General heating concern

Me again! My tank has been a little undesirable with hot temps lately. The thermometer I have settled on the substrate under the lights and above the UTH say it's 86-87 on the hot side floor. My BP will sit on a piece of wood up against a (carpet covered) UTH on the side or sit under the 60w day or 75w night light either draped in a basking location or perched on a plant on the wall if he's really feeling the chill. I haven't seen him using the warm hide much lately though, he's taken to staying in the cool (75 degree range), dark hide nearly all day and moving later if he wants. The setup is shown here:
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...2FuWo0Jjsh.jpg



(Sloppy as crap right???) The towels get draped over the front 24/7 for security and insulation. Any ideas on getting those extra few degrees? I have been thinking about switching to a CHE on a dimmer in hopes it'll raise temps enough I can remove the side UTH, maybe leave out the lighting altogether.

Whoa... that is um, cluttered.. if you remove some of that stuff you might get some more warmth where your snake needs it. (On the ground).. and purchase an IR gun.


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You really do need a IR temp gun to know what the surface temps really are. Probed thermometers are not great for that.

The uth on the side is not doing much for your snake. You have been told what to do with it and choosing not to is leaving you with the same poor results.

Get a tstat and set it up correctly.

I'll remove the side heater (I must've missed the demand to take it off before when I was figuring out what he would eat) then and try to clear some stuff back out. The thermostat is on the UTH on the bottom and is set to 89, I know it could go lower. I can also order a IR temp gun, I should get my paycheck in a day or sooner. Any preference to the CHE to the heat lamps?

As regards all the 'clutter' ...... Royals do welcome all the undergrowth and hiding places so I'm actually fine with that layout . Obviously the heat issue needs to be sorted out and a 12 dollar digital temperature gun off eBay is a must !!


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Originally Posted by Zincubus

As regards all the 'clutter' ...... Royals do welcome all the undergrowth and hiding places so I'm actually fine with that layout . Obviously the heat issue needs to be sorted out and a 12 dollar digital temperature gun off eBay is a must !!


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Dude. That's just more than a ball python needs. I know you're all about a "naturalistic" setup, but there's nothing natural about that. It can't even spread out across the tank because of all that stuff.


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Originally Posted by Mangiapane85

Dude. That's just more than a ball python needs. I know you're all about a "naturalistic" setup, but there's nothing natural about that. It can't even spread out across the tank because of all that stuff.


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I'm not sure .... It would simply slither all over / under and around it surely . Everyone keeps telling people that Royals like confined spaces and hate open spaces ...

It's just the sheet over the top that spoils it for me :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mangiapane85

Dude. That's just more than a ball python needs. I know you're all about a "naturalistic" setup, but there's nothing natural about that. It can't even spread out across the tank because of all that stuff.


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He's still smaller hence the foliage so he doesn't feel exposed coming out to change sides or get some water. He still is able to spread out when he chooses to, and I'll be removing things as he gets bigger so he has space. When he's out at night when it's far enough from pre or post feeding, I let him explore via my bed or the floor supervised for some quick extra exercise and movement. The ivy really makes it look much worse than it is too.

The towels look awful covering the whole front of the tank, lol but they have to stay to help contain the heat I need to keep better and the humidity, as well as security so he doesn't feel as out there.

More cover is usually better than too little.

If the snake wants to spread out it can.

My BP has always had plenty of cover and has no problem stretching out.

If you don't have an IR temperature gun yet, this one is marked down to $16 from $70 for Black Friday:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013X0NQT0..._BB5nybAHA5BZ4

I will also either find or order an IR temp gun tomorrow and decide on a CHE or not from there

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Originally Posted by bcr229

If you don't have an IR temperature gun yet, this one is marked down to $16 from $70 for Black Friday:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013X0NQT0..._BB5nybAHA5BZ4

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The one I have is fine but I just order that one. I like how it shows the max temp. Thanks

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

I'm not sure .... It would simply slither all over / under and around it surely . Everyone keeps telling people that Royals like confined spaces and hate open spaces ...

It's just the sheet over the top that spoils it for me :)

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Even the OP said it was a sloppy setup.

But so be it. People have varying opinions as to what good or "ideal" conditions are for ball pythons. It is what it is.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mangiapane85

Even the OP said it was a sloppy setup.

But so be it. People have varying opinions as to what good or "ideal" conditions are for ball pythons. It is what it is.


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I presumed his 'sloppy' comment was describing the sheet thrown on top of the viv .. ..rather than the setup itself ... no worries though :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bcr229

If you don't have an IR temperature gun yet, this one is marked down to $16 from $70 for Black Friday:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013X0NQT0..._BB5nybAHA5BZ4

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I got mine yesterday and I really like it. I compared it to the other gun I have and they both agreed with each other. The new one has a nice feel and has a few more features my other doesn't. It was a good pick up and Im happy to have two.

I got my IR temp gun on black friday too for around $20, it has a max temp feature as well. So far I see that the surfaces under the lamps are 83-87 degrees, and the warm hide on top of the regulated heat pad was around 85 as well. Since I tucked some plants around the entrance he's felt more secure in it. There's one spot on the floor under the lights that's in the low 90s, but that's the only "hot" spot and I never see him in it, even after he eats. He did take the last live mouse I offered him in an INSTANT and digested it in the warm hide just fine. I shut off the side heater while I was at work yesterday, and the entire viv lost like four-five degrees. So when I remove Ferris to clean soon and rebuild the tank, I'll try using a warmer bulb to make up for the side heater so I can rid of it, and watch the temps before I put him back in. Hopefully the temps are stable enough to try a f/t tonight. :please:

He's putting on a little chub quite nicely
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...o3ro1_1280.jpg

The towel probably doesn't help much to keep in heat. I would cover it. Everyone does it differently but I just put tin foil on the top of the screen and tape over it very precisely. Then I just cut a couple holes so the air doesn't get stagnant and gross and it's worked perfectly for me!