only staying on cold side?
I've just picked up my first BP this past Sunday and I'm sure this little one had a stressful day at the Expo being handled by many and then a 2 hour drive back to my place but I just wanted to confirm this is normal with the community on BP.net. I weighed her when I got home (68.3g) then put her into the habitat. Don't mind the temps/humidity being shown in the picture, that was taken right when I put everything together. I have my cold side at 80deg/45% (red light side) and hot side is at 90deg/35% (right side has Ceramic heat lamp) with an UTH. The temp at the UTH is 90-92 being read with a laser temp gauge. So, since I've had her she really only stays in the cold hide and occasionally comes out and hangs in the tree but doesn't stay in the hot hide. I'm not sure if the hot side hide is just too large or what? I plan to feed her tonight since its been 5 days and if all goes well keep her on a 5-6 day feeding schedule until shes 300-400g then back off to 1x a week. All expertise and comments are welcome!
0.1 Super Pastel Enchi. Named Calypso
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...8/img_4317.jpg
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...8/img_4310.jpg
Thanks!:D
Re: only staying on cold side?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bigSAK
Thank you! What temp should the UTH be at from underneath and on top? not measuring the temp of the substrate (which is coconut husk btw)
The hottest temps that your snake should have access to should be about 90°. When using a UTH, this is typically the temp directly above it (under any substrate). I don't worry about temps on the substrate since they will move it around as they please anyway. Just make sure you don't have the coconut husk too deep in there and you'll be good. Since you also have a CHE on the same side, use the same logic - no more than 90° using your laser temp gun.
Side note: I say 90° because that's all they really need and it's a good safety net. They will be fine up to about 95° or so, but there's not much reason to have it that warm (and you save yourself a little bit in heating costs too - always a bonus ;)).
Re: only staying on cold side?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bigSAK
Ok great! I'm monitoring the temp on both sides with just a digital temp/hygro gauge, no probe on them. I have one in each zone's dead center, I changed the height of the bulbs to get to the correct temp in the habitat. Is that ok?
It's OK as long as the hottest temp above the UTH is where it needs to be (measured by your laser temp gun).
Are you regulating the UTH's temperature at all using a thermostat? It's not just a matter of moving bulbs up and down to get your hot spot right when a UTH is being used.
Re: only staying on cold side?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bigSAK
No I'm not regulating it. I went by the temperature of the substrate i packed down on top of it read by the laser temp gun... Seems I should get a thermostat to monitor this, do you have a recommendation ? Is it an issue that the UTH is already stuck on? Do I need the UTH if I have ambient at 90 on hot side? Thanks for the help I'm new to this and really appreciate all the advice to learn as much as possible!
If you don't have a thermostat, unplug it until you get one. They will easily reach well over 100° plugged directly into the wall - way too hot for your snake. There are ways to use a thermostat when you've already stuck your UTH on if you go that route. The brand I use and recommend is Herpstat.
Many people don't use a UTH at all and are very successful. You just need to make sure they have access to the proper temperatures one way or another - that's the most important part. Keep in mind though that the temperature of the room you have your enclosure in will impact the temperatures inside your enclosure as well, so you'll need to constantly monitor it and make any adjustments as necessary.
Re: only staying on cold side?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bigSAK
My room is a constant 70 and I'm always confirming the temps when I get home. Out of curiosity can I just get an in line dimmer for it and measure the UTH temp with the laser to control it?...the herpstat is out of the price range at the moment...
If i have my ambient temp at the base of the habitat at 80 cold side and 90 hot side do I even need the UTH under the hide on the hot side ? If not I'll just remove it.
This is a great stat I use. Cheap and easy! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o01_s00
Utilizing a heat pad without a stat can be VERY detrimental to the health of your snake, even deadly.
Re: only staying on cold side?
I also like to put the same hide on the hot and cold side. They will often pick the security of a better hide over the correct temp when picking a place to hang out. I know not always, but it does remove one variable.
Re: only staying on cold side?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bigSAK
I have my cold side at 80deg/45% (red light side) and hot side is at 90deg/35%
Is the % your humidity? If so, it's too low. 50% is the minimum, and I personally don't like mine to fall below 60%. During a shed I aim for 70%+
If you haven't done so already, I recommend covering part of the screen with tinfoil or something to keep moisture from escaping. Damp moss throughout the enclosure will give you a humidity boost as well.
Edited to add that yes, you can use a dimmer on your UTH instead of a thermostat. I did so for a couple of months. But if the temperature in your room changes much throughout the day, you'll have to adjust the dimmer accordingly. I found myself checking and adjusting mine at least two or three times a day. If you don't want to bother with that but don't want to spend a lot of money, you can get a Hydrofarm thermostat on Amazon for ~$30. They have a good reputation.
Re: only staying on cold side?
I have the humidity at 55% now and I plan to mist inside to raise it up more. yes it was definitely low! Thanks
