Non-Proportional Thermostats and Probes question

[Natassja]

Hello!

For the time being I dont have my dream/ideal set-up, but im saving for it.
In the meantime I make the most of an Glasstank, which I isolated the sides of.
I manage to hold the humidity up by using orchid bark, kinda messy but it works.

I have some questions about placing the probe for my On/Off (Non-Proportional) Thermostats who controls the UTH.
UTH covers 1/3 of the bottom of the tank and its attached at the outside bottom. the tank is elevated 1 inch above the table.

Thermostat similar to this:


I have read many different things about this and ended up taping the probe on the outside(in the middle) of the UTH (not between the UTH and glasstank-bottom), with tape. Is this the best spot?

I have the thermostat at 92, and maybe 2-3 inches of substrate, but the temps is slightly colder than optimal, I Also have a 40w bulb that heats as well, to keep the ambient temp up.

I also wondering about replacing "Bulb-heat" with a Radiant heater. any thoughts on this?

Thanks in advance!

[The Serpent Merchant]

The best place for the probe is between the UTH and the glass. You didn't cover the probe itself when you taped it on did you?

You need to remove most of your substrate, UTH's do not affect the air temperature in the cage so all the heat that they can provide is what comes up through the substrate. I have found that the substrate layer needs to be no thicker that 1/2 Inch.

What type of thermometer are you using?

[The Serpent Merchant]

What are you talking about, a radiant heat panel or a ceramic heat emitter?

Radiant heat panels aren't designed for glass tanks and won't do much for one, and I have found that ceramic heat emitters get too hot. I would suggest that you get an infrared heat bulb. IR heat bulbs put out light that isn't visible to snakes so they can be left on 24/7.

Here is a good one: http://m.petsmart.com/mt/www.petsmar...3&lmdn=Reptile

[MasonC2K]

Hello!

For the time being I dont have my dream/ideal set-up, but im saving for it.
In the meantime I make the most of an Glasstank, which I isolated the sides of.
I manage to hold the humidity up by using orchid bark, kinda messy but it works.

I have some questions about placing the probe for my On/Off (Non-Proportional) Thermostats who controls the UTH.
UTH covers 1/3 of the bottom of the tank and its attached at the outside bottom. the tank is elevated 1 inch above the table.

Thermostat similar to this:


I have read many different things about this and ended up taping the probe on the outside(in the middle) of the UTH (not between the UTH and glasstank-bottom), with tape. Is this the best spot?

I have the thermostat at 92, and maybe 2-3 inches of substrate, but the temps is slightly colder than optimal, I Also have a 40w bulb that heats as well, to keep the ambient temp up.

I also wondering about replacing "Bulb-heat" with a Radiant heater. any thoughts on this?

Thanks in advance!

Taping it to the bottom of the UTH is fine. There's is no best place. Just difference places. The keys being "in the middle" and "secure."

Just make sure you have good thermometer to measure the hot spot inside the tank. I prefer using IR (infrared) types or Temp Guns as some are called. I used temp probes for a long time but they always end up getting moves by the inhabitants. You may have to have your Tstat set a few degrees higher than what you want to achieve the temp inside you are aiming for.

As mentioned already, you should lower your substrate thickness at the UTH site. The thinker the substrate the higher you have to set the Tstat and the harder the UTH has to work. Depending on the material, half-inch to 3/4 inch should be sufficient.

If you are having trouble with ambient air, get a low wattage IR (most snakes can't see IR) heat bulb or ceramic heat bulb. It's don't take much energy to raise air temp from a bulb.

That's my 2 cents.

[Natassja]

"The best place for the probe is between the UTH and the glass. You didn't cover the probe itself when you taped it on did you?"

No only the Chord. But wont covering the probe-head with UTH be just as bad? hehe.

The probe chord is thick and UTH not that flexible, so if the probe is between glass and UTH, wont there be alot of gap/UTH not attached to glass? hm..

[Natassja]

okei dudes! Thanks!

ill try with less substrate. Waiting for a better therometer/hygrometer in the mail.

thanks for clearing up the "radiant heat issue", I thought that was an option for glass tanks, ill wait with that until i have my pvc cage!

those ceramic heaters get incredible hot, butt ill can give it a go.

[MasonC2K]

"The best place for the probe is between the UTH and the glass. You didn't cover the probe itself when you taped it on did you?"

No only the Chord. But wont covering the probe-head with UTH be just as bad? hehe.

The probe chord is thick and UTH not that flexible, so if the probe is between glass and UTH, wont there be alot of gap/UTH not attached to glass? hm..

IMO, there's no problem applying tape to the probe itself. Actually, I don't consider the probe secure otherwise. And shift of the tank could move it around a little. At least that's my experience with it.

There's nothing wrong with putting the probe between the UTH and glass, but in my experience it makes the probe hard to retrieve or readjust position.

[The Serpent Merchant]

If you cover the probe it can creat a pocket where the temperature it higher. And if it is aluminum tape then the tape will act like a heat sink and can mess with the probes readings.

Ceramic heat emitters get way to hot for BP's and they absolutely kill humidity. If you are going to use a CHE it needs to at least be on a lamp dimmer.

That's why I suggest using an infrared bulb, they don't put out much light and stay at a more reasonable temperature.

Putting the probe between the UTH and glass makes it so the air temperature in the room doesn't effect the probes readings, but taped to the bottom is fine.