Potentially Dumb Thermometer Questions

[Heeltoeclutch]

Hi guys and girls,

This is potentially a stupid question but I have been unable to find a definitive answer, both in the stickied threads on how to set up tanks and just searching the forum.

Lots of people use the Acurite indoor/outdoor thermometers with the probe to get an idea of ambient+surface temperature. Do most people take their temps, adjust their thermostats, and then take the thermometers out? In one of the stickied threads it did not mention removing the thermometer before placing the snake inside. But having a floating probe in the substrate does not seem safe.

I’d like to have a live feed 24/7 of my temps in the cage just so I can, at a glance, see if anything is wrong - a Tstat has failed open, a UTH or piece of heat tape has failed, etc. I’m not sure what a good way to achieve this would be, as taping the probe in the cage is a bad idea and anywhere outside the cage will not be accurate. I know additional options are an infrared temp gun, measuring each night or just using the AcuRite every so often… But I’d like to have a constant feed.

…Additionally, does anyone know of a way to monitor humidity + heat and have it log to a computer without spending millions? I think it’d be nice to be able to look at the temp vs. time when the house is at different temperatures at different times of the day and also how stable humidity is/how fast it is dropping off.

So:

1. Thermometers left in cage?
2. If not, ways to monitor temp constantly?
3. Computer logging interface?

Thanks everyone!

[Zephyr]

I leave my probes for the hydrometer and thermometers inside the cage. It's not unsafe for your snake since it's not going to chew on the wires. Mine come with suction cups to adhere to the glass so they don't move around much, and you can buy suction cups for others too. You can also cover the wires of the probes with substrate.

Thermostats should keep heat between a certain range regardless of your day/night ambient temperatures in your house, and they don't fail often I don't think.

[ajmreptiles]

when i used a terrarium i had thermometers on both sides of the cage and a hydrometer in the middle to monitor ambient humidity.
since I switched to a rack system as i acquired more animals i just temp gun various spots.
as far as computer program, I don't know if one exists that does that. I'm sure there are people out there who have made spread sheets on excel for that purpose at one point in time for that reason.

[Heeltoeclutch]

I leave my probes for the hydrometer and thermometers inside the cage. It's not unsafe for your snake since it's not going to chew on the wires. Mine come with suction cups to adhere to the glass so they don't move around much, and you can buy suction cups for others too. You can also cover the wires of the probes with substrate.

Thermostats should keep heat between a certain range regardless of your day/night ambient temperatures in your house, and they don't fail often I don't think.

Thanks for replying Zephyr - I think that's interesting as the Tstat probe cannot be placed in the tank due to the no-tape rule, and I didn't think about suction cups. Even if the thermometer probe is placed on the floor beneath the substrate, I'd think the snake could get tangled in the wires and eventually knock stuff over or get frustrated?

[thejennabird]

Check out this really interesting post about hooking up a temp monitoring system to a Raspberry Pi (minimalist, single-board computer) for under $120 total.

Like others have said, I leave my Accurite in the tub. I hot glued the wired probe to the bottom above the UTH so it doesn't get moved around. Gloria still likes to flip and sit on top of the main box, though. When I get a PVC enclosure I'll find a more permanent way of keeping the main body upright.

Edit: Also, because I have a tub, I soldered holes and ran the Accurite probe wire outside the tub so she can't get tangled in them.

[Zephyr]

Thanks for replying Zephyr - I think that's interesting as the Tstat probe cannot be placed in the tank due to the no-tape rule, and I didn't think about suction cups. Even if the thermometer probe is placed on the floor beneath the substrate, I'd think the snake could get tangled in the wires and eventually knock stuff over or get frustrated?

I don't think snakes can get tangled in thermometer wires, they're made to be put in reptile cages. The probes are flexible but don't really wrap around stuff so I don't see how a snake can get in a situation where it can't just crawl out.

[ARBallMorphs]

I have an topic related question.

i have 3 thermo meters.

1 thermometer of the thermostat.
1 little thermometer with 2 probs.
1 temp gun

When i check the tempratures in all 3 machines ( even the 2 probes of the little thermometer) give a different temp.

At at first when i didnt have the temp gun i just took the average of the 3 probes and took that as the actual temprature, but now i also have a temp gun who gives me another different temp. I am not sure what thermometer to believe. Any one that can tell what i need to do to know what thermometer is right?

[Zephyr]

I have an topic related question.

i have 3 thermo meters.

1 thermometer of the thermostat.
1 little thermometer with 2 probs.
1 temp gun

When i check the tempratures in all 3 machines ( even the 2 probes of the little thermometer) give a different temp.

At at first when i didnt have the temp gun i just took the average of the 3 probes and took that as the actual temprature, but now i also have a temp gun who gives me another different temp. I am not sure what thermometer to believe. Any one that can tell what i need to do to know what thermometer is right?

Test them all on boiling/freezing water? Water boils at 100 deg C (212 F) and ice water is about 39 deg F.

[Heeltoeclutch]

Check out this really interesting post about hooking up a temp monitoring system to a Raspberry Pi (minimalist, single-board computer) for under $120 total.

Like others have said, I leave my Accurite in the tub. I hot glued the wired probe to the bottom above the UTH so it doesn't get moved around. Gloria still likes to flip and sit on top of the main box, though. When I get a PVC enclosure I'll find a more permanent way of keeping the main body upright.

Edit: Also, because I have a tub, I soldered holes and ran the Accurite probe wire outside the tub so she can't get tangled in them.

Very interesting - thanks for the link. I've toyed with the idea of getting a Pi but I know so little about coding...

He says he uses USB probes in that post... I wonder about their accuracy. At work I have seen a 35 deg Celsius difference between an infrared gun and industrial test-grade thermocouples... Makes me scared of those temp guns. These were at much higher temps though.

I don't think snakes can get tangled in thermometer wires, they're made to be put in reptile cages. The probes are flexible but don't really wrap around stuff so I don't see how a snake can get in a situation where it can't just crawl out.

Interesting. I may just a hot glue trail.

So the thermo probes/connections don't mind being peed/poo'd on? I suppose that makes sense as it just measures the wire's resistance to get temp... but still people advise agaisnt putting Tstat probes in for that reason.

[ARBallMorphs]

Test them all on boiling/freezing water? Water boils at 100 deg C (212 F) and ice water is about 39 deg F.

duh, why haven't i thought about the boiling water.. stupid me.

ok thx alot