Temperature Question

I've been reading different care sheets and a book to help me provide the best care for my Pewter Ball Python. I've noticed differences in all of them. Mainly with the night time temperature. I also read there's no need for a temperature drop at night. In this book I bought, it says the temperature should be reduced to 68-73 degrees at night. That sounds a little too cold to me. My room temperature rarely falls below 75, with an average temperature of 79 degrees. My snake does great with the temperature, but I'm curious. I like the caresheet provided by this site. But with all of the info out there, it makes you wonder what is right. Perhaps it slightly differs with each snake? I've been collecting information and using what is provided most of the time.

I noticed that too when I first started. 73 seems too cold for snakes though. Even if its at night.

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There is no need for a night drop, not even when breeding.
If your room temp stays around 75, all you have to worry about is your hot side regulated between 88-95 degrees:gj:
What are you using for heat?
and what are you regulating it with?

I have a stick on heating pad on the right side of her tank. During the day I leave for work, so the heater doesn't stay on. Then I turn on her day white light incandescent bulb until I get home. I keep that on the left side of the tank, right above the water to provide more humidity and to give her warmer water. It doesn't evaporate too much to where it's empty. I was debating on which side to keep the light on. The left side sounded better to me also considering she already has her heating pad on the right.

Your heating pad needs a thermostat to regulate it. What are you using to measure temperatures/humidity?

Don't waste your money on the thermostats sold in pet stores. They are unreliable at best. Here are 2 good ones.

Budget: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000NZ..._bxgy_ol_img_b

Best choice: http://spyderrobotics.com/

The hot side needs to be between 88-92 degrees, the cool side needs to be between 78-82 degrees. No part of the cage should ever get above 95 or below 75

I have one in the middle of the tank. It's the Zilla brand. I'll probably buy one of the ones you showed me. I want it to be as accurate as possible. In the middle it reads 82 degrees. Should I buy 2 of them to regulate each side? This may be a dumb question, but where do you put the thermostat to test the heating pad?

The thermostat has its own sensor that attaches to the heating pad and the pad plugs into the t-stat, then the stat plugs into the wall and it will regulate to set temps.

I think you are confusing thermometers and thermostats.

A thermometer measures temperature

A thermostat uses a temperature probe to vary the output going to a heating/cooling system.

Both are necessary.

You need a thermometer on each side of the cage so you know the temperatures of each.

You need a thermostat for each heat source you use. The probe for the heat source needs to be attached directly to the heat pad. I use hot glue for this. Just don't apply glue to the probe itself as this will alter readings. Do not ever use foil tape as it can ack like a heat sink and alter probe readings.

So get one of the thermostats I put links to above. Unregulated heating pads can and will get up to 150+ degrees. This is hot enough to kill your snake.

Then get one of these. This is a good digital thermometer with a probe. You need a probed thermometer because heating pads do not change the air temperature in the tank. All they do is heat up the floor.

This thermometer is sold at Walmart for $12 and will measure your hot side temlerature, cool side temperature, and humidity.

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...nt/photo-3.jpg

That thermometer is what I use. I also reccomend spyder robotics thermostats. We just ordered one for ours.

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Thanks for all the help everyone. :) I bought an Acu-Rite thermometer/humidity reader today. I'll buy a second one for the other side tomorrow and get the thermostat reader from one of those links.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HauntedBanshee

Thanks for all the help everyone. :) I bought an Acu-Rite thermometer/humidity reader today. I'll buy a second one for the other side tomorrow and get the thermostat reader from one of those links.

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I thought the acu-rite had 2 temp probes. only need one then right? I just ordered one but haven't received it yet to verify.

You only need one Acu-rite because it has a probe you attach to the hot side, and you put the unit itself on the cool side. For one enclosure, you only need one Acu-rite.

If you are buying a digital thermo with probe, you might as well get one with the Min/Max feature.

If you want to know how cold it gets, at the coldest point, you can either stay up all night temping out the cage every 30 minutes, or just use the Minimum feature and see how cold it gets at 3am or 4am in the morning. Super handy.

The Acu-Rites we sell at PE have this feature, and we use it throughout the season to evaluate both Minimums and Maximums, cages, rooms, egg boxes, etc.

Is it recommended you have the heating pad as long as you have your warm side maintained?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HauntedBanshee

Is it recommended you have the heating pad as long as you have your warm side maintained?

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:confused::confused:
how are you maintaining 88 to 95 degrees without heat AND giving proper cool side at the same time?

I have the day white light. It brings the right side to 92 degrees. I think it's the water on the left side making it cooler on the cool side. Then I have my heater at night.

you do not need both the light and a heating pad. honestly you should ditch the white light and get an infrared bulb (and leave it on 24/7) or if your room temperatures don't drop too much below 75 degrees, just use the heating pad (regulated by a thermostat) 24/7) switching between the 2 is just asking for issues.

Here is a good infrared bulb

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...uctId=11147193

Will not using that day light or using that night light 24/7 ruin her day/night cycle?

nope... first off, BP's are nocturnal, and spend their days in termite mounds in the wild. So they really don't need a day night cycle, but even still, there is naturally more light during the day then there is at night.

That's interesting. I think I'll just stick to the heating pad method and ditch the lights. My thermostat with the probe should be here any day. I live in the basement and only have one window not covered by a black trash bag. I don't like light disturbances in the morning. :3 So my room isn't that bright during the day. But now that I know what you told me, I feel better. Thanks for the help.

But do remember that heating pads do not greatly change the air temperature in the cage, they just heat the floor of the cage. This means that if the air temperature in your room drops too low, you will have to use a heat lamp (probably only in the winter... but just something to keep in mind)

Yeah, I was thinking about winter. So in the winter should I use both the infrared bulb and the heating pad?

It all depends on how cold the room gets.

Got it. Use it when my room drops below 75 in the winter. :)