Temp Gun vs. Digital Thermometer

[gen]

I just got my temp gun, so I've suddenly become obsessed with the temperatures in my tank to make sure they're perfect for when my little guy comes. The problem is my Digi Thermometer and my temp gun are giving me totally different results. For example, on my cool side, the thermometer currently reads 79. But my temp gun shows anywhere from 86-90 degrees on the cool side, depending on where I point it. How can there be that much of a difference? From 79-90? Do you think there is something wrong with my thermometer or temp gun? By the way, I've got a human heating pad with newspaper for substrate right now. I felt the surface, and it definetely does not feel like 90 degrees.

[Marla]

It's hard to "feel" 90 degrees accurately. If you have another digital thermometer, I'd double-check with that, and if not, I'd double-check with a new battery/set of batteries in each device. Also, try placing the probe or the readout portion of the thermometer, whichever isn't on the cool side now, over there and see what it says then.

[Mike]

what size is the enclosure? is it glass? maybe the whole glass bottom is heating up from the heat pad (whiich is only under one side right?) the temp gun will tell you surface temps and the digi therm. will tell ambient. what are the temps on the hot side? maybe you need to lift the cage a little so air can circulate underneath.

[beaglegod]

I definitely need to get a temp gun, I have read a post somewhere that temp guns tend to more accurately tell surface temps than say a probe, and usualy they register higher temps than a probe does. So if say your probe is telling you surface temp is 90 its not unlikely that its closer to say 95. Again this is what Ive READ Ive got to buy a temp gun soon.

[gen]

Seems like the batteries are okay. It is a glass tank, and it's about 30 gallons, maybe even 35, I think it's longer than most tanks. I'm about ready to just ditch this thing and get a rubbermaid. I've tried a heating pad on one side, I've tried a bulb on one side, I've tried 2 heating pads, I've tried a heating pad on one side, and a bulb on the other side, and nothing has given me the correct temperature gradient for this temp. I even got it to the point where the temp seemed okay on the cool side and on the warm side, but in the middle it was too cold. It's ridiculous. Maybe I'm being too anal with the temperatures, but I just want everything to be perfect for my new snake. I'm not taking ANY chances after my last one died, even though everyone assured me that it wasn't my fault. It's also bad with humidity. It reads 50-60% on one side, and 40% on the opposite end of the tank.

Anyway, so if the temp gun measures surface temp, and the thermometer measures ambient temp, which one should I be concerned with? If the ideal is to have the cool side at 80 degrees and the warm side at 90 degrees, is that referring to the surface temp, or the ambient temp?

I appreciate your help. I'd like to have everything just right before my snake comes.

[beaglegod]

Gen your hot spot should be just that, a general location your new buddy can crawl to for some xtra warmth( typicaly 88-92 degrees) and wich will naturaly produce a heat gradient (closer he gets the warmer, the farther away the cooler) so long as the coolest part of the enclosure is above 75-76 he'll have lots of sots to choose for that "aahh thats just the right temp" feeling.

[beaglegod]

Sorry bout the double post but I cant seem to get into the post edit. Just to make it clear the coolest portion of the tank will most likely register on the surface whatever the ambient temp is, maybe a wee bit higher. So iif your ambient temp is 80, the surface all the way on the cool side will probably be right around 80, therefore the center of the tank (surface) will be maybe 85, and your hot spot 90 (just as an example)

[gen]

So iif your ambient temp is 80, the surface all the way on the cool side will probably be right around 80, therefore the center of the tank (surface) will be maybe 85, and your hot spot 90 (just as an example)

See, that is exactly what I would want, but I just can't seem to make it work. My cool side was getting below 75 especially during the night, sometimes around 73, which was why I thought I should have some sort of heating on both sides of the tank. But I just can't seem to get it right.

The temps just seem to be all over the place when I measure with the temp gun. Even if it's 80 on the cool side and 90 on the warm side, the middle is never around 85. It's always like 90, or 77. It's either is too hot or too cold. I'm starting to get frustrated. Everyone always says how easy it is to maintain temps and humidity with rubbermaids, so I'm seriously thinking of switching. What do you guys think?

[beaglegod]

Even if it's 80 on the cool side and 90 on the warm side, the middle is never around 85. It's always like 90, or 77. It's either is too hot or too cold.

Try putting the probe from you digital thermometer in the middle,leave it for 10 min and see what it gives you, than move it to the cool side and do the same. Im not too familiar with temp guns and perhaps its so sensative and so focused it may not be giving you a general idea of what gradient you have. The only reason Im suggesting this is because 90 on one side and 80 on the other sounds pretty damn good to me.

[gen]

Okay, I tried that. The thermometer says 80 in the middle AND 80 on the cool side. Is that okay? And what about the fact that the humidity reads 40 on one side and 60 on the other side (The side with the water bowl of course)?