New Ball Python Owner - Issues with Temperature

[Kevin8998]

Hi everyone,

I am going to buy my first ball python (for my son) today, and I have been trying to set up his terrarium for the last few days and get all the temps right, but I'm having a little trouble getting it perfect. Here are the details:

The tank is a glass exo terra terrarium 36x18x12 so roughly 33 gallons from what I can tell. The substrate is "Forest Floor" and I have about 1 inch think of it down. I have the two hide boxes and a bunch of decorations. For heating I initially just had a UTH rated for 30-40 gallon tanks, but that wasn't bringing it too temp even with it set at it's max temp via the thermostat I have (108), so yesterday I purchased a heat lamp "reflector dome" with a red heat bulb 50w. With that on top on the hot side of the tank the temps are reading about 88 hot side and 74 on the cold side.

From what I have read that's a little under what it should be. So now my question is, should I return the lamp to maybe buy a bigger one with a 100w bulb or is there another solution to this issue? Any help would be appreciated, as I said I'm new to all this, but I have done tons of research over the last month.

I can post a picture if one is needed. I am reading the temps from a "zoo med" dual thermometer and hydrometer, one on each side. I know these can be highly unreliable, so now I'm wondering if maybe the reading is wrong, but I can feel that the cool side substrate does feel pretty cool to the touch. They are stickied to the back wall about 6 inches above the bottom of the tank. I wanted to maybe buy a better thermometer, but I am having issues finding anything better at local stores. Oh, and the temp in the house is usually around 74-80 where the tank is.

Please let me know if any additional info is needed and thanks again for any help.

[RickyNY]

Don't buy the snake today.
You did not mention humidity. Do you have a hygrometer? It should be 50-60% humidity. A lamp will kill your humidity. You need belly heat, so the uth is good to keep and is good you are regulating it with a thermostat. You should be reading the temp on the glass floor, not on top of the "forest floor". It could very well be 108f down there and the snake will get severe burns if she burrows (and she will).

[tttaylorrr]

Hi everyone,

I am going to buy my first ball python (for my son) today, and I have been trying to set up his terrarium for the last few days and get all the temps right, but I'm having a little trouble getting it perfect. Here are the details:

The tank is a glass exo terra terrarium 36x18x12 so roughly 33 gallons from what I can tell. The substrate is "Forest Floor" and I have about 1 inch think of it down. I have the two hide boxes and a bunch of decorations. For heating I initially just had a UTH rated for 30-40 gallon tanks, but that wasn't bringing it too temp even with it set at it's max temp via the thermostat I have (108), so yesterday I purchased a heat lamp "reflector dome" with a red heat bulb 50w. With that on top on the hot side of the tank the temps are reading about 88 hot side and 74 on the cold side.

From what I have read that's a little under what it should be. So now my question is, should I return the lamp to maybe buy a bigger one with a 100w bulb or is there another solution to this issue? Any help would be appreciated, as I said I'm new to all this, but I have done tons of research over the last month.

I can post a picture if one is needed. I am reading the temps from a "zoo med" dual thermometer and hydrometer, one on each side. I know these can be highly unreliable, so now I'm wondering if maybe the reading is wrong, but I can feel that the cool side substrate does feel pretty cool to the touch. They are stickied to the back wall about 6 inches above the bottom of the tank. I wanted to maybe buy a better thermometer, but I am having issues finding anything better at local stores. Oh, and the temp in the house is usually around 74-80 where the tank is.

Please let me know if any additional info is needed and thanks again for any help.

welcome! here's what i've gathered from you post:

first: pictures always help! feel free to post your setup.

okay, get a reliable digital thermometer/hygrometer. i can almost guarantee the ones you have are giving inaccurate readings. this should be step 1.

a UTH does not heat ambient (air) temperatures, it is only meant to provide belly heat. what type of thermostat are you using brand-wise? jc.

return the bulb+dome and get a 100 watt CHE (ceramic heat emitter); you'll need a dome with a CERAMIC socket for the CHE bulb. beeps don't like light and a CHE does not give off any light as opposed to the bulb. you'll need to have an ambient heat source if the room is consistently 75° and below.

also, if you can, get an IR temp gun. this will save you so many headaches in the future.


YOU'RE A COOL PARENT!!!

[tttaylorrr]

Don't buy the snake today.
You did not mention humidity. Do you have a hygrometer? It should be 50-60% humidity. A lamp will kill your humidity. You need belly heat, so the uth is good to keep and is good you are regulating it with a thermostat. You should be reading the temp on the glass floor, not on top of the "forest floor". It could very well be 108f down there and the snake will get severe burns if she burrows (and she will).

x2 don't get the snake today. you need to dial in your husbandry before anything.

all the info Ricky provided is important to note as well.

[Kevin8998]

Don't buy the snake today.
You did not mention humidity. Do you have a hygrometer? It should be 50-60% humidity. A lamp will kill your humidity. You need belly heat, so the uth is good to keep and is good you are regulating it with a thermostat. You should be reading the temp on the glass floor, not on top of the "forest floor". It could very well be 108f down there and the snake will get severe burns if she burrows (and she will).

I have a hygrometer too and that is showing about 50-60 on each side consistently so I am not worried about the humidity that seems fine. I have seen it go up or drop a little but it always corrects itself so that seems good.

Well the probe for the UTH thermometer is under the substrate so that's what is set at 108 right now so the glass floor is probably about that temp, but I only raised it that high to make the tank heat up which is still not working so I can lower that temp if I need to supplement it with a bigger lamp....

As for measuring the temp of the actual floor of the substrate, I don't know how I can accurately do that...

[RickyNY]

Buy a temp gun, mine was $17 off eBay. Get rid of the zoo med therm/hygrometer and buy a acurite digital thermometer/hygrometer with a probe.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Etekcity-Las...72.m2749.l2649

http://www.ebay.com/itm/AcuRite-0206...kAAOSw4A5YspfI

I use this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Digital-Ther...72.m2749.l2649

[tttaylorrr]

I have a hygrometer too and that is showing about 50-60 on each side consistently so I am not worried about the humidity that seems fine. I have seen it go up or drop a little but it always corrects itself so that seems good.

Well the probe for the UTH thermometer is under the substrate so that's what is set at 108 right now so the glass floor is probably about that temp, but I only raised it that high to make the tank heat up which is still not working so I can lower that temp if I need to supplement it with a bigger lamp....

As for measuring the temp of the actual floor of the substrate, I don't know how I can accurately do that...

are you using a thermoSTAT or a thermoMETER to measure the UTH?? they are VERY different.

if it's a thermoMETER: you NEED to regulate the UTH with a thermoSTAT

if it's a thermoSTAT: the probe should not be in the enclosure where the snake can urinate/poop on it, push it around and cause a temperature spike or drop. the thermostat probe should be sandwiched between the UTH and the outside bottom of the enclosure.

[RickyNY]

Your Thermostat probe should be on the outside glass floor between the uth and the glass. Your thermometer probe should be on the inside glass floor, not on top of the forest floor.

Read this:
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-With-Pictures!

[tttaylorrr]

Your Thermostat probe should be on the outside glass floor between the uth and the glass. Your thermometer probe should be on the inside glass floor, not on top of the forest floor.

Read this:
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-With-Pictures!

i always forget the stickies!!! OP please read through the post linked!

[Kevin8998]

welcome! here's what i've gathered from you post:

first: pictures always help! feel free to post your setup.

okay, get a reliable digital thermometer/hygrometer. i can almost guarantee the ones you have are giving inaccurate readings. this should be step 1.

a UTH does not heat ambient (air) temperatures, it is only meant to provide belly heat. what type of thermostat are you using brand-wise? jc.

return the bulb+dome and get a 100 watt CHE (ceramic heat emitter); you'll need a dome with a CERAMIC socket for the CHE bulb. beeps don't like light and a CHE does not give off any light as opposed to the bulb. you'll need to have an ambient heat source if the room is consistently 75° and below.

also, if you can, get an IR temp gun. this will save you so many headaches in the future.


YOU'RE A COOL PARENT!!!

So if I buy that thermometer you linked, do I buy two one for each side and also where do I place it? Just on top of the substrate against the back? Sorry if these questions sound dumb, I'm very new to this.

Also okay I see about the CHE, I was looking to buy one of those yesterday but the pet store I was at didn't seem to carry any, but it's the same as a dome right in that it takes bulbs too, but it's labeled ceramic instead? I'll try and see if I can find that today. I would prefer to not buy stuff online at this point I'm trying to get everything right as fast as possible.

The thermostat is a "Jump start" one I got off amazon.