Heating Troubles

Ok i have heat tape on the bottom of my 40 gallon breeder tank. I taped it down with packaging tape... im going to buy foil tape tonight to see if that helps. But i have my thermostat set for 96 and the temp on the surface of the bedding is 88 about i dont want to make it any higher just incase her burrows. I am using newspaper with a THIN layer of aspen bedding over it. I have two thermostats hooked up to two different heat tapes. my room temp is 72 so thats why i have two heat tape elements. So what can i do to get the temp to 92 on the hot side and 82 on the cold side. by the way on my cold side it is set for 90 and is at 82. i cranked it up so much because if she does burrow then it wouldnt hurt her with that temp! So can you give me suggestions, would a space heater in the room help boost the temp???

You should measure your temps right above the glass inside the encolsure. Just keep turning up the thermostat until it hits 92*. She will move the substrate around if she needs to get warmer.

ok i have to thermostat probe taped directly to the bottom of the tank, and i have both thermometers taped directly to the top of the glass. the ambient heat is about 72 should i get a space heater to boost that temp???

can anyone help????? PLEASE

Have you tried using a CHE?
If you are having humidity problems, I would use a space heater.

Hi,

Why have you got the thermostat probe inside the tank? I am a definate fan of having it on the heat source under the tank - far less chance of it being messed about with by the snake peeing or sitting on it (and no, there are no missing letters in that last word ).

Your posts don't jibe so can we get a bit of clarification of the temps at various places?

What is the temp under the substrate at the warm end and what are the temps on the surface of the substrate at the warm end?

Same for the cool end if you can.

It reads from your first post that the substrate you have chosen is creating a temperature difference of 8 degrees - if that's true then the best advice I can give you is change the substrate. As it is you are using two substrates - try it with just one of the two materials and see if that makes a difference.


dr del

Derek, no comments on the tape??

Hi,

I thought the tape was holding the UTH to the bottom of the tank so should be outside already shouldnt it?

Or is the UTH inside?

**edit**

OK just saw the bit I missed about the thermostat probe being taped down inside.

NO TAPE inside the enclosure unless it is low tack painters tape that won't stick to the animal hard enough to be a problem. :colbert:

**end edit**

And don't wind me up young man or you will find yourself with a baboons butt as an avatar. :P


dr del

Derek, some would argue it goes great with my personality.

ok let me clarify...
hot side under the substrate = 99
hot side on top of substrate = 92
cool side under the substrate = 88
cool side on top of substrate = 82

the temps are good now, but if she burrows she will get burnt, she has never burrowed YET... also the UTH is on the outside under the tank attached by packaging tape, i am going to get foil tape to secure it more.

You said no tape... but is under the newspaper and aspen bedding... how else can i secure it???

Would a Space heater help will ambiant temp??? the ambiant temp now is 72 so it needs to get higher. will it also help with humidity... i have a humidifier going now and it is helping a bit!!!

This should clarify things a bit more!!!:D:D

First off, you can hot glue the probes. That's what I do and it works like a charm. Also easily removable.

If you can afford it and wouldn't mind the heat, I'd definitely get a space heater to just heat the room to 77-78*.

As for the temps in your cage... I highly doubt 99* is hot enough to burn a snake. Think about it, you can touch the hottest part of your body (not specifying where that may be ;)) and you won't get burned, or even feel uncomfortable (damn, I'm really going too far with this :weirdface).

ok i will try hot glueing the probes... also i must agree that 99 would burn her. Thank you for every thing.

By the way Dutch herp i saw a picture of you recently at a show... you are young, how old are you... i thought you were like 30 some from your knowledge on EVERYTHING. Well im 16 and if i knew everything you did i would be really happy. you are a big help with all my problems.

Im also curious do you have any pictures of your "reptile room" and your reptiles??? i would really like to see them??

Hi,

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tjones

ok let me clarify...
hot side under the substrate = 99
hot side on top of substrate = 92
cool side under the substrate = 88
cool side on top of substrate = 82

the temps are good now, but if she burrows she will get burnt, she has never burrowed YET... also the UTH is on the outside under the tank attached by packaging tape, i am going to get foil tape to secure it more.

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O.k it sounds like you should adjust the thermostat till it produces 95f under the substrate and then do the rest by removing substrate until it reads 92-94 in the warm end hide. Try newspaper alone first then try aspen alone as people seem to be able to get both of those to work in their setups.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tjones

You said no tape... but is under the newspaper and aspen bedding... how else can i secure it???

---

Hot glue gun, rock placed on wire above substrate, low tack painters tape, possibly even blu-tak? (never tried the last one though ).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tjones

Would a Space heater help will ambiant temp??? the ambiant temp now is 72 so it needs to get higher. will it also help with humidity... i have a humidifier going now and it is helping a bit!!!

This should clarify things a bit more!!!:D:D

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It probably would raise ambient temps - but your cool end temps aren't off so I, personally, wouldn't bother too much about it. Other people seriously disagree with me about that though. :)

Have you treated the top of the tank with the tinfoil/ perspex method? That normally helps with humidity a lot.


dr del

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tjones

ok i will try hot glueing the probes... also i must agree that 99 would burn her. Thank you for every thing.

By the way Dutch herp i saw a picture of you recently at a show... you are young, how old are you... i thought you were like 30 some from your knowledge on EVERYTHING. Well im 16 and if i knew everything you did i would be really happy. you are a big help with all my problems.

Im also curious do you have any pictures of your "reptile room" and your reptiles??? i would really like to see them??

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Hey man,

I have had problems with probe placements in my cage before -- the probe was on the basking shelf of my JCP cage and he would continue to lay on top of it, causing the temps of the shelf to get to over one hundred. Well, I measured his temperature, and it was high 90s. It was slightly worrying, but nothing burn-worthy. Just my $0.02.

And I'm 14 ;) I do a lot of reading as herps are my primary interests.. it's all I do basically! ;)

And here's my "room" :oops:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_3879.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_3944.jpg

Quote:

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Have you treated the top of the tank with the tinfoil/ perspex method? That normally helps with humidity a lot.

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yes i have... i also have part of the screen top covered with a damp washcloth!!! and the humidity now is sitting at about 59% which is better than before which was at 23% but not the best!!!

Quote:

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And I'm 14

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Holy Hannah. You know alot for only being 14. No offence or anything.
I got into herps a few years ago.. man I love them.
I knew for my whole life I wanted to be a vet, but now I know what im going to specilize in!!!!

Alright -- I am in the process uf setting up a cage after not having a snake for the last few years. I had a great neodesha setup, but ended up selling my ball python and the whole works. (Yes, I am regretting it now).

Anyway, I don't have the cash to fork out to by a nice custom cage at the moment, so I am going to use an aquarium for now, and then possibley upgrade in the future if I feel it is neccesary. I've been researching on how I should set this cage up, and was having a bit of a dilemma with running the cords into the tank. So, do I understand correctly that some of you do put the thermostat probe directly on the uth below the tank??

I was thinking about doing it that way, and if it would work, that would really help solve that problem.

Thanks,

George