Question on Ambient Room Temp

[Gocntry]

Ok, starting to get cooler nights here in Virginia. House temp is dropping to 72-74 degrees at night now.

I have a oil-filled radiator heater, with a Herpstat HP to control it for the "snake room". Also a room humidifier, and low humidity is really bad at my house in the winter (can't add a whole house humidifier to current heating system).

So what temp should I try to keep the snake room at this winter / door will be closed and it will be separately controlled from rest of the house.

It will receive heat for the house system too, Heat pump w/ gas boiler help, the oil filled radiator is supplemental so I don't have to keep the whole house as warm

Is 72-74 Degrees ambient in the room going to be ok? and set the humidifier to about 50% for the snake room be ok?

All snakes are in glass tanks, with under tank heating pads and insulation on the side without the heat pad (thermostat controlled). All have screen tops covered mostly with insulation to help with humidity / temp control

There will be 4 BP's / 1 Corn / 1 red tailed boa in there

Room will hold heat well, is not drafty, is carpeted / concrete slab

Any input is appreciated

[Bogertophis]

You need to keep in mind the needs for all the residents, then tweak individual tanks for higher temps. as needed. Therefore, if that was my snake-room, I'd go
for 75* (or 72-24* should be OK), because corn snakes like & do well in low to mid-70's with one corner with UTH for mid-80's warmth to aid digestion; your boa
will like it somewhat warmer (but when I had a BCI for many years, she often sought the 'cool' end of her tank at 75*), so insulate the cage and tweak the heat
sources, and do the same for the BPs, all of which need the most warmth. They'd all enjoy more humidity, but that's a challenge in winter, so again, you can add
humid hides to their cages (& mist now & then, especially when shedding)...they should be OK. "Nature" isn't totally consistent or perfect either.

[Craiga 01453]

Now that I have a dedicated snake room I'm going to be running ambient temps with a space heater this winter for the first time.

I'll be aiming for 76-77 i think and running belly heat where needed.
It'll definitely be a bit of a trial and error situation since it'll be the first time I've done this in winter. If the snakes all seem to thrive that way I'll keep it, but will make tweaks as needed if I notice any sub par results.

Since this will be my first go at this, I'll be learning too, so I'm glad I saw this thread. Thanks!

[EL-Ziggy]

My ambient temps run about 72-74 during the winter days and drop as low as 68 on some winter nights. I've never had any issues with these temps. As long as they have access to a warm spot they should be fine. My humidity also drops considerably during the winter but I never about that. I'm a firm believer that hydration is far more important than humidity for most snakes. Just make sure the animals have constant access to fresh water.

[Bogertophis]

I don't use a "snake room" by the way...my house thermostat is set to 70* in winter & no problems with any of my snakes, though most of them are colubrids
that don't need as much heat as BPs in the first place. I do have a spotted (Aussie) python- my biggest heat lover- & never a problem with her either. I adjust
individual tanks as needed.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

So during the winter (because the rest of the year I operate very differently) I keep my snake room at 75 degrees with a oil filled heater and a seperate thermostat, that put the ambient temps in my enclosure at about 76/77

[Gocntry]

Well looks like I'm prepared then, and because I'm always looking for deals, when I find them I always buy multiples.....

So in my "parts box" I have 4 Flukers (i believe) ceramic socket lamps with built in dimmer switches

A couple CHE's

4 small lamps with white and red halogen bulbs for daytime heat

The Boa has a Herpstat 2 thermostat so I can add cage heat too,

the UTH's are all on jumpstart type thermostats, and I have a few backups so if one goes out,

And a roll of reflectix insulation from Lowe's to insulate cages if need be.

So once again THANKS for all the advice It's appreciated I believe I can keep all my roommates Happy

P.S. I signed up for Silver Supporter, the least I can do to help the site back after all the help I've gotten!!

[Bogertophis]

You sound very well-prepared! And this site is well-worth supporting.

[dakski]

OP, you sound prepared. Everyone is on a different budget has different space available, etc. However, my life changed when I went to top quality PVC tanks.

I generally don't worry too much about room temp. I worry about quick increases or drops in temps and humidity in the reptile area (part of my finished basement - which helps prevent these sudden changes) and keep temps under 78F during the summer and over 66F in the winter (usually closer to 70F).

I used to have PVC cages and glass cages, with the PVC cages being okay, but not top of the line. I spent a ton on heating them/electric bills, and 5 tanks took up a ton of space. I also had separate thermostats and heating elements in each tank, but it was a nightmare as room temps and humidity changed.

Then, I upgraded to my 2 (kind of 3) Boaphile stacks. I am sure it is similar with AP, and other top notch cages, but I went with Jeff Ronne and Boaphile and have zero regrets. The cages are incredibly well insulated and heating 13 tanks now costs about what 5 seperate, not well insulated, tanks all around the room cost (with lights, RHP's, heat pads, etc.). First, stacking means less heating. Hottest tanks on top and coolest on the bottom - heat rises. Secondly, great insulation means less heating. Finally, great insulation means fewer humidity issues. When it's 25% in my reptile room in the winter, my Boas and Pythons are at about 50%+ depending on how many bowls I use (up to 2) and tank size. I use paper substrate and it's still not an issue.

Modern PVC enclosures coupled with appropriate heating elements and modern thermostats means fewer headaches regardless of room temp (within reason). I check temps regularly, but only need to adjust when there are dramatic changes (seasonal changes usually). If you have several of the same species, you can also use one thermostat for several tanks if the tanks are the same.

Again, not telling you that you need to get Boaphiles, or AP, etc. I did find that getting all the tanks from the same manufacturer meant stacking which means I have 13 tanks where I used to have 5 and have more space. It also means lower electric bills, happier animals, and a great look. It also means not sweating room temp too much. Just a different approach/thought on the issue.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...Complete/page5

[Gocntry]

OP, you sound prepared. Everyone is on a different budget has different space available, etc. However, my life changed when I went to top quality PVC tanks.

I generally don't worry too much about room temp. I worry about quick increases or drops in temps and humidity in the reptile area (part of my finished basement - which helps prevent these sudden changes) and keep temps under 78F during the summer and over 66F in the winter (usually closer to 70F).

I used to have PVC cages and glass cages, with the PVC cages being okay, but not top of the line. I spent a ton on heating them/electric bills, and 5 tanks took up a ton of space. I also had separate thermostats and heating elements in each tank, but it was a nightmare as room temps and humidity changed.

Then, I upgraded to my 2 (kind of 3) Boaphile stacks. I am sure it is similar with AP, and other top notch cages, but I went with Jeff Ronne and Boaphile and have zero regrets. The cages are incredibly well insulated and heating 13 tanks now costs about what 5 seperate, not well insulated, tanks all around the room cost (with lights, RHP's, heat pads, etc.). First, stacking means less heating. Hottest tanks on top and coolest on the bottom - heat rises. Secondly, great insulation means less heating. Finally, great insulation means fewer humidity issues. When it's 25% in my reptile room in the winter, my Boas and Pythons are at about 50%+ depending on how many bowls I use (up to 2) and tank size. I use paper substrate and it's still not an issue.

Modern PVC enclosures coupled with appropriate heating elements and modern thermostats means fewer headaches regardless of room temp (within reason). I check temps regularly, but only need to adjust when there are dramatic changes (seasonal changes usually). If you have several of the same species, you can also use one thermostat for several tanks if the tanks are the same.

Again, not telling you that you need to get Boaphiles, or AP, etc. I did find that getting all the tanks from the same manufacturer meant stacking which means I have 13 tanks where I used to have 5 and have more space. It also means lower electric bills, happier animals, and a great look. It also means not sweating room temp too much. Just a different approach/thought on the issue.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...Complete/page5

Thanks for the input..... I was planning on upgrading to pvc mid to late next year, after my snakes start putting on weight and size. I was looking at AP cages, but will research Boaphile also.

Your snake room is very cool, Just what I was looking at doing, Already have a TV to go in my room, with a recliner, So I can relax surrounded by all my room mates

I should have enough wall area to put 3 stack of 4, with each being 4' x 15" tall x 2' deep. So that will give me plenty of expansion should I find more roommates that need a place to stay