Exo T Glass Tank - Heat be gone !

Hello all,

Im in the process of setting up my first tank for my first BP. Talk about fall at the first hurdle ! Ive had to set my thermostat to 45c to get 35c under the substrate at the hot end, however above on the substrate Im struggling to reach 28c - I need to get that temp up closer to 32c/90f for a hot end.

I have a 50w nightlight above via a compact top box sitting on the mesh lid. I have a Habistat heat mat 7w under one side of the tank, with thermostat probe stuck between mat and glass. The tank is 18"w x 18"d x 12"h.

What can I do to lift temps ? Im off to buy some bubble wrap this morning to insulate the side and back glass of the tank. The tank is situated in a room upstairs that can struggle for heat this time of year. Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
Steve

What are you using for substrate and how thick?

Im using Aspen and its about half an inch thick.

Aspen is easy for them to burrow in, don't get your mat any hotter than 95 degrees.
What is the ambient temperature?

Well the mat is measuring 45c according to the digital thermostat. But my separate digital temp probe reads 35c on the bottom glass above the heat mat. Ive just stuck some thick bubble wrap around the tank so Im in the process of measuring ambient temps now. Will be back with data soon !

Thank you.

Where is the probe for the thermostat? It should be under the tank between the heat mat and the glass. And as posted above, you should mainly worry about the surface temp of the glass, not on top of the substrate, as the snake can and likely will move the substrate around to get warmer.

Indeed, that is exactly where the probe for the thermostat is. So if I can sort out my ambient temps I should be okay ? I am a newbie.

Can you post some photos?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ryokanfan

Indeed, that is exactly where the probe for the thermostat is. So if I can sort out my ambient temps I should be okay ? I am a newbie.

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Hmm I find it strange then that you have to set the thermostat so high to get the correct temp on the glass. What kind of thermostat are you using? Also what are your ambient temp measurements?

Okay, so my ambient temp and cool side temp is 28c. Im using a Habistat Digital Thermostat (http://www.scalesandfangs.co.uk/heat...-digital-range).

The heat mat is 7w and is 6" by 11" (http://www.scalesandfangs.co.uk/heat...m-6x11-7-watts). Temps have increased 2 or 3 degrees since adding the bubble wrap around the tank, but I wish I knew why I have to set the thermostat so high ? My room temps are cold however (66f) and I suppose this word affect tank temps.

Thanks everyone for your help.

So to clarify - my hot side temp is 88f, my cold side is 80f. The ambient is 80f also. Placing the temp probe under the substrate next to the glass, the temp is 95f max.

These temps now seem good and safe for a Ball Python ?

Originally I had 3 inches of substrate ! But I think the root problem is the tank and size/shape of tank. It is square so it is difficult to encourage a temp gradient in there. Using the bubblewrap around the outside glass has helped insulate and trap some of the heat rather than it rising out of the mesh lid.