UTH + thermostat won't get hot enough

[Coluber42]

You can also try insulating the tank. Wrap it with towels/blankets, cover the top with a towel. If you have some sort of foam around, or even bubble wrap, that might help. Smaller heat sources are better at heating if the heat they produce doesn't escape. That may or may not make enough of a difference, but it's worth a try.

[Jesi]

You can also try insulating the tank. Wrap it with towels/blankets, cover the top with a towel. If you have some sort of foam around, or even bubble wrap, that might help. Smaller heat sources are better at heating if the heat they produce doesn't escape. That may or may not make enough of a difference, but it's worth a try.

I actually put a thick blanket around it at one point which helped. I'll get some real insulation for winter.

I ended up moving the UTH to the bottom of the tank and setting up the probe properly. I managed not to break it while peeling it off and the temperatures are definitely better.

[Yzmasmom]

You mentioned wanting the thermometer probe where the snake will be, so you put it on the substrate. He's going to burrow. I had originally said the same about mine and then she burrowed, lol. So, the thermometer probe is on the glass under the substrate. Even with an uth under the tank and a thermostat set to 91, my glass where the snake lays only gets to 86-88, so I also use an ambient night light heat light over her hot hut and then the thermometer will read 89-91. (I'm hesitant to set my thermostat any higher incase for some reason it really does heat up. And, the light is black, so it doesn't bother her at all. Since its an ambient heat bulb, it's not putting out crazy heat. Just enough to warm up her hot hut to 90.) I also use the same type of bulb on the cool side to keep her between 79 - 81. So in theory, she should have a really nice thermal gradient of ambient air and resting spots. She eats well and sheds, so I think she's happy.

She makes me laugh, because her hot hut can read 90 and as soon as she goes in and lays her cold blooded body on the probe, it reads 86. I always know when her big snake butt is sitting on the probe in the hot hut! She's colder than the air, so she makes the thermometer reading drop. Little goose.