humidity and temp issues.

ok, so i got a digital thermometor and hydrometer. i have a 75 watt basking light on top of the tank. when i put the digital therm. under the light, my temp is reading 102 degrees F. Humidity is 34%. Could it be reading so hot because its plastic and metal, which is a conductor of heat? Ive been using the misting technique...but so far has not worked. I think im more stressed then the snake. I also know that bp's are noctornal, and since my lamp is the only heating source, is it ok to turn it off at night?

The lamp is the problem. Get a UTH

even if its a 10 gallon tank?

Yup, the tank even makes it worse. Lol. Get a tub with UTH with a dimmer/rheostat/thermostat. They keep humidity better.

do i put the uth IN the tub or underneath it? ( WOW, i just asked the dumbest question ever lol)

Underneath it, unless you like grilled snake. lol.

Grilled snake is delicious! lol just kidding. its definitely better to have the uth under the enclosure with some breathing room between it and the tub or tank.

ok so i put the UTH under one side of the tank, its been about an hour now and its only 86 degrees, humidity is at 58%. do these pads take a while to heat up?

Do you have a dimmer/ thermostat? And yes it does take a while

its a UTH from Four Paws. got it for 14 bucks at pet supermarket. no dimmer or thermostat. simple plug in type. digi thermometer is still ready 86 degrees with a humidity of 54%. will this still work if i use the green terrarium lining? or is it to thick? i have aspen bedding if you think that will work better. and again guys, thanks for all your help. this is my first snake ever! i wanna make it worth it!

latest update, uth and 60 watt lamp, 93 degrees, humidity is 42%. suggestions?

Get rid of the lamp

if you remove the lamp it will solve the humidity problem but cause a temperature problem so find another way to solve the humidity problem. keep the lamp, place the water bowl over the UTH.;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Liquid Snake 06

latest update, uth and 60 watt lamp, 93 degrees, humidity is 42%. suggestions?

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what type of substrate do you use? my reptibark is crap as far as humidity goes. for my BP tank i use these wood chippings(forgot the brand name) and as soon as it comes time to clean the RTB tank, that's what will be going in there along with a bigger UTH. If you get a UTH that is the correct size for your tank, you should be fine. Mine 30-40G zoo-med got my 30g breeder to 96* when i was just warming it up. Turned the dimmer down and it was down to 90 again

Liquid,
I'm assuming you probably have a screen top on your 10gal tank? If so, tape some Saran wrap over about 75% of the screen, leaving only the area that the lamp sits without the Saran. This should help you keep your humidity up.

Steve

i have a screen top on my 10 gallon. i will def. tape some saran rap on there. i turned the lamp off for a few hours. got home, and it is now currently 87 degrees, humidity is at 48 percent. im using terrerium bedding. that green plastic bedding. would aspen be better? i stuck the uth under one side of the tank. that way one side is warm the other is cool. i dont think the uth is strong enough?

Liquid,
Tell me about your thermometer. Is it a "self housed unit", or does it have a cord with a probe on it? You should be reading the temp over the heat mat right on the surface of the substrate. 87 degrees doesn't sound bad to me. Others may say it needs to be higher, but I think its probably ok. The big question is - Is it 87 degrees on the floor of the cage, or a couple inches above it?

As far as substrate is concerned, I like aspen, but thats just me. I'm really not sure what the terrarium bedding is. Is it like astroturf? Easter basket grass? If its like Easter basket grass, I'd say put it back in the Easter basket and use the aspen. If its like Astroturf, its probably ok, if you want to take the time to keep it clean. The thing about aspen is that when the snake "makes a mess", you can remove that part of the aspen, and replace it and you're good to go. If the mess is urine, remove aspen from a wider area to be sure to get it all.

Steve

yea its like astro turf. it helped him remove a lot of old skin too. i have the thermometer on the bedding right on top of where the uth is.

I will tell you why your UTH needs to be placed on the outer bottom of the tank, under one of the hides// since the BP spends so much time in its hide, it only makes sense to mainly heat the inside of your wam hide. I see no way in heck that a UTH, stuck to the side of a tank, can keep the warm hidespot at the right temperature; especially without a dimmer.
Heat lamps are, IMO, the number one reason for retained shed.