Heating Issues

[Hugsplox]

Having three inches of fiber over the uth is wrong. It did be less than a quarter inch. Having as much as you do you have a good chance of insulating the heat and building a dangerous number if the snake was too borrow and reach it. Before you say "my snake doesn't borrow" that doesn't mean it won't.... One day. Reduced the fiber over the uth and get the temp to serve as a proper hotspot only. A uth is not meant to, nor will it, get your ambient temps where you want them.

I like thick substrate too. In my cage it's thick and then slopes off to the uth where you can see most of the uth. Then I put the hide over it too cover the area so you can't see it. This is in a 40gal tank I still use.

I was saying the spot above the mat won't get above 82. Im using an IR temp clicker thing.

I understand. if you're measuring on top of the substrate then I agree with KMG's comment above. Your issue is your substrate is too thick, and odds are the temp down at the glass are hot enough to cause some serious burns. I had my 40 gallon set up the same way as KMG, with super thick substrate on the cool side that sloped down to bare glass on the warm side with a hide sat over the UTH. That way my snake could lay directly above the UTH with is sitting at 89-90.