Heating woes

[bpqueen]

I am bringing home my first beautiful yellow bellied ball tomorrow and I am having issues with my UTH. I have it plugged into a rheostat, but the temps are reading super high (100 degrees ish) on the "low setting"! On top of the substrate it is significantly lower, but if he burrows he will be in trouble. Now, I don't feel it to be anything but barely warm to the touch to me, and the probe is reading the correct temps when I pull it off of the carpet (I have cage carpet down between the glass and the aspen chip substrate) and place it on top of the substrate. Am I just getting too much residual heat signatures from the glass? Should I get a "rainforest" type of low wattage UTH? Should I buffer the UTH with some solar foam (think hot car visor)? Or should I just stick to a blue and red bulb cycle (my blue bulb placed on the warm side is reading 90 degrees at the bottom of the substrate)? I don't want to harm my first BP investment and just want to get it right ASAP.

Thanks!

Laurel

PS: I have a 20gal 30"x 12"x 12"glass tank and am using an accurite thermometer placed on cool side (81 degrees without light, 83 degrees with) with the probe under the substrate but above the carpet (which buffers the UTH-heated glass bottom).

[snakesRkewl]

Get a thermostat, at least a Repti-temp 500R, and you'll be much much happier.

Rheostats will allow the temp to rise as the room temp rises.
If it's 68 in the morning and 78 in the evening, you have a 10 degree possible swing in temperatures.
Rheostats are best used in a room with a stable ambient temperature all day long.

[stevepoppers]

Yeah, thermostat is much better. You'll actually have something actively controlling the temperature. Dimmers, etc sound as much of a gamble as nothing.

This is similarly priced to the Repti-temp, but is digital.

[bpqueen]

If I go ahead and get the thermostat, how do I get the probe in a sliding, locking cage, and then how do I keep the snake away from it?

Thanks so much for the info!

Laurel

[Animals As Leaders]

If I go ahead and get the thermostat, how do I get the probe in a sliding, locking cage, and then how do I keep the snake away from it?

Thanks so much for the info!

Laurel

Don't place it in the cage because the only way you'll get it to stay down is with tape, and if the snake moves it around the tape could get stuck to him/her which could lead to more problems.

Just place it underneath the tank. I tape my heat tape down to whatever surface the tub/tank will be laying, then the probe goes on top of the tape, and then put my tank right on top.

Good luck with your new yellow belly!!

Rheostats really can work great, as long as the room is meticulously kept at a consistent temp otherwise the temp will just rise with the ambient.

[don15681]

Repti-temp 500R in my opinion are junk, one of the reasons they don't cost much. The one I had fell apart. If you like them, either you didn't have one long enough or you're one of the few lucky ones. burn your snake and have to take it to the vets ($$$) plus the pain you just put your snake thru. you'll wish you would of gotten a herpstat or helix.

[dr del]

Hi,

Don't place it in the cage because the only way you'll get it to stay down is with tape, and if the snake moves it around the tape could get stuck to him/her which could lead to more problems.

Just place it underneath the tank. I tape my heat tape down to whatever surface the tub/tank will be laying, then the probe goes on top of the tape, and then put my tank right on top.

Good luck with your new yellow belly!!

Rheostats really can work great, as long as the room is meticulously kept at a consistent temp otherwise the temp will just rise with the ambient.

While this is indeed the correct advice for the thermostat probe you do not need to use tape to hold things down inside the tank ( the thermometer probe for example ).

For the reasons you mention tape is an all round bad idea - but you can use silicon (but you need to let it cure for 24 - 48 hours before putting the animal in ) or, my personal fave, a couple of dabs of glue from a hot glue gun.

It sets in a few minutes tops and is easily removed if needed while keeping the probe in place under most normal conditions.


dr del

[MikeV]

Repti-temp 500R in my opinion are junk, one of the reasons they don't cost much. The one I had fell apart. If you like them, either you didn't have one long enough or you're one of the few lucky ones. burn your snake and have to take it to the vets ($$$) plus the pain you just put your snake thru. you'll wish you would of gotten a herpstat or helix.

I disagree about the "you'll wish you would of gotten a herpstat or helix" they are EXTREMELY expensive and the average joe may not be able to afford that, like me

So I ordered a 26 dollar (total 33$, shipping was 7) DIGITAL thermostat that has amazing reveiws from several hundred people on multiple websites

this is the best option until you can manage to buy/save for a herpstar ect.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listi...&condition=new

go to the 26$ one sold by: Tiny's Pond and Aquarium Supply
2nd one listed to the top

AMAZING deal, has very good reveiws from multiple websites as I said, and is digital.

absolutely amazing

[stevepoppers]

He said that was the case if you'd gotten the Repti-temp.

Helixes and Herpstats, while expensive, are proven to be reliable, and I'd certainly wish I'd gotten one if my Repti-temp or any other cheap thermostat burned/killed my snake. The Herpstat's on my list, in fact.

That Hydrofarm's a good deal and recommendable to someone on a budget with only a few snakes, but there's a point where the peace of mind the $100 thermostats can provide are definitely worth the money. If I was breeding, I'd definitely want something proven.

[MikeV]

He said that was the case if you'd gotten the Repti-temp.

Helixes and Herpstats, while expensive, are proven to be reliable, and I'd certainly wish I'd gotten one if my Repti-temp or any other cheap thermostat burned/killed my snake. The Herpstat's on my list, in fact.

That Hydrofarm's a good deal and recommendable to someone on a budget with only a few snakes, but there's a point where the peace of mind the $100 thermostats can provide are definitely worth the money. If I was breeding, I'd definitely want something proven.

oh yeah I certaintly wasnt disagreeing with him, althought after rereading my comment i see how it can seem that way

I was mainly trying to provide a cheap, temporary alternative to the 100$ thermostats

I didn't mean to come across as disagreeing with Del. the one I recommended is mainly for people as you said that are on a budget and cant afford a 100$ one right away