Flexwatt / animal plastics cage question

Hi, I just got an animal plastics T8. I have a herpstat2 running my flexwatt and RHP. My first question is what is the hottest you can run flexwatt, 108 degrees too much?? Or what is everyone else running their flexwatt at in their T8’s? The second question is, how long does it take for the humidity / temp to settle down in the T8? My cool side is 81 degrees. Hot side is 88 degrees. My humidity is high, around 85%. How long will it take for my humidity to settle in? I’m using Cyprus mulch and I have not done any misting in the cage.

I set my flexwatt to 105F sometimes in the dead of winter but i also only use ambient room temp as the full cage temp. So while the whole cage is around 77-78F in the winter, i keep the flexwatt running a little warmer. Rest of the year when it's warmer, i turn the flexwatt down to around 100F which equates to anywhere from 87-90F as flexwatt varies from spot to spot, just the nature of the beast. Now for me, I'm looking at about a 10 degree difference between temp setting on the Herpstat and actual inside floor cage temps with my temp gun. So you will probably need to play with it.

And honestly, to me 108F seems pretty high. Usually AP cage variance is 5-10 degrees, so 108F would mean an inside floor temp of 98-102 which is fine assuming its the dead of winter and rest of cage is running cooler like 78F. But you are running a RHP too, you shouldnt need to run flexwatt that hot.

And i dont see how you got an 88F hot side with running flexwatt at 108F. How are you reading temps and from where? The top of the substrate or the inside cage floor? Should always read temps from the hottest spot which is the inside cage floor and set according to that as snakes will push substrate aside.

As for humidity, I have that same problem with cypress. Usually takes about a week for it completely level off. Funny thing for me is my BP actually hated cypress and was out nightly pushing and pacing. She likes aspen and any coco substrate though. So i switched her to Reptile Prime as i had a bag of it laying around and she likes it. All my boas, dumerils and retic love cypress though. My BP has to be the unique snowflake and go on fasts and be picky of her substrate lol.

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

I set my flexwatt to 105F sometimes in the dead of winter but i also only use ambient room temp as the full cage temp. So while the whole cage is around 77-78F in the winter, i keep the flexwatt running a little warmer. Rest of the year when it's warmer, i turn the flexwatt down to around 100F which equates to anywhere from 87-90F as flexwatt varies from spot to spot, just the nature of the beast. Now for me, I'm looking at about a 10 degree difference between temp setting on the Herpstat and actual inside floor cage temps with my temp gun. So you will probably need to play with it.

And honestly, to me 108F seems pretty high. Usually AP cage variance is 5-10 degrees, so 108F would mean an inside floor temp of 98-102 which is fine assuming its the dead of winter and rest of cage is running cooler like 78F. But you are running a RHP too, you shouldnt need to run flexwatt that hot.

And i dont see how you got an 88F hot side with running flexwatt at 108F. How are you reading temps and from where? The top of the substrate or the inside cage floor? Should always read temps from the hottest spot which is the inside cage floor and set according to that as snakes will push substrate aside.

As for humidity, I have that same problem with cypress. Usually takes about a week for it completely level off. Funny thing for me is my BP actually hated cypress and was out nightly pushing and pacing. She likes aspen and any coco substrate though. So i switched her to Reptile Prime as i had a bag of it laying around and she likes it. All my boas, dumerils and retic love cypress though. My BP has to be the unique snowflake and go on fasts and be picky of her substrate lol.

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I’m sorry, 88 ambient on the hot side. Would you recommend lowering RHP and making ambient a little lower and setting flexwatt to 100? Because that’s what I’m thinking. The room stays pretty constant at around 75 degeees year round.
As for the humidity I figured I’d just have to wait it out, just wasn’t sure how long, thank you.

Me personally, I rather run my snakes a little cooler than too hot. Snakes wont die from slightly cooler temps but they sure in heck can get neuro issues or die from overheating easily. If the room stays 75F pretty consistent, I would drop the RHP down some and give a warm spot of 90F with the flexwatt. Use the RHP as a backup of sorts for if the temps get pretty low. AP cages tend to hold temps very well and even with just flexwatt and the cypress being warmed with it, my ambient will sometimes creep up to 80-81F.

I mean your choice really but honestly, with a room temp of 75F, you really shouldnt need a RHP on much. Flexwatt and a hide over the top of it with the cypress should create plenty enough warmth inside the warm hide.

The probe for the RHP is taped to the side of the cage on the hot side at cage floor level. What would you recommend for the RHP temp set on the herpstat?

DON'T USE ANY TAPE IN A SNAKE CAGE!!! Maybe you didn't mean you have the probe trapped to the inside of the cage but if you did, go take the tape out of the cage NOW! You can use hot glue, you can use caulk or numerous other means of attaching it but do not use tape on anything inside the cage.

As for temps, you have to measure the actual floor of the cage, if it's hotter than 90, I would turn it down. I'm using a Herpstat 4 on mine and I have the temp on the Herpstat set at 90 and the actual floor reads 90 with a temp gun. I guess it varies but mine is spot on. This is in my new AP T10, so it's PVC also. My probe is caulked in the channel they cut for the fkexwatt.

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Originally Posted by Thuguez

The probe for the RHP is taped to the side of the cage on the hot side at cage floor level. What would you recommend for the RHP temp set on the herpstat?

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Dont use tape inside the cage. When i used to use a RHP in one of my cages, i just let it hang down along the back wall on the inside on the RHP side, just high enough off the floor so the snake couldnt sit on it, poop or piss on it.

As for what temp to set it to, that depends on your room temp and stuff. Just try it at 86F and see what the readings are on the cool side in an hour or so.

So with the RHP set at 85 and flexwatt set at 100.5. The cool side is 81
the hot side is 85 and inside the hot end hide on the cage floor above flexwatt is 92

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Originally Posted by Thuguez

So with the RHP set at 85 and flexwatt set at 100.5. The cool side is 81
the hot side is 85 and inside the hot end hide on the cage floor above flexwatt is 92

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That should work but i personally prefer to keep it a little cooler. With 85F ambient on the warm side, i would probably turn the flexwatt down to 88F or so. I think 85F warm side ambient and 92F floor heat is just overkill.

Best bet is watch the snake, if it never uses the warm side, then its probably a little too warm...or the cool side is plenty warm for it so it doesnt need extra heat.

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

That should work but i personally prefer to keep it a little cooler. With 85F ambient on the warm side, i would probably turn the flexwatt down to 88F or so. I think 85F warm side ambient and 92F floor heat is just overkill.

Best bet is watch the snake, if it never uses the warm side, then its probably a little too warm...or the cool side is plenty warm for it so it doesnt need extra heat.

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What about turning RHP down to about 83-84 so cool side would be 79-80? Sorry, I’m not used to pvc cages that hold heat so well. Always had glass