temps too low? Please help

[yankeeslover]

Hello, and thanks for reading, I purchased my ball this past saturday, with it, I purchased a 20 gallon long tank, and a zoo med 10-20 gallon undertank heater, I also purchased a dimmer dial for this heater.. I currently also have two clamp lamps, one running a 60 watt blue day bulb, and the other running a 60 watt night bulb...I seem to be having problems keeping up my temps. The room that the snake is in is currently around 72 degrees. I have a total of 4 thermometers, 2 of them digital, the one digital I have sitting right on the glass under the aspen bedding and on top of the UTH.. this is stating its around 90 degrees on the glass.. Problem is, when I measure the temp ontop of the bedding, it drops down to around 82 degrees, this is only ontop of like 1 inch of aspen bedding... on the cool side of the tank, the temp is only like 76 degrees, and the temps in the tank about one inch above the bedding is only around 76 degrees...I cant seem to raise the temps in this tank. The petshop told me all I needed was the UTH, but thats nice for warming the glass up, but thats about all, even running the lamp above, it doesnt seem to raise the temps all that much.... One other question, when I first purchased, I did not use the UTH, I actully used a 50 watt basking light on the hot end which heated the bedding to around 93, and I used the night light on the cold end 24 hours a day, and that kept the cool end around 82.... But afterwards I was advised not to do this, and to use the uth instead as the basking bulb doesnt heat up his belly, should I just go back to this setup??? Please help, as im going crazy trying to figure all this out..I thank you...

[STORMS]

Does your enclosure have a screen top?

[yankeeslover]

Yes, screen top, I forgot to mention, I even tried to put a small fleece blanket on top, of course, leaving some space for air

[yankeeslover]

I just checked my temps again, and this is with using a blanket ontop, on the end with the UTH, it is 92 right on the glass, If i set the probe ontop of the bedding on the uth it reads 82, about one inch up on the warm end it is 78... on the cold end, where Im running the 60 watt red night bulb, it is 77 about one inch up, and in the middle of the tank, the bedding reads 76 degrees... and this is all with a blanket on..now keep in mind, it seems my ball is a borrower. he never uses his log, he likes to borrow under the aspen, I was gonna buy the turf bedding today, but I dont want to do that, seeing on how he likes to borrow...thanks

[llovelace]

Have you thought of trying a space heater for the room

[Wh00h0069]

I just checked my temps again, and this is with using a blanket ontop, on the end with the UTH, it is 92 right on the glass, If i set the probe ontop of the bedding on the uth it reads 82, about one inch up on the warm end it is 78... on the cold end, where Im running the 60 watt red night bulb, it is 77 about one inch up, and in the middle of the tank, the bedding reads 76 degrees... and this is all with a blanket on..now keep in mind, it seems my ball is a borrower. he never uses his log, he likes to borrow under the aspen, I was gonna buy the turf bedding today, but I dont want to do that, seeing on how he likes to borrow...thanks

Sounds like you heat is close to what it should be. You could increase the wattage of your bulbs, use a space heater, or insulate the tank. I have even heard of people putting tin foil on their screen tops to hold in heat. Glass tanks do not seem to hold heat very well.

Good luck.

[West Coast Jungle]

The ambient temps are too cold. Tanks are very hard to control temps and humidity thats why many of us use tubs.

Ideal temps are low 80's on cool side low 90's on warm.

[Michelle.C]

Place foil over most of the screen, leaving just enough around the light. If the temperatures are too high, remove some of the foil. Keep messing around with it until you have it perfect.

I'd use a light for ambient, the undertank heating pad for the basking.

You can also insulate three sides of the tank with foam board. Cut it to the appropriate size and tape it to the sides and back.

[yankeeslover]

no space heater... snake is in my bedroom, and temps normally around 72 all year long.. Is it true, that the bulbs are not good for them, and the uth is better? Like I said, i had temps pretty good with the basking bulb as the main heat, but I was talked into using a uth instead.. Maybe i should go back to using the basking bulb on the hot end and the red night bulb on the cool end, or is 74 warm enough for the cool end? If I use the red bulb, coupled with the basking light, it raises the cool end to around 81, if I shut off the red bulb and use just the basking bulb, the cool end drops to around 75

[Michelle.C]

no space heater... snake is in my bedroom, and temps normally around 72 all year long.. Is it true, that the bulbs are not good for them, and the uth is better? Like I said, i had temps pretty good with the basking bulb as the main heat, but I was talked into using a uth instead.. Maybe i should go back to using the basking bulb on the hot end and the red night bulb on the cool end, or is 74 warm enough for the cool end? If I use the red bulb, coupled with the basking light, it raises the cool end to around 81, if I shut off the red bulb and use just the basking bulb, the cool end drops to around 75

Using that many bulbs will really make it difficult to keep your humidity up.