COLD house problem.

[kurtkoils]

I'm a new BP owner and I've had my 3 month old for about a week now. I've got a UTH that I've got temp controlled perfectly between 92 and 94 degrees, and Kurt seems happy hidden in his hide on the hot side of the tank. My only issue is that the ambient temp in the tank is VERY hard to get above 85 even on the hot side. The UTH clearly doesn't raise the tank temp at all. I've even covered most of the lid to keep heat/humidity in but it doesn't seem to work well. I have to keep a heat lamp on over the opening in the screen cover in the daytime just to keep the temp above 75 or so. I doubt that the poor guy even goes onto the cool side at all, even at night, simply because both the substrate and the ambient temps are too low. I think that this might be partially due to the freaking FRIGID temperatures my place reaches, especially at night, even with the heat cranked.
Does anyone else have this problem? And what are my best options? Space heater? Ceramic bulb?

I'm going nuts with this. I know he's happy on one half of the tank at least, but seriously.

I've only had the guy a week, and I have NOT been able to sleep most nights because I'm continually waking up and rushing to his tank to check the THREE thermometers I have going with probes at different places in there. I MUST SLEEP. Haha.

[kurtkoils]

I should probably add that the 60 watt bulb I have is supposed to provide a basking temp of 90 degrees at 18 inches. Even with a probe in the tank directly under the bulb at this distance, it barely reaches 80.

[West Coast Jungle]

Do You have an under tank heating pad? Belly heat is much better since they lay directly on it and it wont dry up the air like a bulb does. Humidity is also important.

I keep an oil filled heater in my snake room on a ranco thermostat to keep the ambient temps right where I want them. I would try to keep the night temps 78 at the lowest in the winter, 80 would be even better for younger snakes.

[aarrggh13]

my house is also pretty cold in the winter... i've put a blanket around the back and sides of the cage for some insulation. it helps some. i keep the screen top closed off a bit to keep in the humidity. glass tanks are kinda hard to keep warm as opposed to the plastic or acrylic tanks, but this is what i have so i work with it. if it's a really cold night, i have a space heater to raise the temps in the room.. my bp seems pretty happy with that setup

[jben]

how about putting a smaller UTH on the cooler side for the winter with thermostat...correct me if im wrong anyone.

[mpkeelee]

i have two UTH's under my tank. one big and one small. almost covers the whole thing. its controlled by a thermostat and i have a red bulb 24/7 on a low setting controlled by a rheostat. havent had to spray or move anything in few days and my apartment isnt the warmest place either

[RichsBallPythons]

I have seen someone use 11" flexwatt and wrapped 3 sides of the tank with the flexwatt on a dimmer or thermostat set at 83 and it helped keep the tank up in cold house.

[zantedeschia]

My guys do well with an ambient temp of 80. I've got a space heater in their room. I don't have my UTH's on the bottom, but stuck on one side, with overhead heat lamps. Does a fine job of keeping the tanks warm. I know everyone says to put them on the bottom with thermostats, but I'm too paranoid about that sort of setup failing. I've got plastic wrap taped to the screen top to hold in humidity, it prob holds in some heat as well.

I live in Houston where it doesn't get *that* cold, but it's 37F outside atm.

You might try getting some styrofoam insulation and attaching it to 3 sides of your tank.

[withonor]

I have to use a ceramic heat emitter for the ball I have in a glass tank to keep the temperatures up at night. The rack I'm building will have a strip of flexwatt in front and back of the tubs and I have a Herpstat II to control both zones.

[hud556]

I should probably add that the 60 watt bulb I have is supposed to provide a basking temp of 90 degrees at 18 inches. Even with a probe in the tank directly under the bulb at this distance, it barely reaches 80.

use the bulb 80 degrees is fine as long as he has the option of more heat