No problem, and thanks for the thorough response, that helps us figure out how to help you. If the heating pad got so hot that it warped, then that is definitely scary and you don't want that anywhere near Nyx. I know how challenging it can be to optimize your snake's set-up while still working within a budget, but I can at least reassure you that after the initial expenses, it's much smoother sailing from there on.
Can I ask what type/brand of thermostat you have? I've found that as long as you invest in a reliable thermostat, you don't need to get fancy with the heating pad itself at all. Any of the common brands of reptile heat mats you often find in pet stores - Zoo Med, Zilla, Exo Terra, etc. - should work just fine, since the thermostat is doing the regulating. (I use the Zoo Med ones, myself.)
For the thermostat, in general, a "pulse proportional" thermostat (which constantly adjusts the power output to the heat pad to maintain a specific target temperature) is better than an "on/off" thermostat (which switches the heat pad off when it rises above target temp, then turns it back on when it drops below target temp, resulting in a wider range of temperature fluctuation). Many of the experienced snake keepers here will likely recommend the higher-end pulse-proportional ones from Herpstat (Spyder Robotics) or Vivarium Electronics, and the reason is because they are a good investment in terms of quality and long-term reliability. However, both of those are very expensive ($100+); luckily there are plenty of more affordable options. My first thermostat was the little 100W on/off one from Exo Terra (costs around $20-$30), and it was still much better than having no thermostat at all. Jumpstart is another commonly mentioned affordable on/off thermostat brand. Lastly, the 600W Exo Terra thermostat is probably the cheapest pulse proportional thermostat I've seen around (around $50-$60).
If your heat bulb is really eating through the humidity, do you think it would be possible for you to remove it? You would maintain the warm side temperature with the regulated heat mat, and the cool side/ambient temperature with a space heater just for the room that your snake is in. (Whether this is feasible kind of depends on where you live.)
Quick side question - what device(s) are you using to measure your temperatures in the tank?
For your specific questions about what to do in the meantime:
- "Can I put the water dish directly under the lamp and over the heating pad.. On the glass. Or on substrate?"
Yes, you can put the second water dish under the lamp. Since you mentioned you're going to turn off and stop using the warped heating pad (which I agree is a good call), then I assume you mean once you've replaced it with a new heating pad. Either on the glass or on the substrate is probably fine; I'd personally be inclined to put the dish on at least a thin layer of substrate.
- "I purchased a second hide. Should it sit on the glass if I was to put that over the heating pad with some damp moss in it? And place the other hide on the other side of the tank?"
I would set the hides on top of substrate too; as long as your substrate layer is not too thick, the warmth from the heat pad will still reach your snake. And yes, one hide on the cool side of the thank, and one hide on the warm side.
And lastly (sorry, this got long again!), about the feeding. Unbelievable as it may seem, just go by the mid-section width for choosing prey size. I was pretty skeptical too about how that fat frozen/thawed rat was going to fit down the hatch, but after watching the swallowing process (my BEL, Ravus, is not at all shy about being watched while eating), that scrawny little dime-circumference neck can stretch more than a balloon! If your snake was struggling with the larger prey item, it isn't necessarily because it was too big, she might just need more time to figure out how to approach and swallow it. (This happens especially with young snakes, who may wrestle with trying to swallow the prey butt-first or sideways for hours before figuring things out ... or giving up until next time.
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Originally Posted by RedRabbit
No problem, and thanks for the thorough response, that helps us figure out how to help you. If the heating pad got so hot that it warped, then that is definitely scary and you don't want that anywhere near Nyx. I know how challenging it can be to optimize your snake's set-up while still working within a budget, but I can at least reassure you that after the initial expenses, it's much smoother sailing from there on.
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