T8 temp issues

[lorrainesmom]

I put together my T8 a couple of days ago, and went to dial in the temps and humidity. I put in the cypress substrata, and that's when the problems started. First off, even though I know that one of the positive things about the T8 is that it holds in humidity, and how! The cypress was still damp from the bag, and when I put it in, the windows fogged up, and the humidity went to 99% and stayed there. For 2 days. I drilled a line of vent holes along the sides, and removed half the mulch. Hopefully that will help.

Then the temp issues. I have a Radiant Heat Panel from reptile basics, with a Hobby Stat Vivarium electronics thermostat probe. I have the probe set up on the opposite side of the tank from the heat panel. Radiant heat panel on warm side, probe on cool side. I also have an under tank heater on the warm side, a Zoo Med undertank heater, thermostat probe placed in the middle of the heater pad, the thermostat is some off name brand, but Ive used it in Lorraines old tank, and its worked well in the past.

Here's the issue. I cant get the temps up to the proper settings. Even with the Hobby Stat dialed up to 130, the warm side won't get past 80, and the cool side stays in the 70's.

I'm using a hand held heat probe, taking readings all over the tank. IS it possible that the Hobby Stat can be that far off? I have the probe sitting on the substrata against the wall on the cool side. The RHP is an 80 watt.

A question I have is could the substrata being still damp be one reason that the tank is not warming up? My hand-held probe is fairly accurate.

[spikell75]

I also am new to the t8 enclosure. I had to take out the cypress and replace it with reptibark much better product.
I have just the 80 watt radiant panel and I stay in the 80s


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[SKO]

First, you should let the Cypress dry out in a tub or something before you put it in. I had the same thing happen. You shouldn't need a UTH when you have a radiant heat panel. My living room gets down to 70 degrees and the RHPs are more than enough. The probe for your thermostat that controls the heat panel should be on the same side as the panel, half way between the floor and panel itself. You should have at the very least one digital thermometer/hygrometer on the cool side, but I have one on each end.

[SKO]

.

I'm using a hand held heat probe, taking readings all over the tank. IS it possible that the Hobby Stat can be that far off? I have the probe sitting on the substrata against the wall on the cool side. The RHP is an 80 watt.

.

It can be a bad thermostat too, but start by putting the probe on the hot side, dry that mulch out, and see what happens