i like to put the probe inside of the hide on the hot side so that i know exactly what the temp is where nellie is actually laying and spending a lot of her time. i let the accurite sit for about an hour once i had everything in place and had the tank closed up to make absolutely sure everything was levelled out and the temps were steady where they were gonna stay before i adjusted things (unless of course the reading was way too high or low to start with). try the diy humid hide to raise humidity if you want it higher. that works wonders for me.