About ready to give up!!!

Ok, we rescued a bp last Saturday.

At the moment we live in a basement apt (moving to a farmhouse August 1st) but right now the air system where we are is TERRIBLE and since we brought home the snake, we have NOT been able to keep her enclosure at steady Temps.

I have a uth with a thermostat that I've set to 91. On top of the enclosure over the hot side, I have an ambient heat black light that I have to change about 2 times a day between a 75 watt and a 100watt.
The cold side I have to keep putting stones under that fixture to raise it away from he enclosure, then taking them away and lowering the fixture. It's constant. I'm checking her Temps about 4 -5 times an hour every single day. Her cold side started at 78/79 and now ranges from 79-84. Her hot side was originally 98/99 and now has shot up to 96 (ranges from 89 to 95), so I switched to a lower watt again and turned a fan on in the room. But, if I check in an hour, the Temps will be way off again.

At night, the ac doesn't come on and the house heats up and her Temps rise rather than drop. I swear, I'm going to cry.

I'm about 30 seconds away from asking her previous owner to take her back! I don't want her to get sick and I really want her to eat. I am going to try it next Monday, but with the constant hourly fluctuations and us messing with her enclosure, (we even had to take her out today,) I doubt she will eat! She doesn't seem overly shy. She comes out to inspect while we make adjustments.

Until we move, is it safer to run her on the cooler side or warmer?

She "seems" to prefer cooler, as she stays on the cool side of her tank and her old owner had her on a 100watt bright white basking light 24/7/365, so I'm sure she was cold when not under it.

Cooler is always safer than warmer. (By this I mean that a few days in the 80's won't kill but a few hours in 100's potentially can)

What kind of thermostat do you have? It seems to be failing big time. Have you tried just using the UTH? The thermostat might not be able to handle both the UTH and extra heat from a lamp.

The thermostat keeps the mat between 91 and 95. But on top of the bedding it only reaches 85, so I put the extra light on it.. it's not the thermostat, it's the ambient air that keeps changing in here..

So a month in the high 80s is ok?

She's got a Zoomed Hygrotherm. It does humidity as well.

Right now she's at 91.2 and 82.4 but in an hour she could be at 89 and 80....

The wild changes temps all the time, a snake can handle some wiggle room. Having a hot spot exactly at 90 at all times isn't really feasible. As long as it doesn't rise up past 100 life is fine. I keep my snakes at a hot spot of 80-85 all winter for 'cooling' purposes.

Quit with the extra lighting on the hot side. It is screwing with your thermostat because it is more heat than needed.

x2 on Pit's thoughts

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Originally Posted by piedlover79

The wild changes temps all the time, a snake can handle some wiggle room. Having a hot spot exactly at 90 at all times isn't really feasible. As long as it doesn't rise up past 100 life is fine. I keep my snakes at a hot spot of 80-85 all winter for 'cooling' purposes.

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So ranging throughout the day cold side 79-84 and hot side 88-94 is not going to hurt her? Like....going up and down between those numbers?

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

Quit with the extra lighting on the hot side. It is screwing with your thermostat because it is more heat than needed.

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Without the extra light the hot side is 84-85

Ranging with those number is just fine and totally normal.

It could even stand to be a little cooler over all, just by a few degrees but nothing really to worry about. Try without the light and see if the thermostat takes over for you. And they tend to bury in the substrate to get closer to the warm if need be.

I had a snake shipped to me on a day where the weather took a sudden nose dive and the poor little gal was ice to the touch when I got her...but she was just fine.

Ok, thanks so much!! First snake and I was worried!!

She cruises but also looks for a way out, so I thought she was super upset.

She's sleeping outside her cold hut right now....behind it, so I thought something was wrong.

Again, thank you!!!!

Like everyone said everything will be ok. The light would work with it on its own dimming thermostat but you don't need it since your temps are around what they should be. If it ever gets cold in your house where your cool side won't stay 75+ you can use a lamp dimmer with the light over the cool side to keep it in range.

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Originally Posted by Yzmasmom

Without the extra light the hot side is 84-85

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Under the substrate?
Shouldn't be.
If your snake wants more heat it will move the substrate OR you have too much substrate.

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

Under the substrate?
Shouldn't be.
If your snake wants more heat it will move the substrate OR you have too much substrate.

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No, at substrate top level. Glass level is 91-94.

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Originally Posted by Yzmasmom

The thermostat keeps the mat between 91 and 95. But on top of the bedding it only reaches 85, so I put the extra light on it.. it's not the thermostat, it's the ambient air that keeps changing in here..

So a month in the high 80s is ok?

She's got a Zoomed Hygrotherm. It does humidity as well.

Right now she's at 91.2 and 82.4 but in an hour she could be at 89 and 80....

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How much bedding so you have? Mine only have maybe half an inch. Go by the bottom temp, I'd get rid of the heat light. And is your thermostat probe and temp probe taped under the tank sandwiched between the tank and the uth?

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Go buy a Sterilite tub and use paper towel for substrate. You'll have better heat transfer and fewer temp swings.

Your temp readings sound fine. You don't want the top of the bedding to reach 90F because that means the glass surface will be 100F+. A surface temp on the glass of 91-94F is a bit hot but since you've got substrate to block it off it should be fine. Even if she pushes the bedding aside, 91-94F won't burn her. I would potentially think about lowering the temps so they fall a bit closer to 90F but your current readings sound great.

As far as for the ambient heat there's no reason to ditch it if you don't want to, just get another thermostat to control the lamp. I would honestly suggest a CHE over a light, since you can leave it on 24/7 without disrupting their day/night schedule. If you keep the ambient heat, whether you choose to stay with the light or go with a CHE, it needs a dimming and pulse-proportional thermostat. ON/OFF thermostats can lower the lifespan of a CHE, and a light definitely needs dimming so that it's not just repeatedly turning off and on.

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Originally Posted by CloudtheBoa

Your temp readings sound fine. You don't want the top of the bedding to reach 90F because that means the glass surface will be 100F+.

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It all depends on how much substrate you use. For the ones I use uth for I run at 93 at the bottom of the PVC cages and the top of my substrate stays 89-90.



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Originally Posted by Yzmasmom

No, at substrate top level. Glass level is 91-94.

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Then you are fine.
I you feel you must use something overhead then use it on the cool side.

Don't know why everyone over complicates heating.........

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Originally Posted by CloudtheBoa

ON/OFF thermostats can lower the lifespan of a CHE

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Actually it lowers the life of a light. Doesn't do much of anything to a CHE.
I have several that have been going close to five years now on my dragons.

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

Actually it lowers the life of a light. Doesn't do much of anything to a CHE.
I have several that have been going close to five years now on my dragons.

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Not that lights last long anyways. Lol I'm lucky to get 2 months out of mine. I use one for lighting my garter tank during the day and one in a tub I set up for heat lamp 3-4 years ago. They're expensive and die quickly so I prefer CHEs or heat panels where I can use them.

I've heard others say CHEs last 3 years on ON/OFF but can last 10+ years if they're on pulse or dimming. If that isn't true then I won't worry so much about having my CHE on a VE-100. I do plan on getting a Herpstat 6 but that will be a month or two, and it's only been on the VE for maybe 8 months now. It was on my Herpstat 2 until I gave that to my retic and bp when I put them in their T12's, had the CHE's themselves for roughly 3 years now.

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Originally Posted by CloudtheBoa

Your temp readings sound fine. You don't want the top of the bedding to reach 90F because that means the glass surface will be 100F+. A surface temp on the glass of 91-94F is a bit hot but since you've got substrate to block it off it should be fine. Even if she pushes the bedding aside, 91-94F won't burn her. I would potentially think about lowering the temps so they fall a bit closer to 90F but your current readings sound great.

As far as for the ambient heat there's no reason to ditch it if you don't want to, just get another thermostat to control the lamp. I would honestly suggest a CHE over a light, since you can leave it on 24/7 without disrupting their day/night schedule. If you keep the ambient heat, whether you choose to stay with the light or go with a CHE, it needs a dimming and pulse-proportional thermostat. ON/OFF thermostats can lower the lifespan of a CHE, and a light definitely needs dimming so that it's not just repeatedly turning off and on.

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The thermostat probe never reads above 93, so i don't think the lamp is heating it. The above light doesn't seem to affect the glass temp.

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

Then you are fine.
I you feel you must use something overhead then use it on the cool side.

Don't know why everyone over complicates heating.........

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So you are saying only use the uth as is and take the overhead ambient black light away? The surface reaches 85 outside the hot hut with the light and uth. In the hut with the light and uth it's 90/91, with the glass at 91/93.

Snakes will thermoregulate themselves, all my guys go from one hide to another depending on the temp. they want. I do keep 3 hides in my tank for my young snake, just in case she wants to choose the mid range temp. It just for her comfort. I wouldn't worry unless the temps take a sharp rise or lower. She'll go where she is most comfortable.

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Originally Posted by Yzmasmom

So you are saying only use the uth as is and take the overhead ambient black light away? The surface reaches 85 outside the hot hut with the light and uth. In the hut with the light and uth it's 90/91, with the glass at 91/93.

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Yes just use the uth alone, if anything you only need to use it for the cool side on a dimmer only if the cool side gets below 75.

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Originally Posted by chrid16371

Yes just use the uth alone, if anything you only need to use it for the cool side on a dimmer only if the cool side gets below 75.

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It just feels weird not to use the liget, since our beardie tank goes to 65 at night if the light isn't on, (it blew in the middle of the night once.) So, the glass would be 92 but the surface of her bedding would be cold. As it is, the hot side at the top outside her hut is 85 WITH the light. When she kicks the probe out of the hut I know because the temp drops to 83-85. If I were to turn the light off, the glass would stay 92, but the surface would drop.

She never goes on the hot side. She cruises and then goes back to the cool side.

I think once we move, I will be able to drop the light because we will be in an older farmhouse, instead of a freezing basement apartment.

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Originally Posted by Yzmasmom

It just feels weird not to use the liget, since our beardie tank goes to 65 at night if the light isn't on, (it blew in the middle of the night once.) So, the glass would be 92 but the surface of her bedding would be cold. As it is, the hot side at the top outside her hut is 85 WITH the light. When she kicks the probe out of the hut I know because the temp drops to 83-85. If I were to turn the light off, the glass would stay 92, but the surface would drop.

She never goes on the hot side. She cruises and then goes back to the cool side.

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Are you using the thermostat reading to determine ambient temps? Because if the probe is pushed out of place the temp shouldn't be dropping but rising because the thermostat will run the light more. (The thermostat will read lower temps however because the probe is no longer in the target area.)

If you're not using an independent thermometer to measure air temps (temp guns don't measure air temps only surface temps), then you should get one.


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Originally Posted by CloudtheBoa

Are you using the thermostat reading to determine ambient temps? Because if the probe is pushed out of place the temp shouldn't be dropping but rising because the thermostat will run the light more. (The thermostat will read lower temps however because the probe is no longer in the target area.)

If you're not using an independent thermometer to measure air temps (temp guns don't measure air temps only surface temps), then you should get one.


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I have the probe for the thermostat on the glass above the mat. It shows the set temp and the actual tenp of the mat. Then I have a digital thermometer at the top of the substrate in her hut to measure the temp there.

Your thermostat probe should be between the uth and bottom of glass. If water, urine, or poop were to get on it then your thermostat would heat wrong and if your snake were to bump the thermostat probe it could not be on the glass and heat way to high and cause burns.

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