Going Insane! Please Help me Perfect my Tank!

[Bogertophis]

Those temps sound fine to me honestly


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I agree. I see no problem.

[Hugsplox]

Those temps sound fine to me honestly


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I agree. I see no problem.

jm and Boger are WAY more experienced than me. I have more of a gradient in my enclosure but if they think you're fine where you're at, I'd defer to them.

[Bogertophis]

...
So, my temps on the cold side are normally 77-78, ambient (middle) is 77-79, hot side ambient is 80ish, but her surface temps (hot spot) are constantly 88-91.
Would you happen to have any advice on what I could do here? I'm starting to run out of options in my head.

Let it be...

[Ksouthco]

A lot of the issues you're describing can be fixed by experimenting, and that's best done without your animal in the enclosure. This is typically why it's recommended to set everything up and let it run for a week or so before you bring your new snake home. Obviously your animal is already in there, so my recommendation would be to make very small adjustments and check those temps religiously to make sure nothing gets too out of whack, or that your snake is in any danger of overheating or being burnt.

I don't want to recommend you make any major changes, I think you may be able to solve some of your issues just moving some things around, I would just again, recommend that you do all of that a little at time.

So, admittedly I was one of those people who took the word of the people that I got her from and had used analog gauges, hadn't owned a snake before, etc. As such, I did do the tank setup and had everything "perfected" before I got her. One day I noticed the gauge needles were stuck, so I bought more. And I realized soon after that that those did the same thing, and they were a different brand. Much to my surprise after I hopped online to research what else I could use that wouldn't break so often, I found out that I was doing it completely WRONG. Cue me spending an upwards of 400 dollars recently to upgrade absolutely everything about her tank (and her life), besides the tank itself. The PVC tank that I have my eye on, I've heard, will take several months to be built and shipped so I decided to make her current tank as perfect as possible until that one comes in. Trust me, I have beat myself up over it constantly, and still do.

Since then, I have bought all digital thermometers that have great reviews, two thermostats, a UTH (never had one before), temp gun, completely modified her lid (plexiglass and aluminum foil, with a blanket over most for privacy), have brought her to the vet, and have started sourcing her food from a different company than the big box pet store that I usually got everything from.

I am ashamed, very ashamed, that I never thought earlier that maybe what those people were telling me was wrong and I needed to research how to actually take care of her.

Hence, my current paranoia, I suppose.

Anyway, I just returned from giving her the 4th injection of fortaz, weighing her, disinfecting her cage, checking temps with the gun, all of the fun stuff. I have moved the thermometer that was under her heat lamp more towards the front of her tank so I can get a more accurate reading of the ambient temps there (after about 20 minutes, it's still reading about 5 degrees higher than the one on the glass...maybe that one is measuring the glass temps?). Now all I am going to do is wait and see if this helps at all. My fingers are crossed.

Thank you so much, by the way, for taking the time to help me. I have become determined to give her a way better life than she has had up until now.

[Ksouthco]

My thanks are directed toward all of you chiming in, by the way. I really appreciate all of the help!

[Bogertophis]

... I have become determined to give her a way better life than she has had up until now.

Mission accomplished-

[Ksouthco]

Just as a quick update: I went out and got some foam board to insulate the sides of her tank and that has worked wonderfully to raise her ambients in all parts of her tank. Her cold side is sitting at 78-79, ambient is 80-81, warm side is 84-85 and hot spot is still 88-91 with her humidity at about 60-65%. I am finally pleased with her environment and I can finally chill the heck out. Thank you for all of your input!!

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