Problem, need help

[lX V1P3R Xl]

Need veteran advice here!!!! My BP is recovering from an RI and she is currently not in my possession. On wednesday I should get her back and I am extremely excited because I have missed her so much, no exaggeration. I didn't realize how much it would bother me that she was away. Anyway, while she was recovering in someone else's care, I had had to move for school. Before I moved in, I had checked the large appartment building (many renters) out and the current renter told me that the heat was electric so we would control our own heat and he has had no issues at all. The place was about 69 degrees at the time and he said he has never had to turn on the heater once. He then showed me his electric bill for something like $20 to prove it. Now that I have moved in, I found out that the landlord is the one who actually controls the heat because it was water heat, not electric, like the renter had said. The average temp in the room is 67-70 degrees. I went and bought 3 portable heaters and heated the room to about 78 degrees. I also duct taped the windows and anywhere else I felt a cold draft coming in. Then I left for a few hours and when I came back and it was at 68 again. I am extremely worried about this ambient temp. I'd be worried even if she WASN'T recovering from an RI, that just makes things even worse. Now, all that being said is there ANY way I can sub the ambient temp with a infrared lamp? Basically, her warm hide would be at 90-92 (because of the RI recovery) and then her "ambient" cold side temp would be whatever the lamp gets it too? Is that ok? If not, what should I do?!?

[cmack91]

Whats your setup like?

What size cage, whats it made of, what heat sources you are using, how your measuring them etc. Knowing these things would help alot. A picture would help too.

[lX V1P3R Xl]

I have no way to get a picture up unfortunately. I have a 20gal long cage with a heating pad on the warm side. Then the accurite thermometer with one on the hot and one on the cold side. Also of course the thermostat regulating the UTH. So basically the classic setup. At home I kept my room at about 80 degrees so the ambient temp would be the same. Now with the freezing temps and the poor window insulation of my new appartment the temp stays at 69 degrees. If I heat up the room with heaters, the highest it gets to is 77-78 and as soon as I shut it off, the temp drops 3 degrees within 15 minutes. I need a way to get the ambient temp up so I was wondering if I can put a heat lamp on the cold side and raise/lower it until it shows about 80 degrees.

[cmack91]

Yeah that would work, I would probably use two actually since the tanks are so long. You will run into the normal humidity problems this way though.

[MrLang]

Where is the thermostat for the heat? It sounds like you're returning to 69 because the heat cuts out when the heaters raise the temps. You need to raise the temp of an area that wont affect the reading that the thermostat gets.

You can also get those plastic sheet insulating kits for the windows. I use those in my herp room and they do wonders. I keep the thermostat for the house at 69 and the herp room gets to 73 alone just with the windows plastic'd.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Generally speaking if you have 1 enclosure and your ambient temps is below healthy range the best option is to have a heat pad and a thermostat on each side.

This way you can provide a cooler end around 78/80 and a warmer end around 88/90.

This solution is the most efficient way with only one snake, now if you had multiple animals and a dedicated herp room a oil filled heater would be the best option.

Heat lamp work but it will dry out your enclosure and since glass tank do not hold humidity this might not be the best solution for you.

[lX V1P3R Xl]

Generally speaking if you have 1 enclosure and your ambient temps is below healthy range the best option is to have a heat pad and a thermostat on each side.

This way you can provide a cooler end around 78/80 and a warmer end around 88/90.

This solution is the most efficient way with only one snake, now if you had multiple animals and a dedicated herp room a oil filled heater would be the best option.

Heat lamp work but it will dry out your enclosure and since glass tank do not hold humidity this might not be the best solution for you.

If I get another heat pad, it doesn't matter that the ambient temp would still be around 70 as long as the heat pad was set to around 80?

[Stewart_Reptiles]

If I get another heat pad, it doesn't matter that the ambient temp would still be around 70 as long as the heat pad was set to around 80?

It would not matter, the cooler end for you snake would be provided by the heat pad.

[sorraia]

You can also get those plastic sheet insulating kits for the windows. I use those in my herp room and they do wonders. I keep the thermostat for the house at 69 and the herp room gets to 73 alone just with the windows plastic'd.

I second the plastic sheet insulating kits for the windows. We did this to our single pane glass windows this year (some of these windows are probably as old as the house itself, over 70 years), and have noticed a huge difference. The plastic has really cut down on the biting chill cold that comes through the glass and any cracks in the sills that we can't see or can't weatherstrip.

[lX V1P3R Xl]

Ok sounds good. I'll get another heat pad and then see what I can do about getting some wraps for the windows. Thanks