dramatic night time temp changes. (and a bit more)

[kontron]

me and my g/f just moved into a new house. No carpet (hardwood floors), and no insullation (an older house). the night we moved our snakes in, san diego hit a record low temp. i came out the next mornig, and saw that their temps had dropped to 62 on the high end. the UTH (or human pads from walmart), do not seem to keep the heat up. so i decided to switch the heat lamps from 50w to 100w bulbs (impossible to find 75w). this still didnt seem to help much in the overall ambient temp. i came out this morning, and the temps were at about 69-72..
for space purposes, and the fact that the snakes are growing, we need to move them to a bigger cage. i was going to use our 55 gal, and split in in half. i was going to use plexi-glass, and silicone, to seal and seperate the snakes. the 55 gal, is an aquarium, designed for fish, not snakes, so the glass is much thicker. i have a feeling the UTH will not work under there, in this case would a reptile heat pad be advisable (due to the thickness of glass.
what are some ways to keep the heat in? i was considering plexiglass tottaly covering the top (with air holes everywhere of course, and putting 1 100w light in the center where the divider will be placed, or even 2 50w, 1 for each snake. i know a smaller cag would be a better option for heat retention, but that is no longer an option. both snakes are getting too big for their enclosures. on the upside i will be saving more room by splitting a 55 gal. (more room in my house that is).
any advice on keeping the heat up?????? i think a reptile uth would be my best bet, due to the thickness of glass, but would like some opinions first

[brian]

i'm having the same problem up here in oregon,it's been hard to keep my 55gal tank warm, i've had to keep the room heater on all day and night just so his tank keeps warm and i have two UTH's and a radient heat lamp going.so if any one can help with some ideas let us know

[phillysnake]

when i housed my bp in a 55 gallon tank i used an uth and 150 watt exo terra and it kept the warm side at 92-95 no problem but it seemed to kill hte humidity.

[Adam_Wysocki]

55 gallon tanks are tough because they're sooooo tall and it's hard for over head heat to get down to the ground where the ball pythons are. Also, as pointed out, the thick glass on the bottom of the tank makes a UTH less effective.

I have a couple thoughts, but I'm not sure how good they are .... Bigger and several UTH's coupled with some over head lighting/CHE's until you find the correct mixture might work ... experiment with different combinations until your temps are correct .... you'll have to keep a good eye on humidity because all of those heating elements will fry the air, but it can be done.

If you're thinking about putting a custom cover on the tank (like plexiglass) you could always invest in a radiant heat panel and attach it to the plexi. I am not sure if this will work, but those heat panels are great at throwing a nice even heat down without drying things out. If you'd like more info, let me know.

Supplimenting the room heat at night with an oil filled heater will work too. You could probably run it on low from 8pm-8am or something like that without using too much electricity.

There is another thread about wrapping an aquarium in insulation. I've never tried it, but it might be a cheaper option to explore if your on a budget (I know how moving can empty a wallet quick). A nice piece of pink board under the tank might help a lot (making sure not to compress the UTH's of course).

If I think of anything else, I'll post it.

Hope these help get you started.

-adam

[kontron]

so here is my plan. i have thought about this, and considered every option.
i will use the 55 gal, splitting it in 2 down the center, using lexan instead of plexiglass. i will use a large undertank heat pad, exotera, or another name brand. the heat will be in the center under the divider. that wold make a nice heat spot in the center for each snake to crawl onto. i am building a second floor near the center of the cage (or the dividers, that way the snakes have a few more hides, and a higher level closer to the lights. i am going to put 2 lights on the hot side. one for each snake. they will be simple 50w, but i am going to make the seond level in the cage high enough that they would be within the heat of the lights. the second floor will be made of lexan and secured with silicone. i got romoanesque collums to support the second floor (made for a fish aquarium). to keep the humidity up i am using lexan over the open parts of top of the cage, with air holes, and making the DIY hummidifier, so it keeps the ambient humidity at a nice level. with the combination of that and overturned plant potters covered in dirt (with wet moss inside), i shuold be okay on humidity. i dont think i will put insulation near the cages.. i would be worried about pieces of fiberglass falling into the snakes cages. i am sure there is a way i could fic it so that there would be none falling in. would the insulation boards across the back, and sides help keep heat in that much?
thanks for the advice... soon i hope to get a digital camera (yay x-mas), and i will take step byu step pics of this set up, and post them.

[Jack_Hammer]

Sounds like you have a handle on things. Good job.

But, when you say insulation; and not getting it on or around the snakes; I picture you using house hold fiberglass type stuff. Look into other forms of insulation like styrofoam, or cork. Either way I'm just looking out for the well being of your animal. Good luck!

[kontron]

yeah i thought about the foam boards, but just want to make sure my snake is safe.. i have never used to foamones before, but may try that with some sealer.