here are some answers to all of your questions:
- I am using both a 50w red bulb and a UTH. How could I increase the ambient temp without making the warm side too hot? ( The UTH plus the red bulb, make the warm side hot very quickly)
- Both of those are running into the same thermostat.
- To measure temps I use a digital thermo w/ probe to measure the heat inside the hide on the warm side. I have another digital thermo/hydro measuring ambient and humidity located on the cool side.
- I am using two Exo Terra rock caves as hides. The medium size ones, they can be found their site.
- She never leaves her hide on the warm side, or at least I never see her leave it. When I said she usually curls up in the back corner I meant back corner of the hide.
- I really do not want to change to a tub because A) I have zero money right now bc of xmas shopping and B) Aesthetically speaking, I doesn't appeal to me.(Sorry?)
- I know she is not refusing food because of an upcoming shed because she shed last week.

What I find odd is that I had her at school for a week. She was in the 10gal with newspaper for substrate, a Trisket box for hiding, a water dish, and I only had a UTH with no thermostat or anything. She ate fine that week. Now I bring her home, set her up with all this nice stuff ( following the standards set by the caresheet) and now she won't eat! Its so strange. Im not a child, I dont go picking her up out of the cage every hour, and I don't blast music or do things that would frighten her. Could it just be the change in the weather, its been cold, rainy/snowy/icy the past 2 weeks...

I just don't want to throw in the towel