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Heat pad on/off
Hey everyone
so so I was wondering about how long should I keep my ball python's heat pad plugged in. I've had
beardies and I currently have a turtle, who's heat came from a lamp and of course, those should go off
at night; My fishes heater turns on/off automatically to keep the temperature steady. But being my first snake, I'm unsure wether I give him heat in cycles ( 12 hrs on/12 hrs off) or have his heat on continually.
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If it is the main source of heat, then I would say keep it on all day and throughout the night, but you may want a second opinion.
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Re: Heat pad on/off
Quote:
Originally Posted by Souriant
If it is the main source of heat, then I would say keep it on all day and throughout the night, but you may want a second opinion.
:O Not for nothing - BUT - you literally JUST started a thread with issues of not being prepared as a new snake owner, MAYBE you shouldn't be giving advice quite yet...
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There is no need for a temp drop and it is common practice to keep the heat steady 24/7.
As long as the uth is on a thermostat it is fine to leave it at the same temp so the snake can utilize it whenever it wants.
If you don't have a tstat you should unplug the uth immediately as it can harm and even kill your snake unregulated.
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Would it be bad for my Ball Python's health if it's off at night though? Is it like absolutely necessary for them to have 24/hr heat? Pua is on a Zoo-Med Repti-therm small UTH for 10-20 gallons which is 16 watts. How would I connect a heat control thermostat to such a heat mat?
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Re: Heat pad on/off
Quote:
Originally Posted by JustinGatCat
Would it be bad for my Ball Python's health if it's off at night though? Is it like absolutely necessary for them to have 24/hr heat? Pua is on a Zoo-Med Repti-therm small UTH for 10-20 gallons which is 16 watts. How would I connect a heat control thermostat to such a heat mat?
Unplug the uth until you get a tstat.
A tstat is simple to set up. All you do is plug the tstat into the wall and then plug the uth into the tstat. You run the tstat probe under the tank sandwiched between the uth and the bottom of the tank. Then you just figure out what temp you need the tstat set to give a proper hotspot.
A snake needs you to provide temps within the proper range at all times. How you do this is up to you. I have a heated snake room so I don't need lamps or uth but I choose to provide them with uth anyways. That's a personal choice. They would be fine without it but it is there if they want it.
Realize a uth does nothing for your air temp and it is easy to use a lamp to provide a hotspot and proper air temps at the same time. Until you get a tstat unplug the uth and use a lamp alone. You do have a lamp?
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To see some nice tstats check out Herpstat. I have four and love them.
http://www.spyderrobotics.com/index....=index&cPath=1
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Re: Heat pad on/off
Quote:
Originally Posted by BR8080
:O Not for nothing - BUT - you literally JUST started a thread with issues of not being prepared as a new snake owner, MAYBE you shouldn't be giving advice quite yet...
That's why I said to get a second opinion, as I am quoting research :/
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I do not have a heat lamp for my python. I've asked around a lot and many
have told me that they don't need special lighting and it was up to me and the heat pad would suffice for the main heat; I just needed to watch humidity and temperature. He's currently
in a 40gt tub.
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Re: Heat pad on/off
Quote:
Originally Posted by JustinGatCat
I do not have a heat lamp for my python. I've asked around a lot and many
have told me that they don't need special lighting and it was up to me and the heat pad would suffice for the main heat; I just needed to watch humidity and temperature. He's currently
in a 40gt tub.
I wouldn't ask them any more questions if that's the info they gave you. You should dive into past threads here and learn what your snake needs.
The snakes don't need light, they need the heat which comes from the light bulb. You can use a red bulb 24/7 if you like. The snakes doesn't care.
You can use other heat sources but it does not seem like the other options are going to work well for you right now. Those would be things like a oil filled heater or rhp.
A uth does nothing for your air temp. You need to make sure the air temp is within the proper range. I shoot for 77-84. As long as it is within range that will be fine for your snake. 75-88 will work but I prefer my range.
What is the temp in the tub?
What is the room temp?
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A UTH is designed to provide a hot spot only, not ambient temps. For ambient temps you will need another heat source. ALL heat sources must be regulated by a thermostat.
Heat sources being run without a thermostat can lead to injured snakes and vet bills, can potentially be fatal to the snake, and can possibly cause house fires.
Do your homework and study the stickies on this forum, get the proper equipment asap and go from there.
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The my bedrooms temp is at 70 degrees F. I plan on getting a therm later today. I literally just got
Pua a day ago, so I'm not sure if his temps. The guy I got him from only sold him to me with just the heat pad. I'm just confused really because there's some people like you who recommend using heat bulbs and other places/sources say it's personal decision, and others that say the heat pad is just fine. (XmX)
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If your bedroom temp is 70 you will need an additional heat source.
Your UTH is only there to provide a hot spot. This will primarily aid the snake in digestion after a meal.
Your ambient temps will hardly be affected by the UTH. 70 is too cool for an ambient temp for a BP and will probably result in your snake not eating or if it does eat it will not digest properly and possibly regurgitate it's meal. Temps that low will also likely lead to Respiratory Infection.
This is why you will need an additional heat source.
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Re: Heat pad on/off
And I suddenly remembered why I don't comment much anymore.... [emoji85][emoji85][emoji85][emoji86][emoji86][emoji86]
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Re: Heat pad on/off
Quote:
Originally Posted by JustinGatCat
Would it be bad for my Ball Python's health if it's off at night though? Is it like absolutely necessary for them to have 24/hr heat? Pua is on a Zoo-Med Repti-therm small UTH for 10-20 gallons which is 16 watts. How would I connect a heat control thermostat to such a heat mat?
Depends do you want your snake to start going off feed?
If you have limited experience, and have a hot spot I highly recommend that you keep that hot spot as STABLE as possible 24/7 that mean using a T-Stat.
You plug the UTH in the T-stat and the T-stat in the outlet , it's that simple.
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Re: Heat pad on/off
Quote:
Originally Posted by JustinGatCat
The my bedrooms temp is at 70 degrees F. I plan on getting a therm later today. I literally just got
Pua a day ago, so I'm not sure if his temps. The guy I got him from only sold him to me with just the heat pad. I'm just confused really because there's some people like you who recommend using heat bulbs and other places/sources say it's personal decision, and others that say the heat pad is just fine. (XmX)
If the heat is unregulated and you do not know your temps UNPLUG your UTH IMMIDIATELY before you end up with this situation https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...51#post2536251
And please do some research (ideally you should have done that prior to getting your new animal)
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Re: Heat pad on/off
Quote:
Originally Posted by Deborah
Or this one:
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...t-don-t!/page1
That was a $400 vet bill and the poor thing still passed away.
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Re: Heat pad on/off
Quote:
Originally Posted by JustinGatCat
The my bedrooms temp is at 70 degrees F. I plan on getting a therm later today. I literally just got
Pua a day ago, so I'm not sure if his temps. The guy I got him from only sold him to me with just the heat pad. I'm just confused really because there's some people like you who recommend using heat bulbs and other places/sources say it's personal decision, and others that say the heat pad is just fine. (XmX)
Heat is NOT a personal choice. It is absolutely necessary for your snake the live.
Now whether you add heat by using a rhp, che, bulb, or room heater is a personal choice. Again, adding heat is NOT. With a uth alone and a room temp of 70 your snake tank is 70. The easiest fix right now is a lamp and bulb. IMHO the best way to put that in place is but using a light fixture suspended by a lamp stand and putting the lamp on a dimmer so you can adjust the power output.
Lamp stands are nice because they allow you to suspend the fixture instead of just laying it on the tank lid. This keeps you from bouncing the hot bulb around making it last longer and it reduces the risk of burning something in your home when you move the hot lamp to enter the tank. They will also give you the ability to raise and lower the heat source which in turn will lower or raise the temps in the tank. Both big name post stores carry them. https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Repti...=zoo+med+stand
Search this forum and see what the respected members with thriving collections have to say about it.
Also read this Care-Sheets. https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...ius)-Caresheet
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Re: Heat pad on/off
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMG
I have 2 and they are rock solid, not to mention and please someone correct me if I am wrong, the only stat that defaults in the off position in the event of failure.
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Re: Heat pad on/off
Quote:
Originally Posted by BR8080
I have 2 and they are rock solid, not to mention and please someone correct me if I am wrong, the only stat that defaults in the off position in the event of failure.
I can't say with 100% certainty, but I do believe this to be true.
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