Brazilian Rainbow Boa

[emilys_exotics]

Hello
I ordered a male brb last week and he will be here Thursday
I set his bin up tonight to make sure the humidity is where it needs to be. The humidity is at 90%, which is great. But the temp is only at 74. any tips?
here is some info about the tub:
-66 quarts
-cypress bedding
- thermostat that is set all the way up
- 2 heat pads (one is for 10 to 20 gallon tanks and the other is 7.5 watts. One is sticking to the side of the bin and the other is sticking to the bottom)
Thank you

[bcr229]

Putting a heat pad on the side of the bin does nothing.

If you move the cypress away from the heat pad on the bottom of the tub, what does an infrared thermometer or heat gun indicate that the temperature on the bottom of the tub is? And where do you have the probe for the thermostat?

[dkatz4]

BCR229 is 100% right. Heat pads really do not radiate heat, so the ambient temperature will not go up much. They do, however, conduct heat, which is why they go on the bottom of the tank to provide "belly heat" when the snake crawls over them. That being the case, if you have the thermostat maxed out trying to heat the air that reads cool, you may have dangerously high surface temperatures that your snake will come in contact with. Your thermostat probe should be in direct contact with the floor of the tank directly over the heating pad; i even have a hide weighing mine down so it stays in place and to more accurately simulate the conditions of my snake is sitting there for long periods of time. This also why a heat gun is so handy, it measures surface temp, not air temp. Raising ambient air temp is something that is always a challenge, especially for those of us who do not have a dedicated snake room (if you do have one, the best thing is to just crank the heat and get the whole room the temp you want). Short of copy and pasting all the literature i went through while having my own heat crisis, i will just say that in my opinion radiant heat panels or "RHP's" are the best devices. They emit heat that is absorbed very efficiently by the surfaces within its range, including your snake, but unlike ceramic heat emitters, they do not get terribly hot to the touch. They do get pretty hot, but they are ceiling mounted so its not like the snake will just sit on it and cook and they are not hot enough to burn through brief superficial contact; you can put your hand on it for a few seconds without getting burned at all - this is NOT the case for the ceramic bulbs! Also, they use very little electricity relative to the amount of heat they emit compared to a light bulb or similar fixture. I hope this is helpful, i had a hell of a time dialing in my setup so i know how frustrating it can be.

[bcr229]

Your thermostat probe should be in direct contact with the floor of the tank directly over the heating pad; i even have a hide weighing mine down so it stays in place and to more accurately simulate the conditions of my snake is sitting there for long periods of time.

This is false, the thermostat probe is always placed outside of the enclosure, sandwiched between the heat pad and the underside of the enclosure. Otherwise your snake can move it off the heat source, pee on it, dump water on it, etc. which will cause it to read "low" and the heat appliance to run too hot.

With an RHP the thermostat probe may be placed in the enclosure but it's usually secured with plastic fasteners high on a wall or the ceiling so the snake can't interfere with it.

[dkatz4]

This is false, the thermostat probe is always placed outside of the enclosure, sandwiched between the heat pad and the underside of the enclosure. Otherwise your snake can move it off the heat source, pee on it, dump water on it, etc. which will cause it to read "low" and the heat appliance to run too hot.

With an RHP the thermostat probe may be placed in the enclosure but it's usually secured with plastic fasteners high on a wall or the ceiling so the snake can't interfere with it.

Really? Animal interfering with the probe notwithstanding, wouldn't direct contact with the pad read hot? The tub's floor is not a perfect conductor (obviously since its designed to insulate the interior) so the heat generated by the pad is partially absorbed and dispersed by the floor itself resulting in a lower actual temperature on the tubs interior surface, no? I feel like its similar to measuring a car's horsepower at the crank vs at the wheels (I figure a mustang fan would appreciate the analogy).

[Prognathodon]

Yes, you will lose a few degrees through the enclosure floor; but the safety of not having the animal move the probe, short it out with spilled water, etc. is worth the small nuisance of checking the temperature of the floor and adjusting the thermostat as necessary to account for it a couple times during setup. Once things are up and running reliably you want to check temps occasionally no matter where your probes are.


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[Stingray74]

Yes, you will lose a few degrees through the enclosure floor; but the safety of not having the animal move the probe, short it out with spilled water, etc. is worth the small nuisance of checking the temperature of the floor and adjusting the thermostat as necessary to account for it a couple times during setup. Once things are up and running reliably you want to check temps occasionally no matter where your probes are.


Sent using software and hardware

^^^^^^^^
What Prog and bcr229 said is correct. On another note, I've kept BRB's and Columbian RB's for many years. Yes, they definitely need ultra-high humidity. After experimenting with many setups over the years, I've found that all Rainbows LOVE being inside a warm and humid hide. In the end, all of my Rainbows have a Tupperware container, with lid, as their warm hide. I cut a silver dollar sized hole in the center of the lid, fill the container halfway with moist sphagnum moss and place that bad boy directly on top of the UTH (which is UNDER the tub/tank). Your BRB will spend nearly all of it's time in that warm hide - provided the temp is correct. Enjoy the BRB and try not to get bit. Those Rainbows definitely pack a punch when they hit! In my opinion, the BRB is the most beautiful boa ever....

[bcr229]

Yes, you will lose a few degrees through the enclosure floor; but the safety of not having the animal move the probe, short it out with spilled water, etc. is worth the small nuisance of checking the temperature of the floor and adjusting the thermostat as necessary to account for it a couple times during setup. Once things are up and running reliably you want to check temps occasionally no matter where your probes are.

Just start with your t-stat probe set to the mid/upper 80's and use an infrared thermometer or temp gun to ensure that your tub floor is around 83-85*F.

[Snoopyslim]

In my opinion, the BRB is the most beautiful boa ever....

I agree - my friend has one and it is a stunning creature...especially if you're into shimmering rainbows

[Stingray74]

^^^^^^^^
What Prog and bcr229 said is correct. On another note, I've kept BRB's and Columbian RB's for many years. Yes, they definitely need ultra-high humidity. After experimenting with many setups over the years, I've found that all Rainbows LOVE being inside a warm and humid hide. In the end, all of my Rainbows have a Tupperware container, with lid, as their warm hide. I cut a silver dollar sized hole in the center of the lid, fill the container halfway with moist sphagnum moss and place that bad boy directly on top of the UTH (which is UNDER the tub/tank). Your BRB will spend nearly all of it's time in that warm hide - provided the temp is correct. Enjoy the BRB and try not to get bit. Those Rainbows definitely pack a punch when they hit! In my opinion, the BRB is the most beautiful boa ever....

To further clarify, the container with the sphagnum moss acts as the tub "hot spot" and solves the humidity issue in one solution. Trying to keep 90% ambient humidity in the entire tub is a PITA, and probably too much overall moisture, which could cause a respiratory infection. Providing a "sauna" hot spot allows the snake to move in and out of the heat and humidity as needed. I would suggest using the larger of your two heat pads that you have as your primary and only heat source under the tank. The other pad is not necessary. When you buy your Rubbermaid container, size it so that only half of your hot spot will be covered by the "sauna", but the other half is not covered by anything but substrate. This allows for a non-humid hot spot that can also be used when humidity is too high in the "sauna." I usually use a 3 cup/710 ml Rubbermaid container for my babies (about 6" x 6" x 2" high), and buy larger ones as the snake grows. Hope this helps.