Couple questions (thermostat setting, tempgun use, and hides/tubs)

[tikigator]

Hey guys, I have been searching archvies for the answers to a few questions and haven't been able to find what I'm looking for.

Question #1 I use a Ranco thermostat (from reptile basics) for my rack, melamine with 3" belly heat. What setting should the Ranco be on? It seems I have to set mine between 99-100 degrees in order to get the inside of the tub to 92....does that sound about right?

Question #2 When using a tempgun (which I bought) WHERE exactly do you "shoot"? Do you aim directly to the bottom of the back of the tub? Or do you temp the middle? I have a couple thermometers in the backs of my tubs to check ambient temps inside the tub and when the thermometer in the back of the tub (so, the air temp inside the back of the tub) says 88 but if I tempgun the bottom of the tub it says 92-93.

Question #3 what temp is TOO hot?? I have 2 snakes in isolation (seperate rack, seperate room) that have URIs and I was told to raise the temps to 95. It seems there are "hot spots" in this rack (which is a maufactuered rack system made of the ABS) and when I temp gun along the back it will fluctuate from 93-98?!? Ambient temp on the thermometer in the back says 90 degrees.

Question #4 SO....I made the typical "newbie mistake" of getting larger tubs for my snakes thinking it would be nice for them. I want there to be a definite hot side and cold side with a water bowl and enough room for them to move. I just read the thread and the poll on what size tub to keep what size snake. The question I have is about hides....I use newspaper (unprinted) as substrate and if I don't put hides in there the snakes go under the paper. Sort of defeats the purpose of a substrate if they are underneath it. So I have been putting hides in there. But for the 15 qt tubs I cannot find hides that will fit (the small plastic hides from reptile basics are too small for anything larger than hatchlings and the mediums don't fit in the 15 qt tubs...any suggestions? or do I just not put hides in there at all?

Thank you for the answers....just to clarify I had 3 snakes start wheezing (all at the same time, 3 different racks, was very odd) on July 6. On July 7th I went to the vet and got Baytril. They were on injections every 48hrs. On Tues of this week one of them went downhill FAST, I ran her to the vet and we put her in the incubator with a nebulizer...with no success, we lost her. SO we sent out a culture (obviously the Baytil I got prescribed wasn't working) the culture won't be back until next week however a reptile specailist at the lab suggested Fortaz (Ceftazidime) so I started injections of that on the other 2 yesterday (they will get inj every 3 days). They are in their own rack, in another room, I am trying to keep heat and humidity higher than normal but I am having a hard time keeping the heat consistent. I have the same problem in my other rack with the Ranco. I have the Ranco set at 99 and using a tempgun with one tub will read 93 and the next one down will read 88. Its very bizarre.

Thanks again!

[AtlasStrike]

I can't help much, but the top rack will always be warmer than the bottom, even if you do things absolutely perfectly. Heat rises. I would try to keep the ambient temps at about 85 and the floor temps as close to 93-94 as possible without going much over. Good luck!!

[llovelace]

1- yes sometimes you'll have to increase the thermostat temp to achive the desired temp inside your enclosure.

2-The temp gun measures surface temps not ambient temps.

3- change the hot spot temp setting to 94*, you will see that an enclosed rack holds heat.

4-If your tubs are in a rack system there really insn't a need for hides, or just 1 on the hot side will do.

[Homegrownscales]

Llovelace did the job of answering. Although-
What are you using to heat?
Where are you putting the ranco probe?
Is the rack enclosed, closed?
How warm is the ambient temps?
If everything is working right even if the top varies from the bottom by a few degrees they shouldn't be getting Ris.


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