Keeping a tub warm in a cool (ish) room

[TheBallPython]

Hello there! Looong time no see!

So, my girlfriend and I just went to the Maryland reptile show Saturday morning, just to browse, and well, she ended up leaving with a baby male ball... Afterwards, I helped her pick out everything for a tub set up, and that's really motivated me to switch over to a tub myself (been using a tank for 3 years and it's definitely a headache). However, I just read in another thread that, if you don't have really warm ambient temperature in the room already, a tub doesn't really work out so well? Is there no good way to increase the ambient temperature of a tub? Is just an UTH not sufficient? My house is usually kept around 70, so it's not 'cold', but it's not exactly warm, either. So, I imagine it'd need a little help. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thank you!
Brittney

[For Goodness Snakes]

If it makes sense, can you place the snake in your closet with the UTH and possibly a space heater. By placing the tub in the closet and keeping the door closed you will actually decrease the size of the area that you need to keep warm, closing the door to the closet will work as an insulator and hopefully help to increase the snake's ambient room temperature.

Let us know if this works for you.

Brian Gundy
For Goodness Snakes
408-981-6694
fgsnakes@sbcglobal.net

[Scottywelsh]

Don't do anything that could be a fire risk !! lol
Its easy. You can use an uth that's a bit bigger so it covers half the bottom of the tub and goes up the sides aswell so pretty much half the tub has a heat source.
If it's too cold you can use 2 uth. OneOne on the hot side to keep the temps about 32°c and then one on the cool side keeping the temps about 25°c . Will have to use 2 thermostats for that then thought.

[bcr229]

During the winter when my house dips below 70*F (I hate my heat pump) I cover my racks with a wool blanket. You could just put a towel or baby blanket over the tub.

[LittleTreeGuy]

I had my bp in a 15qt tub in a rack made from 1/2" pvc. In a room that was 68-70F, I had to put heat tape under the entire tub. I had one section to keep the cool side in the high 70's/low 80's and another section of heat tap to keep the warm side close to 90F. I also found that I needed a space heater about a foot away from the rack. It was in the corner of a large room in a very old house, which probably didn't help much.

Like the others have said, if you keep the tub in a smaller room, your chances for keeping it warmer are easier.

[Scottywelsh]

I think you may possible be over thinking it. My home made rack is in a around 20 - 22°c which is about 68 - 72°f if I'm not mistaken and having a heat Mat covering half the bottom and up both sides was more than enough for a 32 hot side and 25 cool side

[Coluber42]

Use a radiant heat panel (on a thermostat!). It makes even heat over a large area and doesn't get hot enough to burn anything. They're more expensive than some options, but definitely cheaper than running a space heater and much more convenient than a space heater in a closet. I'm able to keep a glass tank at a steady 82 degrees in a living room that gets down to 55 during the winter by using an RHP that covers most of the lid, and I just use a UTH for the hot spot. The RHP is on a thermostat, so when the room is warmer it is barely on at all. It's a more expensive initial investment, but then it pretty much just takes care of itself.

[HanabiraAsashi]

Use a radiant heat panel (on a thermostat!). It makes even heat over a large area and doesn't get hot enough to burn anything. They're more expensive than some options, but definitely cheaper than running a space heater and much more convenient than a space heater in a closet. I'm able to keep a glass tank at a steady 82 degrees in a living room that gets down to 55 during the winter by using an RHP that covers most of the lid, and I just use a UTH for the hot spot. The RHP is on a thermostat, so when the room is warmer it is barely on at all. It's a more expensive initial investment, but then it pretty much just takes care of itself.

Totally agree. I have a 40 gallon tank with a RHP (the 40 watt) bolted into plexiglass that covers about 95% of the lid. I use tape to cover up the small amount of space not covered by the plastic, and i open/close the tape depending on my humidity needs. In the winter the room gets down to 65 or so degrees, the RHP takes a little time to warm it up to my preferred 80 degrees, then it runs at 10% power to maintain. In the summer, the room is about 82 degrees and it isnt on at all, but if i got overboard with the AC, the panel will kick in.

I honestly have no idea how people have heat/humidity issues with glass tanks.

[Scottywelsh]

I use RHPs in my wooden vivs and they get very hot !
Mine are 75w habistat RHPs , when on full they reach 190°c or more. when settled there alot less hot yes but still more than hot enough to to burn any snake

[HanabiraAsashi]

I have the 40 watt and it gets to 140.. sure it can burn a snake, but what kind of acrobat snake would be able to hold itself in the center of the ceiling of the tank long enough to be burned. Also, if you are using it on a dimming mode thermostat, the panel should rarely be at full power.