the top of the substrate is at the right temp, your snake will dig to the very bottom of the substrate and lay directly on the plastic, so you want to lower the temp on the hot side by almost 20 degrees.

other than that, looks good.

Your hides are probably fine, but if you are interested in bowls easier to cut through, I got the bowls for my hides at the Dollar Tree (or 98 cent store, depending on what you have in your state) and they are about the same size as yours, 3 for $1. Because they are so cheap, I could cut through them with scissors, and then just burned the edges smooth with a lighter and cleaned them with bleach and rinsed them good. I plan on just going up a size as my snake grows. I just like having a hole I can peek through so I know where the snake is without disturbing her, since snakes are escape artists, so you want to take a head count as often as possible. haha! I just like being able to check on her without her knowing. :P

But good set up! You could throw in a few plants in the future to make more of a visual barrier and add security. But those buggers are about $15 a piece. Not necessary, but the snakes seem to like them if they are there. Something to crawl around on is usually good for when they are up and about (usually when you are sleeping.) Paper towel tubes work great!

good point on the fake plants! if you go to Michael's (or any other craft store) they sell silk plants/vines/flowers that are used for making fake floral arrangements, and they are a fraction of the price of ones made specifically for reptiles.

then you go to the hardware store and get a gluegun and some suction cups, and attach them to the plants and stick them on the side of the tub.

So the 'meter on the hot side says 110, the ambient refuses to go above 75 and the humidity is 84%(!!!). I can't turn the rheo down any further without turning it off completely. I'll make more holes in the morning because I'm too tired to do it right now but that should help with the humidity. Water dish is on the cool side of the tub.

You can heat a utility knife, once it is nice and hot, it will slice through those bowls like butter... just a thought...

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Originally Posted by Inarikins

So the 'meter on the hot side says 110, the ambient refuses to go above 75 and the humidity is 84%(!!!). I can't turn the rheo down any further without turning it off completely. I'll make more holes in the morning because I'm too tired to do it right now but that should help with the humidity. Water dish is on the cool side of the tub.

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To help with the high hot spot temps:
-Reduce the thickness of your substrate layer to about 1/2 - 1 inch thick.
-Elevate the tub so that there is air flow under it. If your Under Tank Heat source did not come with rubber feet, you can simply glue plastic bottle caps under each corner to raise it up. This should help until you can get a thermostat.

Changed the substrate thickness, and the little feet are already installed. I doubled the number of holes on one side (I'll make the other side the same way in just a bit) Hot spot is now reading 104, ambient is 77, and humidity is still 79% but going down (Though I woke up in the middle of the night and it said 99% so that's better than it was).

i really would suggest forgetting about the rheostat, i've had nothing but problems with them. they're wildly inaccurate and require too much tinkering. 104 is still much too hot for a ball python.

not sure if it will burn your snake, but it's not worth the risk.

invest in a thermostat. i think one of the cheapest ones is a Repti Temp 500R. i have a couple of them, they're much better than rheostats even if they're not as accurate as a more expensive proportional thermostat like a Herpstat or Helix.

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Originally Posted by SquamishSerpents

i really would suggest forgetting about the rheostat, i've had nothing but problems with them. they're wildly inaccurate and require too much tinkering. 104 is still much too hot for a ball python.

not sure if it will burn your snake, but it's not worth the risk.

invest in a thermostat. i think one of the cheapest ones is a Repti Temp 500R. i have a couple of them, they're much better than rheostats even if they're not as accurate as a more expensive proportional thermostat like a Herpstat or Helix.

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If I had the means to get my hands on a thermostat right now, I would have a thermostat and not the rheo. As it is, I'm taking it back because there's no way it's ever going to get the mat cool enough for long enough for me to feel safe about it. I'll try a dimmer for now and get a thermostat as soon as I can get one.