Setup Tips - Heating?

[cayley]

I'm trying to regulate the temperature in my setup before I bring my BP home, but it seems to be consistently in the low 70s C (measuring with an exo-terra thermometer attached to the outside of the HOT SIDE of the bin). Have any tips? Here is my (temporary) setup.

http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/faunarium.php

PT2310

460 x 300 x 170 mm

18” x 12” x 6 1/2”

(I've covered the top with towels and I also taped down some paper over half of it so that air wouldn't slip through the ventilation. Sooooo many vents X___x)

Then I just have a normal hide, water dish, and I'm using paper towel as substrate. I have the heating pad attached underneath the hide, and when I touch the hide it seems warm.

The heat pad I'm using is a Repti-Therm UTH. I was excited and anxious and sort of grabbed the first one I saw... ;____;

em Number: RH-7

Size: Mini

Dimension: 4" x 5" (10 x 13 cm)

Wattage: 4 w

Gal Size: 1-5

SoOOOO I'm pretty sure I need another heater, but I'm wondering if I should just trash this one and get a new, bigger one, or if I could add a second small one, or what I should do?? D: Also, I've read a bit and everyone is recommending the digital thermometers instead, I believe what was said was that the stick-on meters may simply be reading the plastic walls instead of the heat inside?

Also, is there a fix I could use for one night while I wait to go get the new heat pad, like turning the heat on in my house?

Sorry if these questions are redundant.

[CALM Pythons]

Ok I might be missing something but if you are using a UTH the ambiant air doesn't change, your just making a Hot Spot of 88-91 for your snakes basking.. And you said your getting 70c. That would equal 150 F???
Do you have a thermostat to control the UTH? Your thermometer goes inside ontop of your "Hot Spot" so you can regulate it with the thermostat.

[cayley]

Sorry! I meant 70F. I don't have a thermostat but I will add it to my list.

But in order to raise the heat, do you suggest that I buy a larger (hotter) heating pad to replace this one, or is there something that I could add to the setup instead? Thanks.

[CALM Pythons]

Look at this so you understand how a thermostat and thermometer probe are used in a setup.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-With-Pictures!

It cant be 70.. The UTH's go up to 130 without a dimmer or a thermostat.. Your measuring something wrong.

[CALM Pythons]

Put your thermometer probe inside on the Floor of the enclosure above the heat mat.. Thats what you want to know, how hot the plastic floor is where the snake lays above the UTH.
Your going to have a hard time using that enclosure.. You'll have to try and drill a hole in the side to run the probe under the UTH above the substrate.

PS- if you touch the UTH and you say it feels warm them its not 70F. Your body is 98 so if the UTH feels warm to your 98 degree body then its sure over 100.

[cayley]

[cayley]

Yeah the pet store guy said I would be good with what I have, he even said he had pythons before and the store was a reptile/aquarium specialty store, but I read topics on here that seemed to say I was really off. ;___; I really wanted to avoid DIYing anything because I'm really wimpy with tools. I picked this one because it seemed like the best sized plastic enclosure they had. Ai ai ai frustrating. I guess I'm gonna be on the lookout for a heat probe and thermostat asap..

[CALM Pythons]

My last Ball hatchling grew from 14" to 23" in 2 months. I would have gone with a used $20 Glass terrarium myself.. That guy will sell you anything, thats how he makes money. From now on read what people say that are like yourself, not a sales pitch.
You can put a hatchling in there but that isnt enough room for Cricket hahahaha. The snake will push everything all over.
What you need before a Snake Period is a Dimmer on that UTH. You have to get the Basking spot down to 88-91 or you'll kill the snake. If you cant afford a Tstat get a Dimmer at lowes for $15.

https://m.lowes.com/pd/Lutron-Creden...Dimmer/4462387

[tttaylorrr]

ALL sources of heat MUST be regulated!!! ditch those horribly inaccurate temp/humidity gauges and get a digital one to place INSIDE the enclosure; this one is from amazon and can also be found at walmart. in addition, look into laser temp guns to get accurate readings on the floor above the heat pad.

[cayley]

I think I'm gonna go the thermostat route just because where I live we've been getting snow followed by t-shirt weather followed by snow. But also I checked the inside on the floor of the terrarium (on top of substrate, in hide, over heating pad) and its reading 80 on the junky thermometer (which I'll replace). Is there a way it could be under heating or is it just the ambient air?