Space heater instead

So I have been using a UTH and have been maintaining temperatures perfectly but since it's starting to get cold it's been dipping down to 75 with just the UTH. I'm using a rack type system that's plastic. Everything is in a very small closet roughly 3x5. Would it be fine to just heat the small room with space heater and drop the UTH? So basically just set the heater up on the thermostat and remove the UTH. I'm thinking I'd set it to 83. I can't hook both up to the thermostat since it has a watt limit. Any suggestions? Thanks!

You can use just ambient heat BUT I still prefer belly heat too.
I know a couple people that don't heat their rooms or any other heat with no problems.

No, I'd heat the room to the temperature where you can maintain the rack temperatures, but keep the UTH for a hot spot. If you just heat the room to a certain temp and drop the UTH, they will only have one temperature to choose from, making them unable to choose the temperature they need.

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Originally Posted by CloudtheBoa

No, I'd heat the room to the temperature where you can maintain the rack temperatures, but keep the UTH for a hot spot. If you just heat the room to a certain temp and drop the UTH, they will only have one temperature to choose from, making them unable to choose the temperature they need.

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And to clarify many people do that without any issue, I am one of them ;) providing only ambient temps during a time of the year and not providing a hot spot.

To the OP yes it is doable but it might be more costly too, you will have to see on your next electric bill.

Yeah I'm hoping since the room is so small it shouldn't cost to much to heat, that and I might try to insulate it a little more. Thanks for the advice!

I use a space heater only and drop the temp a few degrees at night to try to keep it more like they would have it in the wild. during the winter months I add insulating foam to the window and the only wall that touches the outside. You can also use it as a type of pin board for notes or paint it to give the room a new look while keeping your warm air in... http://www.homedepot.com/p/CelloFoam...4803/202090244 I believe is what we have. I picked mine up from a friend so not sure if it is exactly the same.

Nice idea! Going to look into that insulating foam for sure!

im sure it works perfectly fine to only have ambient heating but i would say a temperature gradient with the belly heat is best. most space heaters already have a thermostat, and for such a small space u would only need a very small one. so my advice is keep the uth and get a small space heater set to 80°, stuff a towel under the door and as long as the rest of ur house isnt under 65° it shouldnt make much of a dent in ur electric bill. personally i keep my entire house at about 74° and have heat lamps with 75 watt night bulbs aimed at my tubs with uth. good luck.

i agree with more-is-lessors, just my 2 cents

Somewhat related question, is a thermostat necessary for a space heater, or do they have one built in ?

Most of them have one built in. I would highly suggest connecting it to another thermostat. The built in thermostats are notorious for failing. I know several people who lost parts of their collection due to failures.

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Originally Posted by speedycat222

Somewhat related question, is a thermostat necessary for a space heater, or do they have one built in ?

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The built in t-stat is very unreliable and an external t-stat with a probe should be used. (Ranco, Johnson etc)

I doubt using just ambient would hurt anything as has been said, provided it's a reasonable temp, but it just seems best for the snakes to offer them a temp gradient, and probably cheaper, too. My snakes make regular use of the gradient I give them.

I use a space heater with a thermostat to keep my ambient temps right but both our snakes also have a uth for their hot spot. I think it would be super difficult to maintain a good gradient with a space heater if you try to use that to create your hot spot!

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Originally Posted by owlbear

I use a space heater with a thermostat to keep my ambient temps right but both our snakes also have a uth for their hot spot. I think it would be super difficult to maintain a good gradient with a space heater if you try to use that to create your hot spot!

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Using a space heater set in the mid 80 eliminates the need for a hot spot entirely.

The Barkers have been using this methods for DECADES.


To those that think gradient and hot spot is BEST, it might be for YOUR animals, but it does not make it BEST as a general rule nor was it the original question in this case ;).

Is it something I would recommend to a new inexperienced owner? Not likely but to someone that wants to experience around, ABSOLUTELY

Thanks for the suggestions!

How do the snakes thermoregulate that way? For the record my intention was not to claim that my way was best - just to give my reasoning and tactics. I've no doubt that there are other ways to handle things. :)

The same way they do in the wild. If you use the temperatures they are accustomed to having in the wild they, in theory, should thrive. A theory in which the Barkers and others have proven. Mine eat every week, have regular bm's, and shed without issue. They all get handled often and are not fussy. Most of them I can head rub without them jerking away.

Ah! So it's just a matter of finding the same sort of ambient temps they're used to. Do you vary it at all or keep it a steady 84-85?

It also depends on where you live. The Bakers are in TX, Deb is in Ga. I however live in MN and would not consider using room heat as my only heat source. I've got heat tape on everything. I believe that Ball pythons DO need variable temps to stay healthy, whether that temp varies in the distance between the front of the cage to the back of the cage or over time from the middle of the night to the middle of the afternoon. Places down south it's likely to get hotter in the later part of the day then in the morning, up here especially in the winter when we have to rely on artificial heat 24X7 not so much.

We are having a cold snap here in GA right now and it's also really low humidity!! I did not move here for this weather!! I bought a radiator type space heater set to 75 (this is a compromise because the snakes are in the bedroom) they have a UTH On Tstat and a CHE on dimmer. It's keeping warm sides at 84 and cool side at 77/78... The UTH is set at 90 and I check them daily with temp gun. I also bought a humidifier for the room and at least we slept better lol! But not doing much for cages. Staying at around 55-60%, go higher when I must and wet their towel. Thoughts? Warm enough on cool side? I'm a nervous newbie!

I live in Texas myself. Very curious to look more into the idea of just running a space heater when my collection grows. For now though I already have heat mats set up. Though I notice that VPIs care sheet mentions that having an actual gradient is apparently better? So much info out there.

Personally my "cool side" is 81-82 with a 88-90 degree hot spot for our BP. I try to read every care sheet I can find and these seem to be the average suggested temps.