Heating in a cold house

[KevinK]

So I have a 20 gallon long tank with a screen top cover. I use a 6x8 under tank heater on one side. I use a 75 watt heat light during the day and a 60 watt blue light at night.

The problem is that my house temp is constantly kept at 68-72. The 75 watt light heats the tank to 82 F during the day, but it always dries out the substrate. I find myself misting at least twice a day. I use eco-earth.

Does anyone have a suggestion on how I can raise the ambient air temp while keeping humidity levels up?

[Skittles1101]

Is it possible to keep a space heater in the room where the snake is? Also, do you use an under tank heater as well?

[KevinK]

Is it possible to keep a space heater in the room where the snake is? Also, do you use an under tank heater as well?

Yeah I use a 6x8 uth, its kept on all the time but it doesn't raise the air temp in the cage at all. The snake is kept in my room so I'd rather not use a space heater.

[llovelace]

You will have raise the temp in the room that you are housing the snake in. This can be accomplished with an oil heater.

[llovelace]

Yeah I use a 6x8 uth, its kept on all the time but it doesn't raise the air temp in the cage at all. The snake is kept in my room so I'd rather not use a space heater.

why not?

btw welcome to BP.net

[KevinK]

why not?

btw welcome to BP.net

Thanks man. I do use a screen top for my cage so I assume that any heat from the uth just escapes out the top of the cage.

[Skittles1101]

Thanks man. I do use a screen top for my cage so I assume that any heat from the uth just escapes out the top of the cage.

UTH doesn't affect ambient temps at all actually. I suggest keeping the UTH with a thermostat (hoping you use one...) at the correct temp of a 90 degree hot spot. You should cover 2/3 of the screen top with anything from a towel, aluminum foil, plexi glass, whatever works for you. This will help contain any lost heat/humidity. I think you should get a lamp dimmer from Home Depot or something, they are only $10 and will make the lamp less intense. Night drop is unnecessary, so I'd stick with just the heat bulb, or buy a ceramic heat emitter. Lights tend to irritate ball pythons anyways as they are nocturnal. With the dimmer, you can adjust as needed. You may not even need the lamp, I only use one for the winter. How are you reading temps?

[KevinK]

UTH doesn't affect ambient temps at all actually. I suggest keeping the UTH with a thermostat (hoping you use one...) at the correct temp of a 90 degree hot spot. You should cover 2/3 of the screen top with anything from a towel, aluminum foil, plexi glass, whatever works for you. This will help contain any lost heat/humidity. I think you should get a lamp dimmer from Home Depot or something, they are only $10 and will make the lamp less intense. Night drop is unnecessary, so I'd stick with just the heat bulb, or buy a ceramic heat emitter. Lights tend to irritate ball pythons anyways as they are nocturnal. With the dimmer, you can adjust as needed. You may not even need the lamp, I only use one for the winter. How are you reading temps?

I use a basic digital temp/humidity reader. If I'm just going to have nothing but problems with an aquarium should I think about getting a vision or a boaphile cage instead? If I need to get an oil heater then I could save money because electricity isn't cheap either.

[JayyPastel24]

TUB. Why ? Plastic is an insulator and holds great humidity

[fluffpuffgerbil]

I'm using a tub, but it's not helping my temperatures and it's holding too much humidity in, even with all the holes I have in it. I'm using eco earth as well. And right now I'm holding my little girl, trying to warm her up with my body temp, since the temp in her cool side was 69.4*F. My house is normally pretty cool... and when the temp does get to 80 in the house and heats my coolside up perfectly, people(namely my dad) start complaining that it's way too hot.... so he makes it colder.
But it was particularly cold this morning. My bearded dragon sleeps on my bed(away from my reach so I don't touch him at night) and it was so cold I decided to put him on my arm under my blankets to keep him warm....

But I'm not sure either how to get the coolside warmer