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  1. #1
    Registered User opescuseme's Avatar
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    Question I need help with my RHP!

    I have a 4x2x2 PVC enclosure for a dwarf BCI, a 100 watt pro heat panel and a herpstat. I have been trying all sorts of probe placements, but NOTHING is making a safe gradient. My room is around 72, and thats the hottest I can get it (old house, lots of roommates, one thermostat).

    If I put the probe at the hottest place she can go (right above her perch) and set it to 90 degrees, then the cold side of the enclosure reads 72 and her hide below the perch reads around 77. Too cold for a boa.

    If I move the probe to the cold side and set it to 80, which is my goal for cold side/ambient, the perch reads 110. I don't even remember her hide temp for this one because I immediately turned it down.

    Right now, I tried moving the probe to a few inches above the substrate (about the height of the top of her hides) and its in the center of the enclosure and slightly towards the cold end. I set this to 84. This makes the inside of her hot hide 77, the top of the hide 84-ish, and her perch is 98-103... which I don't like. The cold side however is reading 77, which is my personal bare minimum, so that's something. I have to turn it down though because of the perch reading but I have it like that for now with supervision, and the moment I go to bed I'll adjust it.

    Its so tiring to have to change the herpstat settings so often. I have to turn it down so the perch temp is safe whenever I leave the room or go to bed, and then turn it up when I'm watching her so its not 75 degrees. I'm very frustrated because I had a crappy off brand thermostat and lights on her old enclosure, and I decided I was gonna get top of the line everything this time around... and nothing is working right. It is stressful because my boa is my best buddy and my heart breaks for her. She seems happy though even though I'm pulling my hair out over this.

    I feel like I'm out of options. I shelled out so much money for the herpstat, panel and enclosure and nobody else online seems to have these problems. I don't want my baby to get an RI from it being to chilly or a burn from the pvc perch being too hot.

    I am using one of those heat gun thermostats, as well as two digital ones inside and the herpstat to monitor temps. They are all within a degree of each other so i think they're accurate enough.

    Any ideas? I am desperate

  2. #2
    BPnet Lifer dakski's Avatar
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    Re: I need help with my RHP!

    First, if your boa is in that tank now, please take him/her out. The cold (72F) isn't an issue for a day or two as long he/she isn't digesting. However, the hotter temps could kill her or cause neurological damage, or burns at the least, as you point out.

    Secondly, a picture would help. Not sure where the shelf is, but not part of the tank should be over 90-92F. I'd rather have your hot side be 90F and your cool side be 75F than have a hotter hot side to compensate for the cool side. The picture would help with probe placement.

    Finally, what you might want to do is get heat tape for the cool side. I have my boas in 6X2X1' enclosures. I have an RHP and heat tape on the hot side running off the same thermostat. I have heat tape on the cool side running off a separate thermostat that maintains the cool side at 78-80F depending on the exact spot. The RHP is enough to make it about 80-83F in the middle of the tank, and the hot side is about 88-90F.

    Now, taller tanks have different issues with heating, but still, a well insulated tank should keep much of the heat in. My CP and BP (BP not for necessity, but because it worked out this way) are both in 4X2X1.5' tanks. I have an RHP and heat tape on the hot side and heat tape on the cool side, all running off the same thermostat. The cool side heat tape is slightly less powerful than the hot side heat tape, and my hot side for both is about 88F on the ground and about 78F on the cool side.

    My point here is, in a 4X2X2', you should be able to get the hot side and middle to the desired temps and then some cheap heat tape on the bottom of the cool side should fix the heat issues there.

    Also - are you taking the ground temps with the heat gun? The thermometers and probe will measure air temp, but the temp gun measures the exact spot it hits. That's what is most relevant.

    Any other questions, just ask. Keep in mind it does take time to dial these things in.
    Last edited by dakski; 04-01-2021 at 02:01 AM.

  3. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to dakski For This Useful Post:

    Caitlin (04-03-2021),Hugsplox (04-01-2021),opescuseme (04-01-2021),Spicey (04-01-2021)

  4. #3
    Registered User opescuseme's Avatar
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    Re: I need help with my RHP!

    Thanks for getting back to me. Here's the enclosure setup- the probe isn't visible here but it doesn't matter much because I've moved it since anyways. right now its suspended in the lower of the viv slightly to the left of the rhp, I've tried lots of locations and I'm trying this one out right now. It just seems like I'm going to have to take away her perch, which is sad because she is semi arboreal and I would like to give her the option to go up. I think its just too far for the rhp to reach the ground without overheating the perch.

    There are 4 hides, and the plants on either side are also places she likes to hide in and behind, so there's 6 places for her to be and 3 levels (ground, log/hide/perch. I have only seen her use the perch once, and it was not to bask, only to climb on a little to get to the boston fern. So I guess it has to go.

    I'll try heat tape but that'll be another hundred plus dollars so I'll have to pick up some shifts first. I've turned the temps down where nowhere is dangerous.

    https://imgur.com/a/dV476q3

    I'm taking all surface temps with the heat gun.

  5. #4
    BPnet Senior Member jmcrook's Avatar
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    Re: I need help with my RHP!

    Quote Originally Posted by opescuseme View Post
    It just seems like I'm going to have to take away her perch, which is sad because she is semi arboreal and I would like to give her the option to go up. I think its just too far for the rhp to reach the ground without overheating the perch.

    I'll try heat tape but that'll be another hundred plus dollars so I'll have to pick up some shifts first. I've turned the temps down where nowhere is dangerous.
    Trying lowering the height of the perch a bit. Also, a 12”x2’ pre-wired piece of heat tape from RBI is only like $12 before shipping.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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