First time owner and I'm a little worried...

Heya!!
I have had my Spider Ball for a little over a year and a half now...and I noticed yesterday that she had burrowed through the substrate in her hide down to the bottom of the tank where the heating pad is (on the outside, but still attached to the bottom just underneath her hide...she JUST she'd this morning, looks like a healthy shed but she has a very pink belly still so I am afraid she may have burned it....was wondering what I should do in this instance.I've put damp paper towel down over the substrate (forest floor) and put some vitamin E ointment on her belly as it does help with burns, at least on a human...kinda winging it here, any help would be insanely appreciated!!!

Do you have a thermostat regulating your UTH?

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Originally Posted by bcr229

Do you have a thermostat regulating your UTH?

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Yup, it`s usually in and around 75-85

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Originally Posted by Mythmaker

Yup, it`s usually in and around 75-85

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Are you possibly thinking thermometer? If your using a thermostat those temps are kinda low and wouldn't cause a burn..... Thermometer will read temps, thermostat controls temps

Oh..., yeah Thermometer, it's not something that turns the pad on and off, I plug it in and unplug it to keep the temperature between 75 and 85....Something tells me I should look into an actual thermostat

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Originally Posted by Mythmaker

Oh..., yeah Thermometer, it's not something that turns the pad on and off, I plug it in and unplug it to keep the temperature between 75 and 85....Something tells me I should look into an actual thermostat

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Ohhh yeah. I got one for like $40 from Amazon, works great. The problem with plugging and unplugging is you can't monitor exactly when it starts to get too hot, and unfortunately what feels cool/hot to us may be way too cool or hot for your snake. :( Maybe a vet visit is in order?

Thermostat is something you don't want to go cheap on. Get the best and be done with it. Its the most important item. I prefer Herpstats but there is also Vivarium Electronics. Try and get one with safety relays that cut power off during a malfunction so it doesn't run full power. Herpstats also have high/low alarms which will give audible warnings and in the case of too hot, it will cut the power off on the unit. I do got one of those Hydroponic/Jump Start ones which I use as a back up but I use Herpstats as my main T-stats.

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

Thermostat is something you don't want to go cheap on. Get the best and be done with it. Its the most important item. I prefer Herpstats but there is also Vivarium Electronics. Try and get one with safety relays that cut power off during a malfunction so it doesn't run full power. Herpstats also have high/low alarms which will give audible warnings and in the case of too hot, it will cut the power off on the unit. I do got one of those Hydroponic/Jump Start ones which I use as a back up but I use Herpstats as my main T-stats.

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I got one of those hydroponic/jump starts and I seem to be the only person that hates it. It was only like 20-30 bucks but for us I feel like they're just bad. I set mine at 90 and it wouldn't turn the mat on until 87 and then it would turn off at 91 and climb to 92 or 93 non stop. I'm sure those temps are fine and all since it still had to go through the enclosure's wall and that small amount of substrate, but I hate the idea that it was turning on and off so much. Not to mention it was mechanical so every on/off there was a noticeable click that got annoying.

for about 10 bucks you can get a slide dimmer at HomeDepot or lowes. get a thermostat with a probe 6-8 bucks at any pet store or a dual one at Walmart for 12. pretty much for a bout 20 bucks you can regulate the temp properly until you can get a better one like a herpstat or a vivarium

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Originally Posted by spikell75

for about 10 bucks you can get a slide dimmer at HomeDepot or lowes. get a thermostat with a probe 6-8 bucks at any pet store or a dual one at Walmart for 12. pretty much for a bout 20 bucks you can regulate the temp properly until you can get a better one like a herpstat or a vivarium

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I believe you meant:

buy Dimmer a Lowes

buy THERMOMETER at pet store with probe or dual Thermometer/Hygrometer for $12 at Walmart.

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Originally Posted by spikell75

for about 10 bucks you can get a slide dimmer at HomeDepot or lowes. get a thermostat with a probe 6-8 bucks at any pet store or a dual one at Walmart for 12. pretty much for a bout 20 bucks you can regulate the temp properly until you can get a better one like a herpstat or a vivarium

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This can work, but still not a good option in my opinion. I actually have a UTH at home that was on an enclosure I bought used. It will not heat with a dimmer. Seems like it requires full power or none at all.

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Originally Posted by Mythmaker

Heya!!
I have had my Spider Ball for a little over a year and a half now...and I noticed yesterday that she had burrowed through the substrate in her hide down to the bottom of the tank where the heating pad is (on the outside, but still attached to the bottom just underneath her hide...she JUST she'd this morning, looks like a healthy shed but she has a very pink belly still so I am afraid she may have burned it....was wondering what I should do in this instance.I've put damp paper towel down over the substrate (forest floor) and put some vitamin E ointment on her belly as it does help with burns, at least on a human...kinda winging it here, any help would be insanely appreciated!!!

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Just reiterating.. Thermostat (not thermometer) is the #1 piece of required equipment with snakes. I think it should be the first thing on a new keeper's shopping list, before getting the snake. You don't want to go cheap with a thermostat and risk burns from huge fluctuating temperatures.

I would even unplug your UTH if you don't have a thermostat yet, and just keep your room warmer, because the UTH temps go up to 110 and over in a few minutes/randomly if it's not plugged into a thermostat.

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Originally Posted by bks2100

I got one of those hydroponic/jump starts and I seem to be the only person that hates it. It was only like 20-30 bucks but for us I feel like they're just bad. I set mine at 90 and it wouldn't turn the mat on until 87 and then it would turn off at 91 and climb to 92 or 93 non stop. I'm sure those temps are fine and all since it still had to go through the enclosure's wall and that small amount of substrate, but I hate the idea that it was turning on and off so much. Not to mention it was mechanical so every on/off there was a noticeable click that got annoying.

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That IS HOW an off/on thermostat works......
If you don't want the temperature swing and clicking from the relay then go with a proportional thermostat.
You really cant knock something that is correctly working I you don't understand the reasoning........SMH

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Originally Posted by bks2100

I got one of those hydroponic/jump starts and I seem to be the only person that hates it. It was only like 20-30 bucks but for us I feel like they're just bad. I set mine at 90 and it wouldn't turn the mat on until 87 and then it would turn off at 91 and climb to 92 or 93 non stop. I'm sure those temps are fine and all since it still had to go through the enclosure's wall and that small amount of substrate, but I hate the idea that it was turning on and off so much. Not to mention it was mechanical so every on/off there was a noticeable click that got annoying.

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Yeah they aren't the most accurate but its a on/off t-stat so that's to be expected. And the clicking of the relay can be annoying. Like I said, mine is just used as a back up if one of my Herpstats needs to go in for a firmware upgrade or repairs. Otherwise it pretty much just sits in my drawer for spare part reptile things. I got about 4 T8 fixtures, dimmers, extension cords, a tank, screen top and other stuff in there...guess not really a drawer, more like the closet haha.

Actually I meant to say they have a big temp swing, they still are accurate although not as accurate as a Herpstat or VE but for something like a UTH, they can work as a UTH isn't going to be 100% even heat to begin with. They have their own flucutations to begin with.

If the temps are 75-85 its definatly not a burn, thats actually cooler than the recommended temps 90-92 degrees, post pics just in case though. I would get a thermostat ASAP. Ranco makes really good ones. this is the one i have and its already prewired, all you have to do is plug the uth in it and your golden. http://www.etcsupply.com/ranco-etc11...ller-p-87.html