Need help setting up tub

[Manasha-Bogo]

So for those who may not know, I have two ball pythons. Both about 5 month old. One of them has been with our exotics vet since Friday. I'm supposed to be picking her up tomorrow in the evening but I'm having trouble with the tubs I've prepared. I started working on these Sunday night. The instructions seem easy enough (found on this forum) but I think I made a mistake.

The size of the heat mats I got might be too small. These are 16 qt tubs. And they have 4"x5" mats. One is exo-terra, the other is zoo med. I ended up having to go to 2 places to find these because the first place ran out. This is why they are different brands.

But anyway. I have a thermostat between the bottom of the tub and the mat (under the tub) and the temp reads 110 degrees F. But the ambient temp inside reads 77 degrees F. That's with the exoterra one. Not sure why so low. Maybe I made too many holes too. Our house is cold. 75f. And making as many holes as the instruction won't work. We have one room warmer than the rest of the house and I can keep them in there. That might help to vrun up the temps in the tubs.

So I have one huge worry. If the ma reaches 110 degrees F. and it is taped directly under the tub, then won't the snake get burned if he lays directly on top of this spot? I don't intend on using any substrate. Just paper towels.

Thanks!


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[Damzlfly]

You need a thermostat or rheostat to control that uth or it will cause a belly burn. You said u have a thermostat? Place the probe in the bin over the mat to properly control temps

[Inarikins]

The heat mat won't raise the ambient. Your thermometer probe should be over the hot spot and you need to adjust your thermostat until your thermometer reads the correct temperature. If the heat mats don't have the same wattage, you're going to need two thermostats or the same wattage heat mat. Otherwise you're going to get different temps. The mat should cover at least 1/3 but not more than 1/2 of the bottom of the tub to be able to provide a proper thermal gradient for the snakes.

77 is okay for an ambient. 78-80 is better, but 77 will be okay. The heat mat won't raise the ambient, you're going to need to use a warmer room or put a heater in the room with the tubs.

110 is a temp that would be expected out of an unregulated heat mat and a snake laying against that will be burned. You don't need to worry about either of your snakes being subjected to a burn after everything else you're dealing with.

[Mike41793]

Unplug those mats asap until you get a tstat for them. They need to be the same wattage otherwise you wont be able to plug both into a tstat.

[Manasha-Bogo]

You don't need to worry about either of your snakes being subjected to a burn after everything else you're dealing with.

Yea no kidding.

I mis-typed. I meant the therMOMETER is between the tub and the mat, not the thermostat. I don't have a thermostat yet. It was supposed to arrive tomorrow (a herpstat2) but I just looked and it turns out it won't be here till thursday. So I will either have to buy one after work, or leave my snake at the vets until Thursday.

The temperature in the tank is 85F with the light on, but that would put her back into where she was before... in a tank with the male. So I will find out how much more $$ it's going to cost to keep her at the vets another day and see what wins; the vet or a $40 thermostat (the one I saw at the *other* herp store today which will only control one tub).

[Manasha-Bogo]

Yea I think I was misunderstanding something and it just clicked in my head. I'm supposed to regulate the thermostat based in the temperature of the *mat*, not ambient temp. (duh) I knew mats do little for ambient temp, but that wasn't registering with me the last couple days.

Ok, I'm good now, thanx.


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[satomi325]

I would leave Manasha at the vet for an additional day to wait for the thermostat. Pet store thermostats can be 'iffy'. So I would pass on them.
Heat mats will not change ambient temperature, but your 77 ambient temp sounds fine. I would only worry if the temp drops below 75.
And an unregulated heat mat will skyrocket to dangerous temps, so thank goodness for thermostats!
Hope that Herpstat arrives soon.

You need a thermostat or rheostat to control that uth or it will cause a belly burn. You said u have a thermostat? Place the probe in the bin over the mat to properly control temps

Please don't put the probe in the bin. You risk damaging the probe with tub moisture, feces, and urine. Not to mention that any of these factors can mess the probe reading. Also the animal has the ability to move the probe as well, subjecting a temp change, which can be dangerous.

[Manasha-Bogo]

I would leave Manasha at the vet for an additional day to wait for the thermostat. Pet store thermostats can be 'iffy'. So I would pass on them.

Got it. I'll just wait to bring her home thursday.

Please don't put the probe in the bin.

Mine is under the plastic bin, between the mat and bin.