Substrate Level Question

[MeerkatLyndz]

We are switching our Ball Python from a heater bulb at the top of her 70 gallon tank to a large UTH. Right now she has quite a depth of substrate to bring her up closer to said heat bulb. When we switch to the UTH I'm worried it will be to much for the heat to move up properly. So I'm wondering how many inches of substrate do others use and what is the temp you keep the UTH at.

[jfmoore]

There is only one proper answer to this question:
You need a good thermometer.

[BR8080]

Why not just use a higher wattage bulb? Just curious.

[MeerkatLyndz]

Oh I got the temps fine. The problem is the bulb sucks out way way to much humidity and I read a UTH doesn't do that as much. The process of keeping the tank humid enough right now is having a small humidifier in the tank And a soaked towel covering the lid and around the lamp. I also have half the lid foiled as well. We haven't had problems yet but I'm looking for something... Less involved? Easier? To keep humidity up and not in the constant low 30s.

[MeerkatLyndz]

Oh trust me I got two different thermometers, a thermostat, and a device that infared reads the temp and humidity in the air. I'm just looking for a base line of some sort so I don't have to spend a lot of time playing with Temps after I change to a UTH

[BR8080]

Ahhh OK - save your pennies and order an Animal Plastics enclosure and a RHP - No more worries LOL

[MeerkatLyndz]

Yeah well working with what I got. A 70 gallon tank. An adventurous BP that loves every inch of it. A oversized UTH. And a humidity problem

[PitOnTheProwl]

A UTH will only create a hot spot, it wont do anything for ambient temperature. A RHP would probably a better choice or CHE.

[MeerkatLyndz]

A CHE is what I have right now above the tank. If that's honestly better than a UTH then I'll stick with what I have and continue to do my involved way of keeping humidity up through my dry winters.

[Bogertophis]

I am not currently keeping BPs (have in the past) but I use LOTS of UTH. Heat rises into the cage, so yes it DOES raise the ambient temperature in the cage.

But maybe not enough, depending on how cold your room/house is, you may need to insulate a glass tank for efficiency (good for snake's privacy anyway), &
you can use many different materials (foam board etc) to do so. You should also reduce the amount of substrate to an inch or less though: the deeper it is,
the more it becomes "insulation" that may even cause the UTH to overheat (with safety issues!). The substrate also makes a big difference...some things are
much "heavier" than others, whereas something like orchid bard has many air spaces to allow heat to rise & a UTH to function as it should. I am guessing that
even with UTH, you might still want to use your CHE, but dimmed way down to supplement...each enclosure is different though, & you need to try it out in your
situation.

"Food for thought"- When I kept a large BCI for many years, it was in a huge glass tank & what worked well for me (& her) was UTH under about half, & I made
a large "hide" that was 2/3 the length of the tank (over the UTH, sides made of waterproofed smooth wood, top was tile-board...you don't need to be a carpenter,
trust me). (The cool end had her water bowl.) She loved it & used every bit of the cage, because not only did she feel safe & warm in the very 'deep' (lengthwise)
hide, she also used the top of it to bask under heat from above. The hide also helped retain the UTH heat, & on top of the flat hide, I used a rubber-backed carpet
mat so she had traction. That's what is missing from most commercial hides (no traction on top) so the space on top is sorta wasted. The hide was made to fit
just inside the tank dimensions, so it was really more like a "2-story" dwelling...

My substrate was cut-to-fit nylon "indoor-outdoor" carpet*: it allows traction & allows heat to rise thru it EASILY, & while it doesn't hold humidity the way some
other materials do, you can work around that with a humid hide. The only down-side is needing to hand-wash it, & I had several cut to fit (to immediately replace
with clean one when soiled). The upside is that the stuff lasts nearly forever & can be disinfected to your heart's content. You can also just shake the water out
after washing it & use it right away if you want...with UTH, you'll add humidity until it dries out. Just another option to consider, & very budget & ECO-friendly,
since you aren't buying bags of substrate all the time. Washing can be done in bathtub or laundry sink. (*it's the kind of carpet that is "backless".)