Question about reading temps

I have an ap t8 cage with indented craft paper as substrate. 80 watt rhp for heat.

My question is, should i trust the temperature read out on my accurite or go with what my temp gun says??

My accurite will say 89 degrees but when i hit the surface of my cage floor with my temp gun it says 95 which is too warm.

Should i adjust my temps according to what the temp gun says??

Thanks

I would drop a couple degrees.

Ok thanks i can do that. But should I rely on my temp gun over the accurite??

Your temp gun is measuring the surface temp; acurite is presumably sitting where its sensor is measuring the air temp. I bet if you point the temp gun at the back of the acurite unit or some surface that's shaded from the RHP you'll get a reading closer to the acurite.

Yes that is correct. So what your saying is that the rhp is heating up the foor of the tank nut I shouldn't worry about that because the air temp is spot on via the accurite.

Is my understanding correct

Whether or not you're worrying about the surface vs. air temp, I've been told that the Acurite is not actually as accurate as people make it out to be LOL. So we would rather trust the temp gun over the acurite, assuming you have a reliable temp gun.

I had a zoo med temp gun that broke so quickly, and was inaccurate up to 20 degrees! So I trashed it.

I have a high quality temp gun so i will let that be my guide.

Thanks for the help.

If a 90 degree hot spot is what you are going for, shoot for the surface temperature being 90 degrees. If the RHP heats the floor to 90, it will also heat the snake if the snake is sitting in that spot - because the snake is getting the heat (via IR radiation from the warm heat panel) that the floor would be getting otherwise. The air temp will always be a bit cooler than the floor because the air is mostly transparent to infrared radiation, so it gets warmed either by contact with the warm floor or by contact with the warm RHP itself. The warmer air rises and circulates away and draws cooler air into contact with the warmer surfaces.

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Originally Posted by redshepherd

Whether or not you're worrying about the surface vs. air temp, I've been told that the Acurite is not actually as accurate as people make it out to be LOL. So we would rather trust the temp gun over the acurite, assuming you have a reliable temp gun.

I had a zoo med temp gun that broke so quickly, and was inaccurate up to 20 degrees! So I trashed it.

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How much are Zoo MEDs temp guns roughly ?

I've had two 13 dollar ones off eBay for years . Still working great ...

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

How much are Zoo MEDs temp guns roughly ?

I've had two 13 dollar ones off eBay for years . Still working great ...

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$20

https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Repti...s_a_1_3&sr=8-3

It's a tough decision picking what you trust. I have a dozen Acur-Rites and some are usually within 2 points of each other for both temp and humidity.

I have four temp guns that cost in the range from $20- 60. They are within 3-4 degrees of each other as well as the Acur-Rites. Based on this, it can be confusing. I just try to make sure that there are no extreme variances.

I rely on the temp guns for surface temps and the gauges for air measurements as Coluber42 pointed out.

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Originally Posted by Reinz

It's a tough decision picking what you trust. I have a dozen Acur-Rites and some are usually within 2 points of each other for both temp and humidity.

I have four temp guns that cost in the range from $20- 60. They are within 3-4 degrees of each other as well as the Acur-Rites. Based on this, it can be confusing. I just try to make sure that there are no extreme variances.

I rely on the temp guns for surface temps and the gauges for air measurements as Coluber42 pointed out.

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I guess a few degrees either way is neither here nor there tbh

But does it matter if the air temp on the hot side is registering 88/89 on the accurite meter but the temp gun is showing 93/94 on the surface?? If I lower the temp to accommodate the temp gun reading then my air temp would be off.

Just trying to make sure I am doing this correctly. My assumption is the accurite reading the air temp in most important since my heat source is an RHP and it's not like the snake is laying on the heat source - its coming from above.

Although ..... If it's reading 94F on the viv floor then surely it's got to be higher , maybe quite a lot higher above that in the 'air space ' ??

No, the air temp is reading 88/89. I checked it with two different Accurites and they both said the same thing.

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Originally Posted by L.West

No, the air temp is reading 88/89. I checked it with two different Accurites and they both said the same thing.

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Thinking about it then ..... it's probably on to warm a setting as the snake will be sitting on the surface 94/95F it won't be hovering around in the cooler air !?!

That's my take on things anyways . Surface temps rule for me .tbh


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Originally Posted by L.West

But does it matter if the air temp on the hot side is registering 88/89 on the accurite meter but the temp gun is showing 93/94 on the surface?? If I lower the temp to accommodate the temp gun reading then my air temp would be off.

Just trying to make sure I am doing this correctly. My assumption is the accurite reading the air temp in most important since my heat source is an RHP and it's not like the snake is laying on the heat source - its coming from above.

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If you think about how a RHP works, this makes perfect sense. They work by heating the surface of everything within their line of sight. The effect of this heats the surrounding environment and, as a by-product of doing this, the air around those objects. It only makes sense that the air temp would be slightly cooler than the surface temps when using a RHP. Since snakes lay on the surface, those are the temps you should have dialed in most accurately. The ambient air temps can go down to the mid-70°F range and you'd still be good as long as the surface temps are where you need them to be.

In summary, I recommend turning down that RHP a few degrees. 90°F is about the hottest they need in order to be able to do their thing effectively.

My Accurite has a Probe. I have it on the Floor of Hot Spot under my Butcher Paper.. This way i use my Lazer above the paper and it is always within 3 degrees .. The head unit of the Tstat i keep on the cool side for ambient.


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I currently have my probe for my thermostat on the hot side floor - directly below the RHP. Is this acceptable.

I will dial back my settings to coordinate with the temps I am getting on the floor surface with the temp gun since that seems to be what most recommend.

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Originally Posted by Eric Alan

If you think about how a RHP works, this makes perfect sense. They work by heating the surface of everything within their line of sight. The effect of this heats the surrounding environment and, as a by-product of doing this, the air around those objects. It only makes sense that the air temp would be slightly cooler than the surface temps when using a RHP. Since snakes lay on the surface, those are the temps you should have dialed in most accurately. The ambient air temps can go down to the mid-70°F range and you'd still be good as long as the surface temps are where you need them to be.

In summary, I recommend turning down that RHP a few degrees. 90°F is about the hottest they need in order to be able to do their thing effectively.

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I have my thermostat set at 88degrees and that is when I am getting high 90s surface temps with my temp gun. I can certainly lower the setting of the thermostat but was worried when the air temp on the hot side goes to 83/84 on my accurite that it was too low a reading. But, if your saying that doesn't matter as long as the surface temp is reading 90 then in reality, I don't even need the accurite in the cage except for humidity readings. Is this correct. I should rely on what my temp gun is telling me - correct??

Thanks for your help with this.

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Originally Posted by L.West

I have my thermostat set at 88degrees and that is when I am getting high 90s surface temps with my temp gun. I can certainly lower the setting of the thermostat but was worried when the air temp on the hot side goes to 83/84 on my accurite that it was too low a reading. But, if your saying that doesn't matter as long as the surface temp is reading 90 then in reality, I don't even need the accurite in the cage except for humidity readings. Is this correct. I should rely on what my temp gun is telling me - correct??

Thanks for your help with this.

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That is exactly correct. Then, when you start to get a feel for what you need to do to keep the humidity at the place where they have consistently good sheds, you won't need the Acurite at all.

Thank you so much. I will reset my temps tonight and strictly go with what the temp gun says for now on.

My boys always shed out in one complete piece thankfully.

What is the lowest temp that is safe/healthy that I can have on my cool side??

What I also think is causing this particular tank to heat up more is the fact that it is stacked on top of another T8 with an RHP and getting residual heat from that.

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Originally Posted by Eric Alan

That is exactly correct. Then, when you start to get a feel for what you need to do to keep the humidity at the place where they have consistently good sheds, you won't need the Acurite at all.

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I use my Acurite constantly. I walk by several times a day and its convenient to see what Temps/Humidity is. What the Tstat says really doesn't matter its what the Thermometer probe for the hot spot says , head unit for ambient and humidity reading shows that matters..
As we all agree using the Laser for the surface is necessity above Substrate to dial in but then we know what the laser should say based upon what the Acurite probe says without having to open the enclosure.
Also you mentioned your Tstat probe being on or near the Substrate I believe? I keep mine 1/2 way between floor & Ceiling of the enclosure so it doesn't get wet/broken ect.. The probe on the Acurite is for all kinds of weather, the tstat probe isn't and costs 20 times more..
There are several ways to accomplish your temps... This is just what is easiest and most accurate for me [emoji1360]


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Originally Posted by L.West

What is the lowest temp that is safe/healthy that I can have on my cool side??

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I don't let my ambient temps drop below 75°F. My target temp is a few degrees higher than that at 78°F.

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Originally Posted by L.West

What is the lowest temp that is safe/healthy that I can have on my cool side??

What I also think is causing this particular tank to heat up more is the fact that it is stacked on top of another T8 with an RHP and getting residual heat from that.

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Your correct.. Some people use a piece of insulation between the two, or Plywood painted black. I use the heat from bottom for the top and the top doesn't run as much. Thats why as i explained above I really love using my Acurite probe... The Tstat may have to heat up to 100 in some situations to get the Hot Spot to 90, in other cases the Tstat might heat to 80 to get the Acurite probe hot spot to 90 because you might use the heat from below like a UTH and the Tstat probe isn't on the surface hahhhahaha. Whats important is the Basking surface temp and ambient on cool, how you get it with the tstat is here nor there...
Cool side should be no cooler than 76. With that in mind I housed a Burm for the first 10 years of his life with only the Hot Side heat controlled, the gradient down to a cool side of his 8 foot enclosure ended at my room temps, at my house that was 68-72. He is 19 years old and healthy as a horse even though I now keep his cool side warmer @ 81.


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Thanks to all who have chimed in. This has really helped out a lot.

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Originally Posted by L.West

What is the lowest temp that is safe/healthy that I can have on my cool side??

What I also think is causing this particular tank to heat up more is the fact that it is stacked on top of another T8 with an RHP and getting residual heat from that.

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That certainly happens with stacked vivs . At least you can compensate and make adjustments . I once kept a corn snake for a short while in a top viv of a stack for a while and unplugged the ceramic as the temps were perfect and the heat was coming up from the viv below .

Here are my setups. You can see my probes sticking up thru the paper substrate. They are secured down and can't be moved. I've never had any issues with water being spilled or the snake laying on them.

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/n...psi86qpnih.jpg

As I understand things there are many , many different ways of achieving the same result . I saw some guy who had his stat probe half way up the viv side and near the cooler end . He still took the temps of the hottest area of the viv floor with a digital temp gun and altered the stat dial accordingly .

I am at work right now and can't wait to get home to readjust my settings. I am stressing out thinking I am overheating my snakes. But, they've been like this for awhile so I guess a few more hours shouldn't hurt. I hope and pray that if he gets too hot he will move to the cooler end. Isn't that what thermo regulation is all about.

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Originally Posted by L.West

I am at work right now and can't wait to get home to readjust my settings. I am stressing out thinking I am overheating my snakes. But, they've been like this for awhile so I guess a few more hours shouldn't hurt. I hope and pray that if he gets too hot he will move to the cooler end. Isn't that what thermo regulation is all about.

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It's all good. Since he has the option of a cool-end, there's no reason to think he's not safe. It's when they can't escape those temps that it becomes a problem. Your snake knows how to snake and he'll take care of himself until you're home. :)

Eric, I can't thank you enough for taking the time today to help me with all my questions. This site is my go to place for help and I am so thankful for this resource.

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Originally Posted by L.West

I am at work right now and can't wait to get home to readjust my settings. I am stressing out thinking I am overheating my snakes. But, they've been like this for awhile so I guess a few more hours shouldn't hurt. I hope and pray that if he gets too hot he will move to the cooler end. Isn't that what thermo regulation is all about.

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Yep . That is correct . I guess some get it really wrong and even the cooler side is far too warm and they've nowhere to get cool .