I'm having temp problems and need advice

[Bogertophis]

Also, this picture shows to put the thermometer probe under the substrate. Is that necessary and what is the reason for doing that since the thermostat probe is already practically right there.

To make sure that if, or more likely, when- your snake pushes the substrate aside or decides to burrow under it, they cannot come in contact with excessive heat from the UTH. Perhaps because they are heavier-bodied snakes & take a while to warm up (?), ball pythons seem oblivious when it's too warm until they've already suffered a thermal burn. BPs are also notorious for staying in one place for long periods of time, so that behavior also puts them at higher risk. It's just better to prevent injuries (pain & suffering) than try to fix them later (cost of vet care + uncertain outcome).

The thermostat tells you what the UTH is set for & trying to do...the thermometer tells you what it's actually accomplishing where the snake is. Never take the thermostat's "word for it".

[Jakob_Ansel]

Thank you all for the advice, I have set up the terrarium as you told me to. But there is one thing that I'm not certain on. You said to set the thermostat for the heat mat so the enclosure floor is 90°. Did you mean the bottom of the terrarium or on the substrate? Because I set it for the bottom of the tank and it doesn't seem to be getting hot enough. And both sides of the terrarium are staying at the same temp. Should I just poke some holes on the cold side to let some heat out?

[jmcrook]

Bottom of the enclosure. The animal will move substrate to get to the heat


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[dakski]

Thank you all for the advice, I have set up the terrarium as you told me to. But there is one thing that I'm not certain on. You said to set the thermostat for the heat mat so the enclosure floor is 90°. Did you mean the bottom of the terrarium or on the substrate? Because I set it for the bottom of the tank and it doesn't seem to be getting hot enough. And both sides of the terrarium are staying at the same temp. Should I just poke some holes on the cold side to let some heat out?

Bottom of terrarium is where you measure the temp. Snakes will dig down if they need to. The hottest thing your BP can touch should be 89-90f tops.

How big is the heat pad? Did you give it time to warm up? Not sure why both sides would be the same temp.

[Bogertophis]

Thank you all for the advice, I have set up the terrarium as you told me to. But there is one thing that I'm not certain on. You said to set the thermostat for the heat mat so the enclosure floor is 90°. Did you mean the bottom of the terrarium or on the substrate? Because I set it for the bottom of the tank and it doesn't seem to be getting hot enough. And both sides of the terrarium are staying at the same temp. Should I just poke some holes on the cold side to let some heat out?

The actual floor- bottom of terrarium- in case (or more likely "when") your snake pushes the substrate aside & lays there for a while, you want the temperature to be safe, not causing a thermal burn.

Hint: more heat will rise into the terrarium if the substrate is not overly-deep- especially over the UTH; the type of substrate also influences this, some (like the various kinds of mulch) is more dense & acts more like insulation- actually preventing the heat from rising where your snake needs it, & you want to avoid that.

I've been using UTH for literally decades, but I'm not (currently) a BP-keeper. One thing I've used for other snakes as substrate (like the BCI I kept) is indoor-outdoor carpet, like this stuff from Home Depot- as it allows heat to EASILY rise thru it. (Sold by the foot, easily cut to fit! & pretty cheap too)

https://www.homedepot.com/p/TrafficM...144H/203240740

This is just me, thinking "outside the box" as I do with my own snakes...I'm not making a recommendation here, but if you're having trouble getting the heat to rise into the terrarium, obviously you need to fix that. The backless & washable carpet won't add or subtract any humidity, but what if you just used a piece under the warm 'hide', so the warmth goes where it should? Just a thought, okay? Snakes love the traction, heat rises right up thru it easily. You can maintain the humidity with other substrate in the rest of the terrarium, OR with a "humid hide".

[Jakob_Ansel]

The heat mat came with the terrarium, I'm not sure what I should look for on size but I read the bottom and found: 120VAC 60Hz 8W. Since it came with the terrarium I assumed it was the right size but if it's not please let me know. The substrate also came with the terrarium, it is Aspen shavings. And thank you for the recommendation, I will definitely think about it!

[Bogertophis]

The heat mat came with the terrarium, I'm not sure what I should look for on size but I read the bottom and found: 120VAC 60Hz 8W. Since it came with the terrarium I assumed it was the right size but if it's not please let me know. The substrate also came with the terrarium, it is Aspen shavings. And thank you for the recommendation, I will definitely think about it!

BPs need more heat than many other types of snakes, so it's hard to say whether what you "got" is what you "need". I go by physical dimensions of the heat mat, compared to the floor of the cage: ie. length x width of each one. What are the measurements of each? And what portion (%) of the floor does the heat mat cover? (some tanks are tall, others longer & lower)

It depends what kind of snakes you're housing- my corn snakes like 'room temps' & only use UTH in one corner of their tanks- about 1/6th or less of the floor. When I kept a BCI, I used UTH under about half of her home (controlled of course!). For a BP, & especially in a cool room, you might need UTH that takes up half or a little more of the floor- never more than 2/3 for safety (!) & even that is pushing it some- it must be controlled by a quality thermostat to minimize risk of overheating your snake.

Aspen is best for something like a king snake- it's "bad" for humidity (ie. doesn't help retain humidity). I suspect your "all inclusive terrarium deal" was not really geared for a BP, & I suspect your UTH is too small as well, or else they expect you to augment the heat with over-head options. That's another way to go. All this is why we recommend setting up enclosures & running them for at least a week before they're occupied, so you can work out all these details without the risk of keeping a snake too cold or too hot.

BTW, UTH typically doesn't need a lot of wattage to put out good heat, but w/ different brands & all, I have no way of knowing much about your "8 watts" UTH- sorry.

[Jakob_Ansel]

The tank is 30" by 12" and the UTH is 8" by 6" and it is covering 1/3 of the bottom. And yeah I heard Aspen shavings aren't good for humidity, but the humidity is staying at the right levels right now. I'll see how long that lasts though. Thank you for all your help!

[Bogertophis]

The tank is 30" by 12" and the UTH is 8" by 6" and it is covering 1/3 of the bottom. And yeah I heard Aspen shavings aren't good for humidity, but the humidity is staying at the right levels right now. I'll see how long that lasts though. Thank you for all your help!

And what's your room temperatures like? Any variance between night & day? (some ppl turn down the heat at night)

A glass tank in a chilly room is very hard to keep warm enough for a BP...just saying. More like an "uphill & losing battle".

[Jakob_Ansel]

And what's your room temperatures like? Any variance between night & day? (some ppl turn down the heat at night)

A glass tank in a chilly room is very hard to keep warm enough for a BP...just saying. More like an "uphill & losing battle".

I have a heater on in the room set at 75°.