advice please im new here hi

[ramonette]

hi im new so hi everyone, I need some advice please as im getting worried! I got my 6 mth approx. old ball 18 days ago now got her, iv got a heat mat and a 60 watt day lamp and a 100 watt red night light, I get the cool area to 77f around and about give or take it varies. the ambient is atm 84.7f im in uk btw, but the hot side hide with heat mat on goes up to a101f which is clearly too hot. so I tried with the h.mat off with just the day lamp but then the ambient drops to much to 79 and 81f I just cant get it right. she hasn't fed since I got her she had a feed 19 days ago the day bfr she arrived. since then I tried her a week later but she wasn't intrested then again 4 days later and no not a incline. I left her alone for a week when she arrived and shes now being handled but I think shes coming into shed shes gone dull but her eyes same. a lot of queries iv got guys the heat mainly so if anyone can shed any light on it id be gratefull as im 1 worried new mommy........thanks in advance

[Masonic]

Do you have the heat mat hooked up to a thermostat?

[ramonette]

no iv not got 1 the guy I got her off came and said im ok without 1 iv got two digital thermonitors

[KMG]

The uth needs a thermostat. That will keep the hot spot in check. To be clear the uth does very little to aid the ambient temps. Are you measuring the hide with a probe thermometer?

Ambient temps of 77-82 is great.

[ramonette]

yes a probe

[ramonette]

is the ambient now at night 84.7 ok? she wont go in the hot side hide...... iv contacted the guy he said just keep trying to feed her and temp are ok but I cant help worrying. thermostats seem so expensive

[KMG]

A tstat is cheaper than vet bills.

If the probe shows a temp of 101 on top of the substrate that means the bottom of the cage is cooking.

An ambient of 85 is fine on the warm side and having that I would unplug the uth because having it unregulated presents a danger to the snake. A burn can cost you a lot in vet bills or even cause the snakes death if bad enough.

[ramonette]

ok thanks we v unplugged the mat the temp drops too much. I have he white light during the day and red night is that right? I had corns before so this is new to me!

[KMG]

The uth does NOT heat the air so it is NOT helping your ambient temps. With the thermometer probe laying on the substrate you are NOT measuring the ambient temps, you are measuring the surface temp over the uth. If that is getting over 100F it means the floor of the tank is probably at a dangerous temp. If the snake burrows, which they can and will do, it can be burned.

What size tank are you using?
What is the room temp where the tank is?

I have a 40 gallon tank is a room that stays 68F. I have to use a 100w che and a 60w bulb 24/7 to keep my ambient temps correct. You may need to use both lights depending on the tank size and the temp of the room. Until you get a tstat the uth should not be used.

You need to figure out what the actual temps are on each side of the tank before we really know what needs to be changed. Unplug the uth and move the probe to a position where we can find the real temps of the tank. It is best to measure the temp an inch or two from the substrate to see what the temp is in the zone your snake stays in.