Desperate help w/ Humidity and temperature

I'm going to pick up my ball in just a few hours and I can't get my tub figured out. My humidity is at about 90%, though it really doesn't seem bad at all when I open it. I haven't misted and I have about 18 air holes poked on each long side of the tub.

On the other end, my heat levels are too low. It's now at 82 on the hot spot with the thermostat turned up to 105. I'm getting closer, but I'm not sure if it's alright to be cranking the thermostat up that high. It doesn't feel that warm inside or on the outside of the tub.

I'm a little worried that my tub is also a little too big, but I got a 10 gallon one like everyone has said. It's ABOUT 26 L x 15 W x 5 D. I figure if my ball acts stressed or wont eat, I'll make a smaller one, but I had spent all day it felt like working on that one just to toss it out, because I'm not sure (I put 4 inch feet on it so I can't really use it for anything else.) Also, the small UTH I got wasn't doing annnnything with heat so I had to attach the large UTH.

This is the thermostat that I'm using and I'm using an Acutrite thermometer/ hygrometer with probe as well as some small back up gauge ones. I'm planning on getting a Temperature gun today as well when I go to pick up my snake.

Is there any advice anyone can give me? I'm really worrying with pick up being so close and I know I should have built the tank earlier than last night.

Thank you ahead of time!

EDIT: Just found out the thermostat only goes up to 108 when I had to turn it up :(

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Originally Posted by fruitcakey

I'm going to pick up my ball in just a few hours and I can't get my tub figured out. My humidity is at about 90%, though it really doesn't seem bad at all when I open it. I haven't misted and I have about 18 air holes poked on each long side of the tub.

On the other end, my heat levels are too low. It's now at 82 on the hot spot with the thermostat turned up to 105. I'm getting closer, but I'm not sure if it's alright to be cranking the thermostat up that high. It doesn't feel that warm inside or on the outside of the tub.

I'm a little worried that my tub is also a little too big, but I got a 10 gallon one like everyone has said. It's ABOUT 26 L x 15 W x 5 D. I figure if my ball acts stressed or wont eat, I'll make a smaller one, but I had spent all day it felt like working on that one just to toss it out, because I'm not sure (I put 4 inch feet on it so I can't really use it for anything else.) Also, the small UTH I got wasn't doing annnnything with heat so I had to attach the large UTH.

This is the thermostat that I'm using and I'm using an Acutrite thermometer/ hygrometer with probe as well as some small back up gauge ones. I'm planning on getting a Temperature gun today as well when I go to pick up my snake.

Is there any advice anyone can give me? I'm really worrying with pick up being so close and I know I should have built the tank earlier than last night.

Thank you ahead of time!

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1) at 90% you should have condensation on the sides of the enclosure. If you don't there's probably something wrong with your hygrometer.

2) how are you testing your heat? is your probe under the substrate or on it? and how much substrate are you using?

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Originally Posted by decensored

1) at 90% you should have condensation on the sides of the enclosure. If you don't there's probably something wrong with your hygrometer.

2) how are you testing your heat? is your probe under the substrate or on it? and how much substrate are you using?

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1) I do have some condensation on all sides and the lid is a tad foggy (looks almost like dust.) I have two things testing the humidity, one digital one not. Would it help to add more air holes? I'm worried if I do that then I'll have even more problems with heat.

2) I'm using and Acurite thermometer/ hygrometer. My probe is under the substrate, right on top of the edge of the heating pad on the pub. The thermostat probe is taped to the UTH between the tub and UTH. I'm using about a half inch of Reptibark.

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Originally Posted by fruitcakey

1) I do have some condensation on all sides and the lid is a tad foggy (looks almost like dust.) I have two things testing the humidity, one digital one not. Would it help to add more air holes? I'm worried if I do that then I'll have even more problems with heat.

2) I'm using and Acurite thermometer/ hygrometer. My probe is under the substrate, right on top of the edge of the heating pad on the pub. The thermostat probe is taped to the UTH between the tub and UTH. I'm using about a half inch of Reptibark.

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hmmm - i had an issue with high humidity, i put to many holes and now I have low humidity lol - open the lid and leave it open for a little while before you bring him home. If your holding a high humidity level than try not spraying for a while and see what it levels out at.

its strange that your heat levels are so low, how long ago did you plug in the UTH?

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Originally Posted by decensored

hmmm - i had an issue with high humidity, i put to many holes and now I have low humidity lol - open the lid and leave it open for a little while before you bring him home. If your holding a high humidity level than try not spraying for a while and see what it levels out at.

its strange that your heat levels are so low, how long ago did you plug in the UTH?

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I plugged it in last night and had it on all night. I don't think that it will go above 85, because the thermostat is at 107 currently and the temperature is at 84. I'm kind of panicking now.

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Originally Posted by fruitcakey

I plugged it in last night and had it on all night. I don't think that it will go above 85, because the thermostat is at 107 currently and the temperature is at 84. I'm kind of panicking now.

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:\ hmm what kind of UTH do you have?

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Originally Posted by decensored

:\ hmm what kind of UTH do you have?

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I'm using this one, because I had no idea how to work with the Flex Watt tape.

hmm.. it may either be defective, or your thermostat may have issues, try plugging the uth into the wall directly and see if the temp rises

It sound's like you have thing's pretty much covered for a tub setup? What size is that uth? I'm using the same ones like your's till I get my flexwatt tape and helix. Are you buying a juvi bp or a yearling? If, your getting a juvi bp maybe for the time being you could find or buy a 15qt sterilite tub and set thing's up in that? The tub you described sound's alittle big for a new bp. Bp's like to feel secure so the less space they have the more it imitates the rodent holes from the wild.
Are, you using any kind of lamp with your tub? I use lamp's on my 60qt's since there much larger and wider than my 15-20qts. I also had to buy stronger basking bulb's. To help with the distance from the top of the tub to the floor. The lamp will also help with heat and day/night cycles.

So, I tired plugging the mat straight in to the wall. It's staying around 80 :(

I feel like both the mat and thermostat are messed up.

@Gbusiness - I may have to bite the bullet and switch to the smaller one.

I really don't understand what's going wrong. The large mat is capable of heating a 50 gallon tank. I don't know why it can't warm up my 10 gallon.

Does it matter that I didn't stick the pad directly to the tank? I stuck tinfoil on the sticky side and then taped it to the tank.

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Originally Posted by fruitcakey

So, I tired plugging the mat straight in to the wall. It's staying around 80 :(

I feel like both the mat and thermostat are messed up.

@Gbusiness - I may have to bite the bullet and switch to the smaller one.

I really don't understand what's going wrong. The large mat is capable of heating a 50 gallon tank. I don't know why it can't warm up my 10 gallon.

Does it matter that I didn't stick the pad directly to the tank? I stuck tinfoil on the sticky side and then taped it to the tank.

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for the zoo med uth heating pads. Were technically not suppose to use them for plastic tubs, just for glass cages. I didn't know this till I bought a few of them. I think most people would have the impression that you could.
Anyway, what I did was leave the white sticker sheet on the uth ( because I didn't know how well the uth would work, I was thinking I might have to upgrade. Also, I didn't want to get stuck with a uth that I can't pull off if I needed to) and flipped it over. I rest my tub's on the black side without covering the plastic connector.
It's going to take a few hour's before the uth will be at it's full heat capability. Or, at least it will take a while till the inside of the tub receives all the heat that the zoo med uth can offer.

I think your problem is the tin foil is acting as a insulator... try it with out the tin foil

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Originally Posted by Gbusiness

for the zoo med uth heating pads. Were technically not suppose to use them for plastic tubs, just for glass cages.

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Apparently this is my problem. I just figured that out right before I got back on and used the Temp gun to figure out that the heating pad was as hot as it said it was, but inside was a different story. I'm assuming the plastic is too thick. I can get a different kind tomorrow, but tonight the place is already closed, until then, does anyone know what I can do? I got my ball. He's 4 years old and a big guy. Is there any way I can keep him warmer until tomorrow and the humidity is also still too high even after I added more holes. I feel like I've messed up big time.