Probes and Heating

I was wondering if hot glue is the best way to glue down the probes for my thermostat and accurite. Also what are the optimal temperatures and humidity for BP's I've seen many different opinions and care sheets. I want to know what temps and humidity you guys have.

Hot glue is definitely the best option for the probes.

My general rule for ambient temps is high 80s on the hot side and low 80s on the cool side. Nothing under 78, nothing over 90. This is controlled by two thermometers and a light dimmer hooked up to a heat lamp.

My UTH is regulated by a Hydrofarm thermostat set at 92 which means the hottest the hotspot gets is about 94 and then shuts off, usually dropping to just below 90 before it turns back on.

I try to keep my humidity at about 50% or higher. 60% or higher during shed.

I've always wondered why a small piece of HVAC foil tape is frowned upon holding an Acu-Rite probe down. That stuff is the King Kong of tape! I need to use a razor blade just to peel it up. :confusd:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JeRMz

I've always wondered why a small piece of HVAC foil tape is frowned upon holding an Acu-Rite probe down. That stuff is the King Kong of tape! I need to use a razor blade just to peel it up. :confusd:

---

Tape inside the enclosure is a bad idea...even the stickiest tape can fail, potentially leading to the nake getting stuck to it and injured...:gj: for hot glue.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JeRMz

I've always wondered why a small piece of HVAC foil tape is frowned upon holding an Acu-Rite probe down. That stuff is the King Kong of tape! I need to use a razor blade just to peel it up. :confusd:

---

Anything sticky in general isn't good in an enclosure. I personally use adhesive velcro on the back of my thermometers to attach them to the back of my tank and have no problems with them. My BP even hangs from the thermostats sometimes and they don't budge or move at all. There's absolutely no way he can find a sticky part of the adhesive so I don't worry about it but I wouldn't advise other people to do it just because they might not have the same experience as I have.

I plan on using a quality velcro for my Acu-Rite, when the time comes. HVAC foil tape is thinner and is practically super glue! Ask my furnace! ;) I agree, people shouldn't just do something someone else does. Results can vary.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JeRMz

I've always wondered why a small piece of HVAC foil tape is frowned upon holding an Acu-Rite probe down. That stuff is the King Kong of tape! I need to use a razor blade just to peel it up. :confusd:

---

Besides the fact that tape should never be used inside a snake cage aluminum foil tape can interfere with the probes readings since it will act as a heat sink.

Will a light dimmer increase the heat of a CHE or will it only decrease? I just put mine in this morning and it hasn't gotten above 78. My humidity is also at 48, will adding water in the water bowl help?

Lamp dimmer will only decrease... having the dimmer on max is like plugging the lamp directly into the wall.... my high side sits at 90 and low side at 80 .... humidity at 50-60%... if you have a screen lid cover 2/3 of the top with a damp towel or t-shirt... if you have a tub reduce airflow through the tub.... misting also helps. and as far as your water bowl goes.... u should always have clean water in it

My CHE won't increase its heat past 77 or 78. How can I fix this? It's a 100 watt CHE in a Wire Fixture and a 30 gallon tank.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by futurebpowner

My CHE won't increase its heat past 77 or 78. How can I fix this? It's a 100 watt CHE in a Wire Fixture and a 30 gallon tank.

---

How cold is it in the room you have the tank in? My 75 watt infrared bulb lights my 20 gallon long tank just fine on the medium dial setting. The room the tank sits in is heated by a space heater to 75-80 degrees (compared to below 70 in the rest of the house) so it's pretty easy to get the tank temps right.

I strongly suspect that your thermometer isn't accurate... what type is it and where is it located. Do you have any way of checking its accuracy?

If a 100 Watt CHE can't heat your tank you must live in the arctic.

My house temp is at 70. I'm using an Accurite. I just put it in about 7 hours ago. Does it need to take longer to heat up?

If its at full power it shouldn't take long at all. Where is the acu-rite unit, and where is its probe?

You are talking about this acu-rite thermometer correct?

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

nothing sticky glue based, adhesive Velcro, or any tape, removing it from a BP is not good. I use pro hvac tape OUTSIDE but never inside, no adhesives that do not cure to a solid non sticky state. For that matter I generally don't like batteries inside either they sometimes corrode in damp environments spilling battery acid and acid gasses.

Accurites are not very accurate in my experience of the three I had the best was 2ºF high. I suggest comparing three or more thermometers in the same location (5+ is better) and any that read off of the majority toss out. Especially as the accurites have errors of 2ºC +/- there are far cheaper units with higher accuracy easily available. (+/-2ºF or 1ºC) Heck there is a small lab selling calibrated tracked thermometers for the same price as an accurite.

The other temps and humidity seem to be correct, but I did get it used. The bulb was definitely hot enough to burn me when i tried moving it. Its on the far right side which i have designated as my cold side.
http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/...ynwchr/224.jpg
http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/...ynwchr/223.jpg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by futurebpowner

The other temps and humidity seem to be correct, but I did get it used. The bulb was definitely hot enough to burn me when i tried moving it. Its on the far right side which i have designated as my cold side.

---

If the right side is your cold side, then your lamp should be on the left. The lamp will warm the hot side first and then the heat will disperse to the cool side, warming it up to the 80-84 degree range while keeping the hot side closer to 90.

You should also either buy a name brand heat lamp from the pet store or do what I did and go to lowe's or home depot and buy a 8.5" clamp lamp fixture that has a metal "shade" around the socket instead of that socket you currently have. The one you currently have is probably losing alot of heat to the air around it because of that open air design on the fixture.

I just noticed you've been asking us about heating the tank past 78 or so but you're sitting at 90 degrees hot side according to your thermometer. If you're trying to raise the cool side temp, just move the lamp closer to the middle a bit but you're close at 78 for the cool side.

I thought the UTH made your hot side hot? I was also told that the wire fixture was best for CHE because CHE are too hot for regular dome fixtures. And both the fixture and CHE are ZooMed. My temps increased to 80.4 overnight.

77 is fine on the cool side 90 is fine on the hot side if the thermometer is accurate you are likely ok. Yes the UTH will heat the surface and you can use a CHE to heat the cool side and ambient air temps.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by futurebpowner

I thought the UTH made your hot side hot? I was also told that the wire fixture was best for CHE because CHE are too hot for regular dome fixtures. And both the fixture and CHE are ZooMed. My temps increased to 80.4 overnight.

---

If the CHE is too hot for dome fixtures then I just learned something new lol. I use infrared bulbs so I'm unfamiliar with CHE but I assumed you weren't getting the full power because of the open air.

But your UTH should not get hot enough to regulate your ambient temps. It is just a source of belly heat. That's why in my BP's enclosure, the lamp and the UTH are on the same side (hot side). If you put your UTH on the hot side and your lamp on the cool side then your belly heat on the hot side is 90 and your ambient on the cool side is 90. That isn't a good gradient.

Its just what I was told. But I did change everything like you suggested and hopefully it will work out thank you :)