help with ambient temps

[dgarrison123]

I am about to be a proud owner of a new BP, but first im setting up my cage. Right now I have a 30x12x12 glass cage with screen top. I have a 100w light on top of the screen right now. It keeps the ambient at about 74F, and it kills my humidity.(even with water bowl under the light, stays at 30%) I have zoomed carpet with half log hid, and 2 fake plants. On order im waiting for Ultratherm UTH 11x11, Ranco ETC-111000 Pre Wired thermostat, RBI 201 Infrared Thermometer, 2 small and 2 medium hide boxes, 2 digi thermoter and humidiy gauges.

I guess my question is what can i do to get the ambient temps up? The cage is in my bedroom right now. I'm remodling the spare room right now. So i would really not like to have my bedroom warm. Can i use RHP to get my ambient temps up? If so, how do i need to mount it? (I guess I would need to loose the screen.)

[llovelace]

The only thing I can suggest is a space heater for the ambient temp.

[dr del]

Hi,

Once you get the UTH and thermostat etc in and fitted you could try insulating the bottom, back and both sides of the tank. While you are doing that look into sealing the screen top with tinfoil over about 75% to help hold in the humidity - just remember to leave space for the lamp if you still need it.

You can use quite a few different things to do that - foam board, cork sheeting or actual foil and air insulation material (reflectix I htink it is? ).

I tend to put aquarium background on the outside of the tank first just for the looks of the thing - though it has to be said the snakes couldn't give a hoot.

I would also think about replacing the carpet - or at least getting another piece to use while you clean and dry the soiled one.

It has a reputation of being hard to keep clean once you have a wriggling little poop and pee machine in there.


dr del

[Argentra]

Ok, it's really not that hard to get temps and humidity just right in a 20gal long tank, which is what you have. This is my 20long and it's got the best numbers in the collection:


So, what you need to do is:
As was said, you need to insulate the back and both sides of the tank. Foam insulation board is the best, but cork board works well enough.

Then, you have to cover most of the screen top. The two best methods I've found are the foil treatment (I have a tutorial for that if you'd like), and plexiglass. This will REALLY help raise the humidity and ambient temps.

I would replace that carpet as well. Not only does it not hold temps well, or humidity much at all, but that stuff can really harbor bacteria even when you clean it regularly. Better to go with aspen or twice-milled cypress mulch.

Once you get your Ultratherm and thermostat, things will improve quite a bit in the temp department. Under tank heat is really the best way to provide snakes with warmth, as they spend so much time on the floor of the enclosure. If you live in a cooler place (like me in Colorado), you might have to get two UTH pads - one for each end, and another thermostat for the cooler side. See what happens with the temps once the items arrive.

If you must keep a lamp around to raise ambient temps, then make sure it's at least 8" above the screen top and use no higher than a 60w bulb to save your humidity.

Let us know how things go once you have the UTH, t-stat, digital meters, insulation and such and we can go from there. Good luck!

[dgarrison123]

Well I just now got my tank all set up, just need to get a peice of drift wood. I just now put on some foam board, cut to size, then put metal tape on it, then the background, and glued to the tank. Need to get some more bulbs. I'm going to let it warm over night, and see if the temps and humidity are where they need to be. I'm going to put some metal tape on the bottom of the screen(shiny side down). I also bought a new camera so here are some pics.

UTH w metal tape covering the bottom.

The stand.

The whole setup.

Background shot.

Hide 1 & 2 water bowl and plant.

Hide 3 and plant

Should have a normal BP by wednesday, but still going to make sure everthing is just right before I do.

[dr del]

Hi,

I would still recommend using tinfoil on the outside of the screen top and taping the edges down - it seals it just as well but there is no tape in the enclosure or messy glue pressed against open screen.

I would also make sure you have found a good way to hold the top on as these little beggars are amazing escape artists and waaay stronger then you'd think.

Once you get the screen top covered check the humidity and temps with the digital gauges. Remember to check inside those hides as he will spend most of the time there.

But it's looking good.


dr del

[DrEwTiMe]

Also saran wrap works great for that as well. I use that and a humidifier and im never under 60% humidity. I also use the space heater to keep the room temps acceptable

[dgarrison123]

Well I got up this morning and checked the temps. Then I metal taped the inside screen with metal tape. The ambient temps stay about 80-82, and the humidity stays about 55-65. I checked the temp with my IR thermometer, and the the cold side belly heat was 80, and hot side was 105. So now I think that I'm ready for my new pet. Let me know if you think that I would need something else. I'll get pics up as soon as I get him or her in.

[DrEwTiMe]

Well I got up this morning and checked the temps. Then I metal taped the inside screen with metal tape. The ambient temps stay about 80-82, and the humidity stays about 55-65. I checked the temp with my IR thermometer, and the the cold side belly heat was 80, and hot side was 105. So now I think that I'm ready for my new pet. Let me know if you think that I would need something else. I'll get pics up as soon as I get him or her in.

Whoah red flag my friend.. 105 is way way way too hot for your snake to be sitting on. They are not able to tell if something is too hot if they want more warmth and will give them thermal burns. You need to get that temp down at least 10 degrees.

[dr del]

Hi,

You really want to get the hot end to be around 90-93f inside the hot end hide and no more than about 95f on the glass underneath the substrate - so that even if the snake burrows it cannot burn itself.

Similarly check the under substrate temps at the cool end - though they should be no real problem givin they should be that much lower.

But if the surface is 105f then I dread to think what the under substrate temp is - no way would I put a snake in there with those temps as they are at the moment.


dr del