Newbie beyond frustrated with heat/humidity problems

[Slim]

Switch over to a PVC enclosure or a tub set up. Solves all your problems.

[CobraCatcher]

Thanks for the info, I've just spent the last 1/2 hour looking over several threads about PVC/T8's. I have a lot of reading/learning to do, but so far this is a very appealing solution.

[Marrissa]

Yep I went with AP T8 divided in half (room for another ball right eh eh *nudges*). With the PVC enclosures you can put a radiant heat panel for ambient temp. This is at least until you inevitably switch over to tubs and rack systems and a heated room. It's a disease I tell you.

[Phantomtip]

The probes for your thermometer need to be under the substrate on your uth. Not hanging in the air. You'll only read ambient temp right now. Oh yeah toss those analog gages in the trash. I just got another temp/ humidity gage with probe for $12.25 at Walmart. I needed another for snake number 4. I calibrate them in a glass of ice water.

[CobraCatcher]

Yep I went with AP T8 divided in half (room for another ball right eh eh *nudges*). With the PVC enclosures you can put a radiant heat panel for ambient temp. This is at least until you inevitably switch over to tubs and rack systems and a heated room. It's a disease I tell you.

The first thing my son said when he saw the optional divider was that he could get another snake.
I said let's get this one under control first.

The probes for your thermometer need to be under the substrate on your uth. Not hanging in the air. You'll only read ambient temp right now. Oh yeah toss those analog gages in the trash. I just got another temp/ humidity gage with probe for $12.25 at Walmart. I needed another for snake number 4. I calibrate them in a glass of ice water.

The probe that you see on the left of the pic is for ambient temp. We do have one under the substrate for the uth. The hydrometer is also digital. When we bought the kit, the salesperson said to avoid the analogs.
So essentially we have a Walmart one, it's just in three separate parts.

[CobraCatcher]

Just to update/follow up (I hate when someone comes to a forum asking for help about a particular problem, but never follows up with the result), everything seems to be coming around.

We we're able to keep the humidity around 70% and the temps between 81 and 84 most of the day by:
Moving the heat lamp more to the left side of the tank rather than centered.
Using a 75 watt infrared spot bulb with aluminum foil over most of the screened lid (left about 1.5" open on the far right side)
Used a wet towel under the foil covering 50% of the screened lid.
Used 2 damp paper towels in the middle of the tank on the bedding.

We did an hour soak this afternoon to help with her stuck shed as described in the 'Bad Shed? No Problem' sticky.
Thanks to that, we have a fully shed and happy snake.

After the soak/shed we removed the upper towel, the 2 paper towels, and installed a dimmer on the heat lamp as the temp started to creep up towards 86.
Just now, I checked the tank, 81 cool side temp, humidity at 47% (may mist the bedding before we go to bed to bump it up a bit) and Rosy is starting to make her way onto the top of the cool side hide to hang out.

So, until the next crisis, thanks for the help and tips everyone.

[CloudtheBoa]

Thanks everybody. What a process this is.


I put in what the kit directions recommended, about 1.5 to 2" of bedding. Now that I know how dangerous the UTH can be to a snake, I'm glad we did that. Under the hot side hide, it's compressed down to about an 1". The temp gun is giving me readings ranging from 85 to 92 degrees on the compressed bedding surface. When the thermostat arrives, I will be thinning that area down to half to 3/4".



We are trying a different location for the heat lamp, over to the left side of the tank, and over the cool hide, we're hoping that it won't dry out the center so fast. The Pet store was all out of 100 watt infrared heat bulbs, so we could only grab a 75 watt one. I doubt that it will provide the needed amount of heat, but we're hoping....
I'm going to try the Eco Earth after her shed is over, that way we don't have to worry about pieces of scales laying around in the fresh bedding. That also allows me time to try out a couple of other ideas with our existing set up.
What are the chances of over wetting the Eco Earth and causing scale/belly problems to the snake?

My son would really like to make the tank work, as he likes the looks of the tank, and allows him to watch her as she moves about. But, I won't rule out a tub if I run out of ideas.

Sorry for the late response, but I haven't been going on many of the websites I usually frequent as much lately. It's pretty easy to over-wet it, but with the bulb it shouldn't be too long for it to dry out. Just leave it open a bit for a little while to let more humidity escape. After awhile, you'll be able to gauge what's enough and not enough. As long as it doesn't stay wet consistently, it shouldn't hurt anything.