Will my heat lamp make my UTH hotter than it needs to be?

[KingNoFace]

I recently had an emergency where my bulb burnt out. So I installed a UTH and got a new bulb from the pet store. I believe my old bulb was 60w and I grabbed a 50w this time, in hopes that it would do the trick. However, my 50w seems to be not strong enough to keep the ambient temp/basking spot where I want it to be. At night the temp ontop of the substrate where the UTH is gets to be around 83°, but when I woke up this morning it was measuring around 88°. Is this too warm? I already know my 50w is too small to keep my 40-50 gallon tank heated at where I want it, and Everything I read is telling me a 75w bulb is what I need, but I dont want my UTH getting too hot, as it is a pain to remove, and In a hurry I stuck it in the only open spot I had which was near the basking spot. I have thought about moving the hides and everything in his cage to seperate the UTH and Heat lamp. But I dont want to stress him out for no reason. So basically im asking: do I return the 50w for a 75? And will it increase the temp of my UTH.

Any info would be great, thanks.

[KMG]

First I don't think it is fair to the store to return a used bulb just because you want a larger one. Keep it as a spare. You should always have at least one spare bulb so you never have an issue like you just did. I always had more than one to be safe.

Are we dealing with a Ball Python? You said "basking spot." A BP needs a warm hide more than a basking spot. This can be accomplished by simply placing a hide under the lamp. You still want to know the actual surface temps you are creating and a IR temp gun is the best tool for that.

As for the uth, is it on a thermostat? If not, UNPLUG IT NOW. It can serious harm your snake without being regulated. Also the substrate over a uth should be very thin. I only use a 1/4 inch and the surface temp should be measured on the actual cage floor directly over the uth so you know what the highest temp the snake can reach is. They can and have burrowed down to them.

As to needing a larger bulb I cant really guess for you. In my old place my BP tank was in a room that stayed 68 or lower. I had a 100watt che, 60watt bulb, and a uth to keep the temps right in my 40 gal tank. Depending on your room temps you may need less or the same kind of setup. That is something you have to figure out.

As for the temps the air temp can be 75-82F and a hotspot in the area of 88-92 in recommended. Some keepers use a 95F hotspot but I see no reason for it as a 90 works perfect. Like I already mentioned getting an IR temp gun will make figuring all of this out much easier for you. They can be had cheap on Amazon.

[KingNoFace]

Money is an issue for me right now. Thats the only reason im returning it. Right now even in my "basking" spot (which is directly ontop of the warm hide) its not even pushing 88°, because the light is just too small I guess. The most I got was like 83-84. As for the UTH, im on my way to buy a thermostat atm. To regulate both temps of my light and my UTH. What is the reccommended hot spot temp for a BP? and what should the UTH be at? but yeah, I forgot to mention its a BP. I figured posting the question in "BP husbandry" would have solved that problem thanks for your hellp.

[KMG]

I listed both temps ranges above.

You are buying a thermostat for the lamp and uth? They will each need their own.

If money is an issue I still don't see it as right to return the bulb but Im not you. To save some money Id put the bulb on a dimmer. Bout $12 bucks at the hardware store.

Any tstat you find local is not going to be great. They may be cheap but they are not going to last for the life of the snake. After having an El Cheapo tstat fail on me I will no longer suggest them and only push Herpstat.

http://spyderrobotics.com/

What are you measuring the temps with? As in, what kind of thermometer? A regular thermometer or even a probed model will not give accurate readings for surface temps. An IR temp gun is the only way to go for that.

Snakes can be a very expensive initial investment. Then it only goes up as you add more snakes. Many people do not do the proper research and can get over their head quickly.

[KingNoFace]

Thanks for the Input

[BPGator]

I use 40/50W bulbs to increase the ambient temp for my Garter snakes. Anything higher wattage is too hot for my use. They have a UTH on the same side of the bulb. The UTH is on a Jumpstart thermostat (about $30 on Amazon).

Get your UTH on a thermostat and the temp on the inside of your tank under your substrate should not exceed 90°F. If the bulb is generating surface temps of 88F that's fine - I wouldn't go higher.


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[BPGator]

I didn't ask - what's the temperature in your room? If it's above 75, I wouldn't even bother with the bulb and just use the regulated UTH.


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[KingNoFace]

I live in Canada and my house is very drafty in the upstairs due to low insulation. Currently my house sits at 72-74 degrees but it can get pretty cold at night, especially when my room the snake is in has two massive windows. my ambient temps are really taking a beating, I have my BP in a relatively large enclosure (40 gallons) and the 75W doesnt really get the ambient temps around where I want them (they sit at about 78 with a basking spot of around 92). So I was thinking of getting a bigger UTH to cover most of the hot side of the enclosure, because I didnt realize that UTH's are for raising ambient temp, so I only bought a small mini UTH for a 5 gallon or less tank. I was hoping with a larger UTH I can keep the substrate at around 80, and have a basking spot of around 92-94. I think this setup sounds ideal. do you have any opinions?

[BPGator]

You don't need a "basking" spot as KMG was alluding to. If the bulb is bumping your ambient to 78F that sounds fine to me. The UTH will provide the heat your snake needs. It will burrow down and absorb the heat from the UTH. I don't know how much heat a UTH for a 5 gal gives. You should get an appropriately sized UTH and regulate it with a thermostat. Also - if the bulb is strictly for heat, look into a CHE on a dimmer. It will last much longer than a bulb and provide the heat you're looking for.


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[KingNoFace]

I was hoping the UTH would provide the extra "oomph" to my ambient temp. if that happens, then my 75w is perfect, I might put another light on the cool side of the cage just to make sure its not too cold over there, as well. I'm going to the pet store tomorrow to pick up a thermostat so i can regulate it properly. Also hoping to pick up a bigger UTH. Do you use a uth? what temps do you keep it at?