Need some advice

I have a glass terrarium with a exo terra heat pad underneath attached to glass with a exo 100w thermostat set at 90f problem im having is the ground is only getting 80 to 83 hottest ive seen it is 85 checking temp with infrared heat gun should i remove it and setup heat cable underneath to get higher tempature would that be a better option? I also removed some of the substrate thinking maybe it was to thick now there is barley any on the bottom not even an inc where undertank heater is any advice would be great thanks also the pad had been plugged in for over 12 hours now update i checked inside the snakes hide and the inside is aboiut 91f inside is that all that matters or should the entire floor where the pad be be 90?

Where is the thermostat probe located? It should be sandwiched between the glad and uth.

substrate should be about 1/4 of an inch.

The glass without substrate should read 90 at the heat pad. Adjust your temp up on your thermostat until the glass reads 90.

My thermostats say 94.6 and 97 and read 90 at the glass.

Sitting on top of the eco earth wasnt sure where to put it reptile store didnt tell me it had to be on the glass it self thanks for that information. Going to put probe under the substrate and its about a half inc at most for substrate.

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Originally Posted by Dylan_

Sitting on top of the eco earth wasnt sure where to put it reptile store didnt tell me it had to be on the glass it self thanks for that information. Going to put probe under the substrate and its about a half inc at most for substrate.

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The probe goes OUTSIDE the tank. Between the UTH itself and the glass.
If left inside it will be moved, peed on, etc...and cause inaccurate readings, which could result in dangerous heat spikes.

....and when measuring temps with your temp gun it's important to measure the glass, not the substrate. Snakes burrow and WILL move substrate around and lay directly on the glass.

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Originally Posted by craigafrechette

the probe goes outside the tank. Between the uth itself and the glass.
If left inside it will be moved, peed on, etc...and cause inaccurate readings, which could result in dangerous heat spikes.

....and when measuring temps with your temp gun it's important to measure the glass, not the substrate. Snakes burrow and will move substrate around and lay directly on the glass.

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this!!!^

I didn’t see any mention of ambient temps in the cage. Just a thought from my own experience, the UTH is probably not getting the job done in that area. I use a CHE as a secondary heat source on a thermostate also. Regulated heat only. I had to encase my glass cages with foam board on three sides and a large chunk of the top as well. Covering the top aids in the humidity and helps hold in heat. For me about a 1/4”-1/2” of substrate is all I use with a daily spray down. Twice a day while in shed.
I tried just a UTH and never seen ambient temps remotely close.

Okay thanks wish they would have informed me on this before hand lol so how do i get it inbetween the 2 now that the pad is already stuck on?

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Originally Posted by Jakethesnake69

I didn’t see any mention of ambient temps in the cage. Just a thought from my own experience, the UTH is probably not getting the job done in that area. I use a CHE as a secondary heat source on a thermostate also. Regulated heat only. I had to encase my glass cages with foam board on three sides and a large chunk of the top as well. Covering the top aids in the humidity and helps hold in heat. For me about a 1/4”-1/2” of substrate is all I use with a daily spray down. Twice a day while in shed.
I tried just a UTH and never seen ambient temps remotely close.

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I have 2 infrared lights to bring up tank tempatures komitoring them daily constantly adjusting bulb this is the first time using under tank heater personally and apparently messed up big time reptile stores did not inform me on how to do anything instructions didnt tell me crap all either lol

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Originally Posted by craigafrechette

The probe goes OUTSIDE the tank. Between the UTH itself and the glass.
If left inside it will be moved, peed on, etc...and cause inaccurate readings, which could result in dangerous heat spikes.

....and when measuring temps with your temp gun it's important to measure the glass, not the substrate. Snakes burrow and WILL move substrate around and lay directly on the glass.

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Was not informed on any of this when i asked several different reptile stores they told me to just put it on substrate thank you for that information now that the pad is already stuck on what do i do? Do i need to remove it and get a new one or is there a way i can put the probe under the heat pad like if iused duct tape or went and got some kind of different tape i really dont want to have to buy another heater if i dont have to

Yeah, Sadly a large portion of these stores just want money and anything after the sale is sink or swim. A few good places though and represented on this site. This site is full of eager people that have lots of info so your in the right place.

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Originally Posted by Jakethesnake69

Yeah, Sadly a large portion of these stores just want money and anything after the sale is sink or swim. A few good places though and represented on this site. This site is full of eager people that have lots of info so your in the right place.

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Yeah im at a loss now guess they dont care if your reptile gets hurt not asking them for advice anymore thats for sure. Im dissapointed that they didnt give me the proper information.

The reptile stores near me don't even sell thermostats and push the heat mats.

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Originally Posted by Jakethesnake69

The reptile stores near me don't even sell thermostats and push the heat mats.

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The reptile store didnt even tell me to get the thermostat actually his words were it wont even get up to 100 degrees that it will probably omly get 80-85 degrees and there not meant to get hot at all when i called to try to figure out why it was only reading 80 on surface yet when i moved substrate and checked glass temp woth temp gun it was reading 90-95 and i have a 300 watt exo terra thermostat no idea how im going to get that probe between glass and mat now seeing as the mats once stick on are not suppose to come off so its starting to look like im going to have to rip itnoff and spend another 45-50 bucks on another mat and evwn if i take ot back they saod for it being used they could only give me 10 to 15 bucks for it i bought it yesterday so good waste of money there lol

I don't like the stick-on ones. You can't switch them out to other enclosures in the future. I use the mats that Reptile Basics sells. The little ones just draw 7 watts. I still use a t-stat (usually Herpstat). I use a foam board to insulate underneath the mat.

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Originally Posted by distaff

I don't like the stick-on ones. You can't switch them out to other enclosures in the future. I use the mats that Reptile Basics sells. The little ones just draw 7 watts. I still use a t-stat (usually Herpstat). I use a foam board to insulate underneath the mat.

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Wasnt ever planning on changing tanks as this one is big enough the ball python will never out grow it so it didnt matter that it was stuck on now im stuck because the reptile stores dont tell you crap i should have went on here and got help before installing it now im 99% sure i got to take it off and get a new one just so i can put the thermostat prob between the glass and uth lovely lol

You can remove the UTH and reapply it with tape that can handle it. I've used Gorilla tape and it holds the UTH without a problem. I do check regularly to make sure it's still attached as the enclosure is slightly off the ground to protect the surface from the UTH.

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Originally Posted by SMTHook

You can remove the UTH and reapply it with tape that can handle it. I've used Gorilla tape and it holds the UTH without a problem. I do check regularly to make sure it's still attached as the enclosure is slightly off the ground to protect the surface from the UTH.

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Ill try to remove it tonight i have t rex duct tape that i can tape it back up with i guess i will just shove the probe in the middle before i re apply it and ill just check on it for the next few hours to make sure it doeeent malfuntion from being taken off thanks for the advise

distaff is referring to Ultratherm or Flukers that are the same. Use aluminum tape to stick them on. I have actually moved over to them on most of my cages. I find them more consistent over the entire surface area compared to the zoo med or equivalent. It’s really thin and laminated. Sometimes the glue on the stick ons gives up and they sag or just don’t stay stuck at all.

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Originally Posted by Jakethesnake69

distaff is referring to Ultratherm or Flukers that are the same. Use aluminum tape to stick them on. I have actually moved over to them on most of my cages. I find them more consistent over the entire surface area compared to the zoo med or equivalent. It’s really thin and laminated. Sometimes the glue on the stick ons gives up and they sag or just don’t stay stuck at all.

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Will the duct tape not hold or something ?

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Originally Posted by Dylan_

Okay thanks wish they would have informed me on this before hand lol so how do i get it inbetween the 2 now that the pad is already stuck on?

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Carefully. And get some packing tape or duct tape to hold the uth down.

Which store ore did you get your BP. Most box box stores have no idea what reptiles need.

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Originally Posted by Sunnieskys

Carefully. And get some packing tape or duct tape to hold the uth down.

Which store ore did you get your BP. Most box box stores have no idea what reptiles need.

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Got it off someone who was breeding them. Apparently reptile stores are usless for information lol. Worse comes to worse ill just have to buy a new uth im tryingnto take it off now slowly lol

Depending on the tape, it could just heat up and pull away. You need a small gap between the pad and the tabletop or whatever it’s on. If it sags down there is no air circulation. Just keep an eye on it and if need be try another tape. I use the aluminum tape because it’s used for ducting and so on and designed around heat.

https://ibb.co/eEk3uU

Is this how im suppose to do it?

Can’t see the picture but I like to tape around the entire pad getting it as tight to the glass as possible. It’s going to bulge but it can be minimal if pulled tight. Curious did you use the little rubber pads that came with the UTH?

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Originally Posted by Jakethesnake69

Can’t see the picture but I like to tape around the entire pad getting it as tight to the glass as possible. It’s going to bulge but it can be minimal if pulled tight. Curious did you use the little rubber pads that came with the UTH?

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Yeah i lifted the left side of the enclosure where the heat pad is idk what site to use for pictures lol

https://pixabay.com/en/under-tank-heater-3745739/

There you should be able to view that now

Download the tapatalk app for pictures. Soooo much easier.

Trying the app out lolhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...0e21900295.jpg

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Originally Posted by Sunnieskys

Download the tapatalk app for pictures. Soooo much easier.

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Thank you that just made my life 100x easier !

You can always make a UTH pad moveable/reusable by covering the sticky side with foil tape or aluminum foil and then use foil tape to secure it along the edges.
Someone somewhere here is still floating my crayola setup photo.
Use your temp gun to check the temp under the substrate.
Your animal can and will burrow.

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

You can always make a UTH pad moveable/reusable by covering the sticky side with foil tape or aluminum foil and then use foil tape to secure it along the edges.
Someone somewhere here is still floating my crayola setup photo.
Use your temp gun to check the temp under the substrate.
Your animal can and will burrow.

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Reading glass with a temp gun wont that give you false readings because its not a solid object and it will reflect beam?

Doesent care for the undertank heater maybe im getting the temp readings wrong i move all substrate and shoot my temp gun directly at glass and getting anyhwere frlm 90-94f highest point i seen was 95 my thermostat is set at about 93fhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...db5ce9b536.jpg

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You could bump the thermostat down a couple degrees so glass reads 90.. 95 is a bit too warm. Also what substrate are you using? Also does he have secure hides?

i would also black out three sides to the tank with foam board, and put a piece over the top to help with humidity and ambients as well as provide him w more security. He’s a pretty snake btw!

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Originally Posted by Jmarshall

You could bump the thermostat down a couple degrees so glass reads 90. Also what substrate are you using? Also does he have secure hides?

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Eco eart and he or she has secure lide with sliding doors that has lock heres the pictures of setup still adding more decorations slowly to try to clutter it up morehttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...6f5a044c70.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...b38bb077d9.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...d246634b43.jpg

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Theres 3 small holes i cut in top that i used for checking temps with gun and i also leave them for a little ventilation through the top not much at all but it has a whole strip of ventilation at the front bottom

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Also thats aluminum foil on top of cage secured with duct tape to keep tempatures in enclosure a little higher and trap humidity

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Right on. I would definitely add clutter. Here is my set up.. my guy is about 300 grams. So he’s very young as well. I have him in a large cage and he is eating well and hiding like a BP should. Here’s my set up at the moment.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...82a7534a69.jpg

Can’t tell by the pics but are the hides nice a secure?


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Originally Posted by Jmarshall

Right on. I would definitely add clutter. Here is my set up.. my guy is about 300 grams. So he’s very young as well. I have him in a large cage and he is eating well and hiding like a BP should. Here’s my set up at the moment.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...82a7534a69.jpg

Can’t tell by the pics but are the hides nice a secure?


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What do you mean by secure and yeah i put mine in a big enclosure too but she or he eats weekly on weaned rats f/t havent got it sexed yet and its usually always hiding just today it apparently decided to sit where it is lol the enclosure i got mine in has been a pain in my ass to get temps at a decent right now the cooler side is saying 79 warmer side is usualy 81-82 with 150 watt bulb and cooler side has a 100 watt bulb tried to use 2 150s to bring the temps up a little on cooler side but ended up with sorta 2 basking spots lol so i use those 2 lights and got the heat pad to give it a basking spot im still working on cluttering stuff and i know im suppose to have 2 identical hides im just tight on money right now after everything ive sunk into this tank i will get another hide next week or the week after and hopefully some more decorations to clutter some stuff up

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Secure meaning snug. If Damians hides are too big he wont use them, he likes for the hides to be touching all sides of his body.. I have found boxes from the post office boxes are perfect. Lol. And I wasnt aware that him sitting on the rock isnt an everyday occurrence. I was under the impression that he never used his hides for some reason.

Oh and i havent been able to weigh mine yet dont know what scale to get the person i bought it off didnt know the exact age esitmated at about 7 months i was told it should be female but untill i get actual confirmation im going off he/her lol id say its probably 20 inc long or so havent measured yet as im still trying to slowly get it use to handling it doesent have a problem being handled i just try not to over whelm it i have had it for about a month and the reptile stores did nothing to help me gave me a bunch of terrible advice went to several different ones and ive changed bulbs about 10 times to get the temps im at now

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For some reason mine likes the bigger rock hide not so much the smaller plastic one for some reason. My bp is weird sometimes lol im going to be removing the rock one and replacing with another one of the plastic ones

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I picked up a cheap kitchen scale like this. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...32535beb36.jpg

I think it was like 12 bucks.


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And the weird part is the heat pad has several different temps on it like its not 1 temp the entire pad its a bunch of diff ones lol

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So I have a radiant heat panel installed in my enclosure which takes care of hot spot and ambient temps. I have this extra piece of heat tape just sitting here. If you felt comfortable giving my your address I can send it to you.. no charge [emoji38]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...031164f4ad.jpg

Will probably give you much more consistent temps.

I have some heat pads that were very crappy and all over the place..


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Where do you put it under tank attatched to glass?

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Like on the outside ?

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Originally Posted by Dylan_

Where do you put it under tank attatched to glass?

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ya you tape it to the bottom of the tank with the thermostat probe sandwiched in between the tape and glass.

I just know a lot of the stuff you buy at big box pet stores is of terrible quality.. Sucks, but its just the way it is sometimes..

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Originally Posted by Dylan_

Like on the outside ?

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On the outside of the tank where the snake cant get to it..

And if youd like it, its yours.. its literally just sitting here..

so it would go


snake
substrate
tank
probe
heat tape
Table

Yes. Then check inside tank on bottom with a heat gun. The UTH will have different temps in different areas. The max temp should be 90°. So adjust thermostat until the hottest spot is 90°.

How big is the extra piece of heat tape u have and where do you get it from? I live in canada so they want to charge an arm and a leg for shipping on most websites lol

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its a foot by a foot.. and I got it from reptile basics..