Greetings & a Question of Course

[jfrazi]

Greetings all,

New to the forum, but I have been an avid snake keeper and observer in their natural habit for twenty years now. I bred several species previous to college, mostly corn and other rat snake variants. Sadly all of my collection was sold off when I moved away for college back in 97' and since I have only kept 1 ball python and last year I got a few corn variants, a small albino male and a het. blood red.

But the wife has given in and I can increase my collection by modest proportions and even start up a few hobby sized breeding schemes down the road.

My current set up is a rather simple one for my BP. 20 long reptile tank (built in locking top) with the screen 50% covered to help with humidity, hides on either side, though my little baby is out growing the med-large hide and will require some more in a hurry as he is currently pounding a rat a week like clock work. I use a slightly larger than needed water tub due to humidity issues in the house.

Which leads to my question. This is the end of our first year in our new house, and I have noticed that the upstairs (first two story rather than a ranchstyle home) is always warmer, but I am having a hard time keeping a good monitor on his humidity. I have read through a lot of the postings and people rave about the Accurite temp / humidity system. I have tried to google a few times based on copy/pasting people's wording and have not found the unit that I imagine people are talking about.

Could anyone perhaps drop a link to the unit they use and how they place the probe(s) for an accurate measurement of a glass aquarium set up. I would greatly appreciate any help. I miss my rack systems already, might have to go back to them if this issue keeps up, but the wife likes to see them all. Maybe keep a corn morph out in the open and keep the others happier and she can deal.

Thanks again gang for any help.

~Cheers

[jfrazi]

Bleh,

forgot to mention the bedding. Currently using aspen bedding, I tried the reptile mulch for a bit but did not like that I couldn't instantly see the need of any spot cleaning. Being so used to rack systems from my previous larger collection which always used paper, I guess it gets a bit ingrained.

This is the first tank that I have set up to being more of a display style and not an efficient tub or rack style set up.

[Skittles1101]

Welcome
http://www.amazon.com/Chaney-Instrum...6186577&sr=8-3

Unless you are using a light (hopefully you use a UTH regulated by a thermostat/rheostat), you shouldn't have too bad of issues with humidity if the top is halfway covered. I've had nothing but successful sheds with my ball in the tank (the rest are in a rack). Sometimes I mist a couple times a day if needed, and I use aspen. I guess it depends on where you live but I'm in MA and haven't had issues. With that themostat/hygrometer, I believe it had two probes, you place it in the center and put one probe on the cool side and one probe on the hot side. Do not use tape, if it doesn't come with suction cups you can use hot glue good luck and welcome to the site.

[Anya]

^^^

What she said.

Welcome welcome welcome!!

[Kymberli]

There are several different models of Acurite thermometer/hygrometers. You'll find at least one at your local Walmart, typically near the garden section. Just be sure you purchase the indoor/outdoor thermometer with humidity. There are not two probes to these units. There is one probe which measures the "outdoor" temperature, or in this case the temperature of the glass directly above your UTH. Then there is the unit itself that measure the "indoor" temperature and humidity, in this case the ambient temperature and relative humidity. The unit itself is placed on the cool side of the tank. They're cheap and easy to use.

[Skittles1101]

There are several different models of Acurite thermometer/hygrometers. You'll find at least one at your local Walmart, typically near the garden section. Just be sure you purchase the indoor/outdoor thermometer with humidity. There are not two probes to these units. There is one probe which measures the "outdoor" temperature, or in this case the temperature of the glass directly above your UTH. Then there is the unit itself that measure the "indoor" temperature and humidity, in this case the ambient temperature and relative humidity. The unit itself is placed on the cool side of the tank. They're cheap and easy to use.

That's right, you put the unit itself on the cool side and the probe on the hot side....dur. Makes much more sense lol

[jfrazi]

Thank you kindly for the links and tips on using the Accu-Rite unit. Picked up a few today, and as many others have said the Acc-Rite says my tank is in fine order but the lil analog meter which is soon to be a small scale frisbee never went above 35%.

And to answer the other question posed to me, yes I use UTH heat with a thermostat set up. My tank does have a light kit sitting on it, but not in use. Mostly to keep any of the other animals from perching on top of it.

[Skittles1101]

Thank you kindly for the links and tips on using the Accu-Rite unit. Picked up a few today, and as many others have said the Acc-Rite says my tank is in fine order but the lil analog meter which is soon to be a small scale frisbee never went above 35%.

And to answer the other question posed to me, yes I use UTH heat with a thermostat set up. My tank does have a light kit sitting on it, but not in use. Mostly to keep any of the other animals from perching on top of it.

HAHAHA small scale frisbee I actually kept mine in his tank, he likes to perch on them at night sometimes.