newbie help, maintaining heat

Hey there,
I got my first ball a couple days ago, set him up in a tank with UTH pad.
stupidly, I kinda just assumed that (being designed for reptiles) it wouldn't get hot enough to hurt one.
so far so good, but as I have been browsing the forums its obvious that I need a thermostat.
it wont get here for at least a week, and my the guy is spending alllll his time in the warm side hide over the mat.
I'm not sure if this is because he is new, or the rest of the tank is too cold.
I'm getting super scared he will burn but my room ambient temp is pretty cold, even for me.
I have a daylight heat lamp which Ive put up for now but I don't know.
is it better to have top heat (and light) or should I just let him be cold until I can regulate the UTH ?

It would help to know the temperature of the room. Either way I would unplug the UTH until you can get it under control and if you need to you can provide an overhead heat source until then.

depending on your ambients as tbowman said you could also go to your local hardware store and get a dimmer switch to lower the temp of the heat mat until the TSTAT arrives...

What are your room temps plz?

good idea on dimmer switch, didn't think of that.
my room is 70 F, which I'm pretty sure is too cold.
the heat lamp alone doesn't seem to penetrate his hide, I had it on but he was still cold to the touch even though the temp was supposedly 85F.

Dimmer switch is all you need, with a good infrared temp gun. No need for a stat unless you can easily afford it.

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Originally Posted by JoshSloane

Dimmer switch is all you need, with a good infrared temp gun. No need for a stat unless you can easily afford it.

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This is true so long as your room temps don't fluctuate too much.

70 is too chilly, this is true. 75 min, preferably 80 ambient if possible.

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Originally Posted by JoshSloane

Dimmer switch is all you need, with a good infrared temp gun. No need for a stat unless you can easily afford it.

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Dimmers are a viable solution but require a lot more attention to detail. Thermostats are hardly expensive. If somebody cant pay 40 dollars for proper temperature regulation, they're in the wrong hobby.

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Originally Posted by tbowman

Dimmers are a viable solution but require a lot more attention to detail. Thermostats are hardly expensive. If somebody cant pay 40 dollars for proper temperature regulation, they're in the wrong hobby.

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A 40$ cheap Zilla thermostat is not reliable at all. In my opinion people put too much stock into the functionality of a thermostat and just let it go unchecked, without manually checking hot spot temps with a heat gun. I find this to be especially true with new herpers, who set up the thermostat and just assume it is at the correct temps.

For a dependable thermostat you are looking at 100$ or more. I think it's a good exercise in proper husbandry to check temps daily anyways.

If you have one bp IMO there is no point in a thermostat when you can modulate your temps just fine with a dimmer and temp gun. Put the 90$ you saved into an account and use it for medical care if necessary.

As noted earlier, this all hinges on having relatively stable room temps. Major swings in ambient room temps definitely require more attention the hot spot.

I also really dislike when people say, "If you cant pay X, you shouldn't be in this hobby." Everything that we discuss on this forum are people's opinions. There are multiple different ways to achieve the same results, with highly variable price tags. Just requires different levels of participation.

Well then we have differing opinions based on experience because I've found 40 dollar thermostats to be very reliable.

If you have a stable ambient a dimmer can work great but most people don't have time to check temps every two hours.

No need to check temps every two hours. If your ambients are relatively stable it wont change that much. Plus, with a 40$ on/off thermostat you are going to get temperature swings every time the unit flicks on and off. I would bet that a dimmer actually provides less fluctuations than an on/off thermostat. When I used the Zilla brand thermostats I would frequently monitor temp changes within one or two on off cycles. I noticed at least a 5-6 degree change.

Get yourself a cheap temp reader for 7$ at your local pet store so you know the temp inside the tank. As long as your uth is under the entire tank and not in it and covered with a generous thick amount of bedding over top he should be okay. Repti carpet also helps over uth, that was if your snake moves the bedding it cant get to the heat source directly. If you can place your hand there and its not scolding hot you should be okay. If you feel safer waiting until you have the therm connected to it. You can wait on using the uth. Although they like their belly heat as long as his tank temps and humidity are good, hell be okay to hold off.

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Originally Posted by bpgal9315

Get yourself a cheap temp reader for 7$ at your local pet store so you know the temp inside the tank. As long as your uth is under the entire tank and not in it and covered with a generous thick amount of bedding over top he should be okay. Repti carpet also helps over uth, that was if your snake moves the bedding it cant get to the heat source directly. If you can place your hand there and its not scolding hot you should be okay. If you feel safer waiting until you have the therm connected to it. You can wait on using the uth. Although they like their belly heat as long as his tank temps and humidity are good, hell be okay to hold off.

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Don't agree. Cheap thermometers at a pet shop are worthless. You need to know the temperature of your hot spot. A 7$ sticker thermometer isn't going to do anything. Order an infrared temp gun online, or go to Home depot and get one. Checking temps with your hand is NEVER advisable. Everyone has different heat tolerance and you wont even be in the ball park of what the actual temps are.

Agreed. The single most important piece of equiptment for your husbandry and safety of your investment is a reliable , high quality thermostat. Safety of your reptiles also. :gj: Of course if you can afford it. If not, you should try and save up for one.

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Originally Posted by JoshSloane

Don't agree. Cheap thermometers at a pet shop are worthless. You need to know the temperature of your hot spot. A 7$ sticker thermometer isn't going to do anything. Order an infrared temp gun online, or go to Home depot and get one. Checking temps with your hand is NEVER advisable. Everyone has different heat tolerance and you wont even be in the ball park of what the actual temps are.

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Well no there is better options but its better than not having one at all. As long as they have some reading of their temps to know where the tank is at and go from there. I know plenty of people who dont have uth right away or at all. So as long as proper humidity and heat is held then its not a big deal while they wait for the uth therm control.

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Originally Posted by bpgal9315

Well no there is better options but its better than not having one at all. As long as they have some reading of their temps to know where the tank is at and go from there. I know plenty of people who dont have uth right away or at all. So as long as proper humidity and heat is held then its not a big deal while they wait for the uth therm control.

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My girl for a while went without uth and did fine she was nice and warm when I would take her out because my temps and humidity were right and I had a cave hide that held heat well.

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You have to understand aswell, snakes are cold blooded, they 90% of the time will feel cool to the touch, they thermoregulate as needed, 70 is cool yes, but its not the end of the world, as i said dont expect to pick up your snake and have him feel warm, unless you came out from a cold winter day, the palm of your hand is often 90+ degrees especially after being active, which most snakes hot spot is 88-90 (meaning hell feel neutral if at all never warm)

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Originally Posted by JoshSloane

I also really dislike when people say, "If you cant pay X, you shouldn't be in this hobby." Everything that we discuss on this forum are people's opinions. There are multiple different ways to achieve the same results, with highly variable price tags. Just requires different levels of participation.

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Totally agree.
That argument can get really snarky.
Saw it all the time back when I worked a the pound and frequented a dog care forum. God forbid that someone living paycheck-to-paycheck should adopt a desperate puppy!

I'd say, know your equipment, anticipate the likely problems, and do the best you can with what you have. Attention to detail is a skill.

I'm not in this yet partly because I want the Herpstat $139 version. (That is more expensive then the snake I picked out, and she will probably be sold to someone else long before I'm ready. That's ok. There are others out there.) We have plenty of money - because we live by a very strict budget. I plan several months out. We don't just charge things.

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Originally Posted by bpgal9315

Well no there is better options but its better than not having one at all. As long as they have some reading of their temps to know where the tank is at and go from there. I know plenty of people who dont have uth right away or at all. So as long as proper humidity and heat is held then its not a big deal while they wait for the uth therm control.

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What I am saying is that if you are budget restricted, go with the best option within your price range. Sure a zilla thermnostat will likely work ok for a while, but it needs constant monitoring, and will give you much wilder temp fluctuations in my experience, than a dimmer and a uth.

The problem with zilla t stats is 99% of the time they fail they fail on and gö way over 120. I kno that buying a 100-300 $ herpstat that my 1000s of dollars in snakes are a lot safer...... Never ever ever run a uth unregulated I don't care if you have two layers of repi-carpet(junk imo) and 5 feet of substrate possibility the worst advice u can ever give someone .......... Have fun treating a burn....... Dimmer switch is better than nothing but buy a good tstat the herp stat intro is cheap and probably the best lower budget t stat out there.......I see it so many times help my snakes is Burt or look at my new 400 dollar bp in a FISH tank on repti carpet and unregulated heat..........think reaserch think reaserch budget budget research think then purchase....rant over

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Yes, absolutely DONT RUN A UTH WITHOUT SOMETHING TO MODULATE THE TEMPS. Get a temp gun. Then either get a thermostat or a dimmer.

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Originally Posted by distaff

Totally agree.
That argument can get really snarky.
Saw it all the time back when I worked a the pound and frequented a dog care forum. God forbid that someone living paycheck-to-paycheck should adopt a desperate puppy!

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You are grossly exaggerating my point. Proper temperature control is 100% needed and not a huge expense. If somebody cannot provide that, they should not have a reptile.

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Originally Posted by tbowman

You are grossly exaggerating my point. Proper temperature control is 100% needed and not a huge expense. If somebody cannot provide that, they should not have a reptile.

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UTH+Temp gun+ rheostat/thermostat/dimmer = Proper temp modulation.

The point we are making is that the proper way is variable, and need not be expensive.

look at my new 400 dollar bp in a FISH tank on repti carpet and unregulated heat..........think reaserch think reaserch budget budget research think then purchase....rant over

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Two hours since posted and we have another winner.....lol......

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