Need Some Help Dialing in Temps with AP Enclosure & RHP

[dakski]

Hey Guys....

I've had an AP T10 w/ an RHP sitting around for months and I'm finally getting around to moving my Boa into it. Months ago I did some testing and I felt pretty good about my temps within the enclosure but today, I've tried to replicate them and my temps are all over the place.

For instance, on the hot side, I've seen anywhere from 100 degrees to 91 on top of the hide and 81 on the cool side (TSTAT set to 82). I have my probe dangling along the wall opposite the RHP. The only thing different from months ago when my temps seemed consistent is I moved my enclosures across the room 'underneath a wall heating unit' which is set to 75 degrees. I'm trying to wrap my head around how this might be effecting the large fluctuations in temps and whether I might want to experiment w/ the TSTAT probe underneath the RHP rather then the cool side.

Any suggestions????

Also, I've never had issues w/ humidity in either a smaller PVC (2 x 1 x 1) or plastic tubs but I can't seem to get over 50% and that's with a huge dog bowl filled w/ water and a small zoo med dish w/ water on the hot sides. Any ideas?? My other enclosures have always been in the 70-80s range.

Thanks!!!

Ckunh003,

I've always had more success with the probes close to the heating elements.

Is the RHP your only heating element?

If so, I would put the thermostat probe between the RHP and the bottom of the tank. For what's it's worth, I would do the same if you have an RHP and heat tape/UTH on the same side as well. Don't put the probe(s) too low so that the animal, even when bigger, can easily waste on it.

I have 1FT hight tanks and there is about 9 1/2 inches between the floor of the tank and the RHP. I have the probe about 2 to 2 1/2 inches below the bottom of the RHP, or about 7 inches above the bottom of the tank. I have heat tape on the bottom, below the RHP (RHP for heat and warming the entire tank, heat tape for belly heat), and both run off the same thermostat. In my 6X2' tanks, in a 68F room, for my Boa/BCI for example, it stays 86-89F range (on/off thermostat) on the hot side, 80-83F ambient, and no less than 78F on the cool side (if that drops below 78F, I have heat tape on that side that kicks on and keeps the cool side 78F minimum). In the summer, it's usually closer to 80-81F on the cool side with a 75F room.

I would put the probe a few inches below the bottom of the RHP, right in the middle of it (side to side) and on the back wall. Or, alternatively, on the side wall, in the middle of it (front to back). Note that the thermostat will likely read below what the ground temp is. It's designed to throw heat down. So, it might read 83F at the thermostat, but be a nice 89F ground temp. Move the probe and start lower and work your way up. I would start at 80-82F and see what the ground temps are.

Good luck and keep us posted.

David

P.S. When you get the temps back to normal, humidity should come back up. RHP's dry tanks out a little, not as bad as CHE's, but somewhat. However, if running a lot, to make it 100F, for example, that would definitely dry things out more.