How do i secure thermostat probes inside tank?

New to the forum and just got my first BP (pics to follow) I am using a thermostat of my own design . STC-1000 . The probes are very slender and small. I am using one for a CHE and the other to monitor a UTH in a 20 gallon tank. Currently I am using aluminum foil to secure the probes namely the probe for the CHE which sits half way down on the glass on the hot side. I know tape is bad but I can't see any other option. For some reason my Bp is obsessed with the wires and has ready knocked them free. I should call him Tarzan he can't stay away for those probes!


http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/l...ps1c802b74.jpg
http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/l...psa43852af.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/l...ps6c190974.jpg

Use a hot glue gun, and secure it along the corner, maybe?

A thermostat probe should go on the outside of the tank, not on the inside.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

And if that is tape in the inside of the tank please take it out ASAP


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

And when I say ASAP I mean like yesterday


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

First, you are asking for serious trouble with any kind of tape in the enclosure! It's not worth the danger to the snake.

You have a couple options. You can secure the probe above the UTH with aquarium grade silicone. This will make it difficult for cleaning.

Your best bet is to attach the probe to the under side of the UTH on the outside of the tank. Use aluminum tape to secure it directly onto the bottom of UTH. You will need to prop up your tank a little for clearance so it's not resting directly on the probe.

Like others have said, secure it on the outside, not the inside.

Also tape is a very very bad omen in a snake tank. Your snake goes over it when the adhesive is displayed and then you're having to remove tape from your snake. This can cause all kind of issues.

So a little more detail...

First and foremost get that tape out of the tank. If you snake accidentally finds a way to get stuck to it, you and your creature are not going to be happy campers.

Second - A thermostat probe, for the most part should always go on the outside of the tank. Usually what you want to see is the probe either sandwiched between the bottom of the glass tank and the UTH or taped onto the UTH directly, but not on the inside of the enclosure. If your snake urates (pees) or spills water on the probe, the probe can sense a decrease in temperature and cause your UTH to spike in temperature, potentially burning your snake. The only time I have ever put a thermostat probe on the inside of an enclosure is when I have a CHE (bulb) or RHP (radiant heat panel) attached to a thermostat. When this was done, I used a used a non-sticky adhesive method (i.e. hot glue gun) like in the picture below to adhere the probe to the back wall of the enclosure that is elevated from the ground floor that prevent the probe from getting peed on.

http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/...-30-49_736.jpg

Also do not use any type of foil on the probe directly (the silver part of the probe) as this can cause miss-readings from your thermostat.

So I should put the thermostat probe for the CHE outside! How on earth will that read accurately through the glass?

Okay I'm going to attempt to not glue gun the probe to the inside for the CHE. The probe for the UTH is not taped but sits under his warm side hide held in place by the hide above it

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by blackonblack

Okay I'm going to attempt to not glue gun the probe to the inside for the CHE. The probe for the UTH is not taped but sits under his warm side hide held in place by the hide above it

---

AGAIN.....A thermostat probe, for the most part should always go on the outside of the tank. Usually what you want to see is the probe either sandwiched between the bottom of the glass tank and the UTH or taped onto the UTH directly, but not on the inside of the enclosure. If your snake urates (pees) or spills water on the probe, the probe can sense a decrease in temperature and cause your UTH to spike in temperature, potentially burning your snake.

Read guys, READ.
This probe is going to have to ho on the inside because it is controlling a CHE (overhead heat emitter)
Hot glue is going to be your best option other than changing to belly heat.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

Read guys, READ.
This probe is going to have to ho on the inside because it is controlling a CHE (overhead heat emitter)
Hot glue is going to be your best option other than changing to belly heat.

---

According to his OP he is running both a CHE and a UTH.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

When I mount probes of some sort to the inside of a tank i either use suction cups and pull out the little hook from the cup and feed the probe and wire through the hole that the hook was in, then stick it to the tank. If the probe is to big to fit in the hole you can use sewing string feed it through hole and tie it to the wire or probe and cut the excess string to where all is left is the knot. That way if the critter gets behind the wire somehow, the suction cups will pop off the tank side and not trap itself. Just make sure you take the excess wire out of the tank to prevent entanglement of your snake.

My other way is using styrofoam backgrounds (non toxic) or styrofoam you can find within appliance boxes and clean them. drill/cut a hole through the styrofoam just big enough for the probe to fit through and have the wire behind the foam. The downside is that they tend to mildew and deteriorate (you can youtube it to make it last), and takes up space within the enclosure (KEEP HEAT SOURCE AWAY). On a good note styrofoam provides decent insulation.

Under no circumstance use tape on the inside of the enclosure, its a disaster waiting to happen.

As for the UTH thermostat probe I failed to mention have it mounted outside the tank between the glass and the UTH as mentioned above and have a probe on top the surface of the substrate (I use moss mats and terrarium liners) and offset the UTH thermostat to give you your temp at the surface. For example my thermostat is set at 93 for my UTH and i get 88-90 at the surface of my substrate. I don't use shavings so my little girl don't come into direct contact with the hot glass underneath.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by martin82531

According to his OP he is running both a CHE and a UTH.


[/URL]

---

Still maintaining a che needs to go inside

Very good. Excellent advice. I have done the following:

removed all tape from inside of his tank. I put the thermostat probe sandwiched in between the UTH and glass. (Peeled back UTH and stuck it dead center and restuck the UTH.

i now have the CHE therm probe hanging down in to the warm side.


I am struggling with temps! Can't get them high enough! Ambient room temp is 70 deg. I'm only running a 65 watt CHE I believe it's too low wattage . Cold side around 72 and only about 79 degrees 4 inches above substrate on hot side. My UTH temp
os providing a warm spot of about 85 . I have most of the top covered in foil and then a towel over it.

Top is UTH bottom che


http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/l...psfdf7301f.jpg
http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/l...ps37125e00.jpg

I have a 150 watt CHE that is one a dimmer with my glass tank that gets the appropriate temps. To help insulate the tank I picked up the stuff below and adhered it to the bottom and back of the tank using foil tape. If need be, I also have a piece that is cut to place on the top of the screen lid when necessarily to keep the heat/humidity in. My CHE is also on the same side as the UTH, this gives me a nice gradient temperature on the cool side.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Reflectix...f#.UsR1VfRDvNk

Here is another post that also gives some really good detail on how to setup a glass tank.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...-With-Pictures!

Sounds like I need a higher wattage CHE is it ok to have the probe dangle freely on the warm side? It's held in place by the lid

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by blackonblack

Sounds like I need a higher wattage CHE is it ok to have the probe dangle freely on the warm side? It's held in place by the lid

---

Should be fine - main thing just want to make sure it cant get wet (pee or water) glue gun would work to adhere it to the back if you wanted, but again I don't see any issues with it dangling freely.