New Ball Python Owner - Issues with Temperature

[RickyNY]

As usual, tttaylorrr has it under control, and one of our newer members, RickyNY has jumped right in with quality advice as well,

Thank you brother, you're very kind. Everything I know, I learned here. And I figure as much as you and taylor help the new members your fingers most hurt from all the typing and some one else should give you guys a rest.

[Kevin8998]

you're very welcome.

you can get those AcuRite thermometer/hygrometers at walmart, too. FYI. just not the probed one.

you can use the thermo/hygrometer we're talking about on the cool side to measure those temps. you can also use an IR temp gun to measure temp all over the enclosure. the probed thermometer goes inside over the UTH. that's all sides covered, right?

ALSO, if your UTH is one of those adhesive ones: be VERY, VERY carful about removing it. only peel back enough to get the probe as close to the middle as you can. then i'd recommend you use aluminum tape to adhere the UTH back on the enclosure.

I don't know why I'm so confused lol. But okay so I was just thinking one thermometer/hygrometer (the one you linked) so that would be used for the cool side, but the only other thing would be the probe for the thermostat on the outside of the glass under the UTH so that's why I was saying nothing to measure the remaining side. I'd need to buy two of those thermometer/hygrometers that you linked correct? Unless one only needs temp and the other both temp and humidity? I feel like that's a lot of wires going around too.

Otherwise of course just use the IR temp gun for the remaining side but that won't measure humidity....

And about the UTH thank you very much for that tip because yeah it's one of those adhesive ones so I'll try to be very careful!

[tttaylorrr]

I don't know why I'm so confused lol. But okay so I was just thinking one thermometer/hygrometer (the one you linked) so that would be used for the cool side, but the only other thing would be the probe for the thermostat on the outside of the glass under the UTH so that's why I was saying nothing to measure the remaining side. I'd need to buy two of those thermometer/hygrometers that you linked correct? Unless one only needs temp and the other both temp and humidity? I feel like that's a lot of wires going around too.

Otherwise of course just use the IR temp gun for the remaining side but that won't measure humidity....

And about the UTH thank you very much for that tip because yeah it's one of those adhesive ones so I'll try to be very careful!

a few posts back i linked a thermo/hygrometer that has a probe. this thermo/hygrometer is for the warm side, with the probe placed underneath the substrate so it's measuring the enclosure floor. the non-probed thermo/hygrometer is for the cool side.

[Craiga 01453]

Thank you brother, you're very kind. Everything I know, I learned here. And I figure as much as you and taylor help the new members your fingers most hurt from all the typing and some one else should give you guys a rest.

hahahaha!! My pleasure!!

Honestly, and I believe I can speak for tttaylorrr on this as well, I do it because I love these amazing animals. Also, I was new once too.

When I first got into keeping snakes years ago (1998 if I remember correctly), I wasn't aware of any resources like this forum. I basically just winged it with a heat lamp, a heat mat, and a cheap thermometer/hygrometer. Thank goodness I found this forum BEFORE I got back into the hobby a year or so ago. I did a LOT of homework and realized how lucky I was that my snakes never had any health issues, burns or worse. Thankfully, this time around I was prepared. I was also in a MUCH better place in my life and was actually fascinated by these animals far beyond just thinking they were "cool" pets that were easy to care for and fun to watch eat. Now, they truly fascinate me and I love watching them and learning about them.

Luckily, I found this forum and it opened my eyes and I have learned a TON from the people here, and I continue to learn on a daily basis.

So, for that, I say "Thank you BP.net and all the members, admins and mods who make it work!!!"

[tttaylorrr]

Honestly, and I believe I can speak for tttaylorrr on this as well, I do it because I love these amazing animals. Also, I was new once too.

absolutely. i just want the newcomers to get the correct information and help them along so they can get to the fun part already!!! i learned everything i know from here, so i try and return the favor.

[Kevin8998]

Yes, you need 2. You can have 2 with probes or 1 with probe and the other without. I have the one with probe over the glass right above the uth. On the cool side I have one without a probe, it just seats on top of the substrate and it measures ambient temperature. I found out with a temp gun that the cool side always matches the ambient temp. I only worry about the temperature on top of the uth, because you can burn your snake. Mine reads 90f with the thermometer probe and 92 with the temp gun (that's right on the glass, not the aspen I use) If I read the temp on top of my aspen with the temp gun it read 86f... and I'm not worried about this temp, I know underneath this is 92f. My snake can burrow to reach warmer temps if she wants to.
But Kevin, you don't want the glass at the bottom reading 108f, just so your temp on top of your forest floor read 90f...this is a mistake. Your snake will burrow and touch the glass that's 108f and burn itself.

Aww this is the post I completely missed while typing out my confused response. Lol.

Thanks very much guys I think I got it all down now. I'm gonna redo the tank and order the stuff and see how it goes. I'll update with the progress and I guess I'll wait to buy the snake, there is a expo this weekend where I live and I know it's best to buy them there so that's probably what I'll do.

[RickyNY]

You're welcome Kevin,you're great man!! You're one of the easy ones, we get some people here that read the advice and then tell us that "no, I don't think that's the right way, I'm going to do it my way" kind of attitude. Your son will be happy with its ball python and you will be happy to care for it the right way.

[Craiga 01453]

absolutely. i just want the newcomers to get the correct information and help them along so they can get to the fun part already!!! i learned everything i know from here, so i try and return the favor.

Yup, helping the newcomers get over the "frustrating newbie hump" and into the "enjoying their pet" part gives me a good feeling. Sharing the knowledge that people shared with me once upon a time is a great way to help this hobby as a whole.

[Kevin8998]

Haha thanks I was hoping I am not too much trouble but yeah you guys are the experts. But anyways I did have one more issue. My enclosure top is screen but it was plastic bars crossed like a + through it and the lamp in the pic below is the one I'm gonna return and get a bigger one but as you can see by the pic, it doesn't look like it'll fit on just the screen part and I'm pretty sure the bars are plastic so I can't put the lamp on top of them... Is there a solution to this issue?

[tttaylorrr]

Haha thanks I was hoping I am not too much trouble but yeah you guys are the experts. But anyways I did have one more issue. My enclosure top is screen but it was plastic bars crossed like a + through it and the lamp in the pic below is the one I'm gonna return and get a bigger one but as you can see by the pic, it doesn't look like it'll fit on just the screen part and I'm pretty sure the bars are plastic so I can't put the lamp on top of them... Is there a solution to this issue?

[IMG]Tank https://imgur.com/gallery/5BcbD[/IMG]

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