Regarding temperatures above and below substrate

So, I've read that 90-80F is a very good temp gradient but I'm wondering if it should be above or below the substrate? I'm using aspen at the moment and when it's 90F below the substrate is barely 81F above it, cool side still remains at 80F. I'm not using much aspen either, like 1/4 inch or so. So below the substrate I'm having 90-80F temp gradient and above only 81-80F (room temp is 82F). I should say that he never burrows under the aspen either, he only stays in its hide so this is why i'm worried about the temperatures above the substrate.

It should be 90 on top of the substrate, what are you using to heat?

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Originally Posted by Crazymonkee

It should be 90 on top of the substrate, what are you using to heat?

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Depends on how much substrate. If there's a thick layer of aspen, the top could be 90, but if they burrow down it may be much hotter...

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Originally Posted by sho220

Depends on how much substrate. If there's a thick layer of aspen, the top could be 90, but if they burrow down it may be much hotter...

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That's why I asked what he's using to heat... 1/4 inch of aspen should loose that much heat??? 90 under but 81 on top???

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This is what I use for heating (honestly, not too fond of it):

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002AQCKA

It might be a little bit thicker now that I look at it closer, but still seems little though can't be higher than 3/4 of an inch.

Is it controlled by a thermostat? What are you using to measure temps?

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Originally Posted by Crazymonkee

Is it controlled by a thermostat? What are you using to measure temps?

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Yes it's controlled by a thermostat:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NZZG3S/

And I'm using this to measure temps:

http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiT.../dp/B0053Y6IPE

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Originally Posted by Crazymonkee

That's why I asked what he's using to heat... 1/4 inch of aspen should loose that much heat??? 90 under but 81 on top???

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Oops...didn't see the 1/4 inch part...yeah...I wouldn't think it would lose that much heat...

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Originally Posted by m1n054

Yes it's controlled by a thermostat:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NZZG3S/

And I'm using this to measure temps:

http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiT.../dp/B0053Y6IPE

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As long as the hot spot is set at 90, take away some of the substrate and see what ya get.

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Originally Posted by Crazymonkee

As long as the hot spot is set at 90, take away some of the substrate and see what ya get.

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I'll try to do it tomorrow, right now he's cruising his tub and he has acted kind of stressed out during the day (I put him in a feeding tube for a while to set up the UTH and Thermostat) and I've only been with him for a couple of days. The only thing I can say is that the aspen is kind of compressed so it might need to loosen it out?

Yep try taking a lil bit out then and making it a lil looser.
The aspen can't be too thick or the heat doesn't get through.
Also I noticed you said feeding tub. You really should feed him in his enclosure. It's less stress on the snake, less possibility of regurgitation of the meal and less chance if getting bit while the snake is in feed mode
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Originally Posted by Crazymonkee

Yep try taking a lil bit out then and making it a lil looser.
The aspen can't be too thick or the heat doesn't get through.
Also I noticed you said feeding tub. You really should feed him in his enclosure. It's less stress on the snake, less possibility of regurgitation of the meal and less chance if getting bit while the snake is in feed mode
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Oh i'm sorry that's my corn snake feeding tube, which i'm now using as a temporal tube too while I clean their tubs. I was planning on feeding him there though then move him back to his regular tube once he finished eating... just worried about the snake eating an aspen shaving. He's gonna try eat on tuesday, you think I should feed him on his regular tube?

Yes most definitely. You will find the majority here feed in the enclosure. A lil substrate is not a problem if he does ingest it. In comparison a lil ingested aspen is better than the stress caused by moving them during feeding.
They ingest dirt and leaves from the ground in the wild, they are made for that stuff

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Originally Posted by m1n054

Oh i'm sorry that's my corn snake feeding tube, which i'm now using as a temporal tube too while I clean their tubs. I was planning on feeding him there though then move him back to his regular tube once he finished eating... just worried about the snake eating an aspen shaving. He's gonna try eat on tuesday, you think I should feed him on his regular tube?

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Your "e" key is stuck.

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Originally Posted by sho220

Your "e" key is stuck.

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Sorry keep forgetting that's its tub instead of tube XD.

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Originally Posted by m1n054

Sorry keep forgetting that's its tub instead of tube XD.

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lol..just messin' with ya...:D

I keep my hot side air temp84-88,this morning my temp was 86-88 and under substrate uth at 83-85, this morning believe it was 82-83.. he's doing wonderful..humidity is averaging 40-60 on the reg

Why do you even bother using electricity for your uth? It's not doing anything at all at that temp??? Your heat is coming from your lamp

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Well isn't today a lovely day... I found out that my corn snake still has mites even though I have spray my tank with and my corn snake 3 times with Reptile Spray (every 4 days) except during this one time when she was shedding and unfortunately my ball python shared for a couple of mins the feeding/cleaning tub... so... I guess it's quarantine time for both...

I took the opportunity to try another thing, I took out the thermostat probe from inside the tub (it was slightly taped) and moved it outside the tub. The probe seems to be getting in the way of the heating pad so the sides of the heat mat are actually warmer than where the probe is. I first measured out the temps without the substrate and they were 95-85F around the heatpad, 80F outside it. The temps start falling from left to right from 95F to 80F and when I put the newspaper in the temps went to 86-80F around the heatpad (I still lost 9F what the hell). I didn't take out the newspaper but instead I flipped it over a little and checked the temp and they dropped down to 88-80F. I know the Hydrofarm thermostat switches the heat mat on and off so it's expected a little variation on the temps but it was at it's warmest point when I checked out the temps.

I don't know what the hell is going on.

I just got a infrared temp gun today and did my checks. I couldn't be happier to be honest. And temperature strips if placed in the right spot are damn accurate..cause where I have my strips and wherei placed my heat gun was giving me readings only about Degree and a half more...so I have them in the right spot


commons sense people....:)