Temp and Humidity Control Help!

[Kyle S.]

I am currently using only a 100watt 24-hr red lens bulb for heating my 10 gal tank. With this, I have a Digital thermometer/hygrometer, but I am having some trouble figuring out where/how to place it.

I want it to be secure without really having to use tape and as for the sensor, right now i's buried under the cypress mulch bedding so that my BP wont mess with it. Obviously, this isn't giving me the best reading, however, so I was wondering if anyone could give me some helpful advice!

[Kaorte]

If you are only using a lamp, expect to have some humidity problems. If you live in a humid climate it might not be much of an issue.

Since you are using a lamp, placing the probe on top of the substrate will give you a more accurate reading of the hottest temp your snake will be exposed to. A little hot glue can help you keep it in place.

[RestlessRobie]

Personally I think the 100W is over kill for a 10gal. Do you have an Under tank Heater? or is this your only heat source?. Aquariums need a little help holding heat and humidity so here is a couple pics of my solutions.

Pic one I cover one side of cardboard with foil tape and tape it foil side in behind my aquarium background to three sides of the tank



Second pic is of the plexi cover I made and coated half with the foil tape and placed in on the top of the screen cover Really helps with humidity and holds heat in great.



As you can see in pic three it keeps temps and humidity great this was taken first thing in the AM room temp was about 68f ambient temp goes up a little mid day to about 83f room temp climbs to 72



The bulb I use is a 60W CHE on a Homedepot lamp dimmer UTH is 11in Flexwatt on a Vivarium T-stat this setup works great for an aquarium. As far as the thermometer I just have it attached with a suction cup I purchased at me local hardware store the probe wire is just coiled up around it self anf floats in the substrate under the hot hide. Here is a pic of the setup for reference feel free to ask anymore questions you might have.

[jackiechan]

^ great advice! I did the same and it brought up the ambient temperature of my entire tank almost a whole 10 degrees! Insulation is key for glass tanks.

[Kyle S.]

Thank you for the advice!

Yes, the overhead lamp is the only heating source I have; I have heard from a number of sources that UTH's are risky and not worth the hassle. I am having some trouble with the humidity, so I will try the cardboard idea and let you know how it goes.
Second pic is of the plexi cover I made and coated half with the foil tape and placed in on the top of the screen cover Really helps with humidity and holds heat in great.

[Kyle S.]

Thank you for the advice!

Yes, the overhead lamp is the only heating source I have; I have heard from a number of sources that UTH's are risky and not worth the hassle. I am having some trouble with the humidity, so I will try the cardboard idea and let you know how it goes.
Second pic is of the plexi cover I made and coated half with the foil tape and placed in on the top of the screen cover Really helps with humidity and holds heat in great.

[Kyle S.]

So what I did was put the thermometer sensor on top of the substrate and found that it was a little too warm. I changed to a 75 watt bulb and now the temp is much better (around 86 F). As, for humidity, on the substrate level it is higher than I thought ( 51%, I use cypress mulch which really helps maintain humidity).

I feel much better now. We'll see how she does when I try to feed her tomorrow.

[Emily Hubbard]

I use a red bulb in addition to UTH. The bulb is a nightmare for humidity, so my solution was to buy a very large water dish and place it directly under the bulb. Works like a charm, and creates a "pond" for my snake rather than a cup. I placed a piece of driftwood over the dish so she can crawl across it without getting wet if she so chooses, and also the extra thing to crawl on means the dish does not take up room the snake could be using to move. She usually sits on the wood and "licks" the water if she explores it. The big dish technique works great, however the bulb will evaporate the water very quickly. I top it off every day and change it completely every few days. Also feel the water with your finger and make sure it doesn't get too hot. My tank is pretty deep, so it just warms the water nicely.

[Kyle S.]

^ I have a similar setup. The water dish is fairly deep so it holds a lot of water and is in the middle of the cage. Most of the red-bulb is over it and humidity stays at a good level

[heyitssupergirl]

I stick everything with 3m command strips, i use some with tiny hooks to hold the thermometer wire probe and i use the really big ones that hold 5lb for my climbing vine, i even have a child resistant clip holding my screen on that uses 3m strips because the petstores around here offer limited selection so i had to diy it