Some Basic ? on methods of heating, thermostats, thermometers, etc.

[Evenstar]

Hi-
Im pretty new to the group. (Brand new baby BP owner & first time snake owner) Ive Read a LOT of this forum + care sheets and VERY thankful for all the info. Just wondered if I could lay out a few things Straight forward to get your opinions and make sure I have it right.

Heating- We are currently using a UTH and Lights- we have a basking light for day and a "night light" for evening. Not sure either Light is necessary and maybe we should have CHE? (its a glass tank & kept in an upstairs bedroom- which stays warm and has bright sun - and of course the tank is not in direct sunlight thought

If the room is warm, you might not need a CHE and the lights are not necessary at all. They will simply suck out humidity and dry things up too much. Your UTH should be enough to heat the entire enclosure if properly regulated on its t-stat and if the room is warm. What is the room temp?? That will tell us if you do, in fact, need a CHE...

Thermostats- Ordering Hydro farm (thought this was ok for a person with one snake- 1 tank for now?)

A Hydrofarm is fine for one snake. But you can NOT put both the UTH and a CHE on the same one!! You would need 2 stats, one for each, or a dimmer for one of them which I do not recommend since it allows for too much fluxuation. Might be ok if your room temp is stable day and night. EVERY heat source must be regulated on a t-stat.

And you mention the Hydro is on order. What are you using now??? Please tell me your UTH is regulated somehow!

Thermometer- Accu-rite with probe- for temp & humidity (Can someone explain exactly how/where they place their probes again for best readings)

Place the probe under the substrate directly over the UTH. Place the base unit on the floor of the cage on the cool side. The indoor temp will be your cool side temp and the outside temp will be your hotspot temp.

Timers?? are these necessary for turning on & off lights, etc? I dont see much info on them here. but wondered about them for if we were a way for a night, etc.

Lights aren't necessary at all and will only distroy your humidity. Get rid of them.

Covers- its currently only open screen with lights on top. But im starting to feel/learn thats not enough & lights may be drying it out too much? Ive seen towels on top, tinfoil, plexi-glass....any favorites?

I like to cover my tank lid with wax paper and sealed around the edges with painters tape. Leave about a 1/2" gap along the back for ventilation. Works better than wet towels. Tinfoil and plexi will work too. If you're really struggling with humidity, you can wet a natural sponge and place it inside the tank. These are easy to rinse and re-wet.

THANKS for your patience with a New snake owner!
Lisa

Hope this all helps you! Congrats on your new baby! And welcome to the forums!