Final Tweaks to my 20L tank Thoughts?

[jdouglas]

So far my setup

• 20L tank with
• 2 Zoo Med 11x8 UTH's hooked up to
• 2 hydrofarm thermostats
• The back and sides are blacked out with a thick black cloth(2 layers) fastened with black duck tape
• The lid is covered 90% with 3 layers of foil and black duck tape
• 2 acu-rite thermometers each monitoring their own side (under the hides and ambient temps on the back wall)
• 1 flukers thermometer/hygrometer mounted to the very top/center/back wall.
• I am using 1 repti-carpet and cut to the exact dimensions of the tank
• I then have a layer about 1/4 inch deep of eco earth on top of the carpet

Underneath each hide under the eco-earth(on top of the carpet) the temps on the warm side are 91-93, and the cool side 80-82.

However the substrate top layer not under the hides is staying only around warm side 83-85 and cool side 76-78. Ambient temps in the tank are only around 76-78.
Room temps are only 72-75

So how can I improve this setup?

Humidity is staying at a constant 55 since I shut off the CHE!
If you do recommend that I hook the CHE back up, What would be the best method to not kill my humidity? If I run it 2 feet from the top center of the lid without any holes (so its pointing at the tape/foil) would this hurt humidity?
I do have it on a lamp dimmer.

[Daybreaker]

Is there a reason you have two UTHs along with a CHE?

[The Serpent Merchant]

I would remove the Eco earth. That would fix the temp problems.

[jdouglas]

I am not running the CHE, I originally started with 1 UTH and it wasn't enough for the cool side. So I bought a CHE and it put my humidity down to around 30%.
So I bought another UTH and put it on the thermostat that the CHE was on.

So I have 1 UTH on the warm side set to 92 and 1 UTH on the cool side set to 82 and the top of the carpet is perfect.

I have tried removing the eco-earth but the humidity falls greatly

[The Serpent Merchant]

Maybe a thinner layer of Eco earth? If you have the funds a radiant heat panel will heat your tank really well without zapping the humidity.

[jdouglas]

I just scrapped up a good bit of the eco-earth off the carpet to a thin layer everywhere but the hides.(didn't want to uncover the probes).

I guess ill give it a few hours and see if the temps stabilize higher than before.

[The Serpent Merchant]

Yeah getting your set up just right takes some playing around with. Hopefully you will find a set up that is low maintence and cost effective. I tried 3 or 4 completely different set ups before I settled on my current set up

[jdouglas]

I do have some flexwatt on the way and I already have a 28qt tub. I am hoping to be able to get it set up correctly this weekend as well. I would like to have the tank and tub setup correctly.
That way I can decide which I like the most. I truly like the idea of the tank so I can look in on him, and a nice natural tank looks great!

[The Serpent Merchant]

You will be regulating the flexwatt with a thermostat right? I would strongly suggest a proportional thermostat like the Herpstat ND. If unregulated flexwatt will get hot enough to kill your snake.

I prefer enclosures over tubs as well I keep all of my snakes in Animal Plastics PVC enclosures.

[Daybreaker]

Maybe a thinner layer of Eco earth? If you have the funds a radiant heat panel will heat your tank really well without zapping the humidity.

A RHP won't work with a fish tank (with a screen lid) - they're ment for PVC/melamine type enclosures.

I just scrapped up a good bit of the eco-earth off the carpet to a thin layer everywhere but the hides.(didn't want to uncover the probes).

I guess ill give it a few hours and see if the temps stabilize higher than before.

If temps and humidity keep giving you trouble, I would look into a tub setup unless you're set on the 20L. Also for substrate I recommend starting new snakes on paper towels so you can check for mites better.

Edit: you two type faster than me: to the OP a tub will be a lot better for regulating temps and humidity.