Thermostat and Substrate Questions

[spartybassoon]

1.) I have a heat pad that only heats up to 80-82 degrees. Will a thermostat set for higher temps make it warmer, or do I need a new heat pad? It is an exo-terra desert medium.

2.) I have a new animal that likes to push the substrate away from the bottom and lay right on the glass above the heater. This scares me, but I wonder if it is ok since I have never heard of anyone puttine some sort of protective thing between the glass and the snake (that's what substrate is for). Right now I'm using aspen, but it would be no problem for the snake to go beneath paper towels, newspapers, etc. What do you think?

[Adam Chandler]

Once back when I used tanks my normal pushed away his substrate(as almost all BPs do) and curled up right over the glass on top of his UTH. When I picked him up his belly was very red and 3 large blisters had formed where his skin contacted the glass. What I had to do was go out to walmart and get a dimmer switch and a 6ft extension cord. Cut the extension cord and ran it through the dimmer switch and made myself a sweet rheostat.
However as the temperature in the room change the rheostat had to be changed also. Eventually I just said screw it and moved to a rack system with Helix thermostats which has been great.

[spartybassoon]

So if the temps are in the right zone, they won't burn themselves by being right up against it? It may sound like a real noob question, but I'm still waiting for someone to say that it is ok for a snake to cuddle the glass at 90 degrees F...it just doesn't seem right to me.

[seeya205]

This is why you keep the uth at 90 and not the substrate because they will burrow to the glass for heat! This is normal and will not hurt the snake at 90!

[Kaorte]

What kind of thermometers are you using?

[spartybassoon]

I've got an electronic one with a probe that is right where the hot spot is.

[Kaorte]

I've got an electronic one with a probe that is right where the hot spot is.

right on the glass under the substrate? If that is indeed where you have it and you are only getting a temp of 80-82, your UTH might be defective. They should heat up to 120* unregulated.

How much substrate do you have over the probe? is there any airflow under the UTH?

[Vypyrz]

right on the glass under the substrate? If that is indeed where you have it and you are only getting a temp of 80-82, your UTH might be defective. They should heat up to 120* unregulated.

How much substrate do you have over the probe? is there any airflow under the UTH?

I use those same ones and they come with the little plastic risers. If they are using them then the heat is probably being lost. I cover my Exo Terras with a piece of polystyrene insulation, so all the heat goes up, and they maintain good temps.

SpartyBassoon, If you decide to use polystyrene insulation, it is crucial that you use a thermostat to run your UTH...

[snakesRkewl]

it is crucial that you use a thermostat to run your UTH...

absolutely

[spartybassoon]

I have kept many reptiles before geting into snakes, and I am familiar with using heat pads. For the record, I have never had any malfunction, nor do I know of anyone who had one malfunction until I heard of it on the boards. I do not believe that they are crucial, but they are a necessary tool if you want to avoid risks. My uth is under the glass, the spacers are elevating the tank for airflow, and at the moment there is no polystyrene. I do plan on getting a thermostat, because after learning more and more about them, I don't want to accidentally hurt or kill my animals. I have spent a lot of time in this and other forums to know what everyone thinks of thermostats (the holy grail of cage supplies), and I know these may seem like noob questions, but I just don't know anything about them because I've never used them.

Back to the original question. The uth still reads at 82 degrees, but if I get a thermostat, can that raise the temps? Ultimately, I will be using heat tape, but not until I get the final cage ready.