Ball python heating help

[Wowdude11]

Hello, first I wanted to say this forum is awesome. I ran into this place because reddit sucked and was not help and was googling around and found you guys and so much better answers here and knowledge.

Anyways onto my little issue. I have my male python in a 4x2x2 pic enclosure. For heating I have a 50w Arcadia halogen heat lamp on a dimmer. I also have an Arcadia DHP during the day this doesn't turn on usually for night only. I also have usb shade dweller and a light for plants.

Where the issue I am getting is my hot side I believe is good and my cool side is too hot. How I am getting this info is on the hot side I have a basking box/hide. the surface reads 89-90 degrees with a temp gun and 85 inside the hide. just outside the hide entrance on the hotside I put a govee hydrometer and a temp probe on the floor and it read 84-85 (air temp I'm assuming)

on the cool side I put a temp prob and another govee hydrometer and it read 82-84 degrees(I'm assuming air temp) right outside her cool side hide. from what I read this is too hot. the issue is if I lower the temp on the hot side the basking area drops to 85-86 and the hot side air temp drops to 82-83. the cool side air temp drops to 81 still too hot.

so I am wondering what I should do. should I lower the air temp even more but then I won't a hot enough basking area or do I leave the basking area high and the cool side hotter then needed ? my last option which I don't want to do but may need to if you guys think it would make a difference is drill a 2" hole on the cool side lower and 2" hole near the top on the hot side and from what I understand that can help bring more cool air in?

im having trouble adding the picture so here is a https://imgur.com/a/uLSh4X4
I hope that works.

[dakski]

How are you taking the temps? Are you using thermometers and probes or an IR temp gun? The air temps with the thermometer are an okay guide, but I would use an IR temp gun to get accurate temps on the ground where your BP is.

That's step one.

After you are sure of the temps at the ground (if you are not now) other heating option can be discussed. You likely want a radiant heat panel (RHP) or something similar instead of a bulb. BP's do not need intense lighting and heat from a bulb is not ideal. Further, as you will read below, bulbs are not very safe and cannot be controlled by a thermostat like a RHP can.

How are you controlling these heating elements? A dimmer on a bulb is not the most reliable way to control temps and if the bulb creates too much heat without it, should not be used.

You really need a thermostat to properly control temps. This is pivotal for the safety of your BP.

Let us know the answers to the above questions so we can help.

[Homebody]

I also have an Arcadia DHP during the day this doesn't turn on usually for night only.

Please clarify. Is your DHP on during the day or during the night only? If the DHP is on only at night, what are your nighttime temps? I wonder if the solution is to turn off the halogen and run the DHP 24/7.

[Malum Argenteum]

Minor quibble: an incandescent bulb can be thermostatically controlled. A simple on/off stat would be expected to blink the bulb unacceptably, but good units such as Herpstats have settings that make incandescent bulbs usefully controllable. That's not to say that an incandescent bulb is a great option for a snake that isn't primarily a basking species.

What is the ambient air temp in the room? That will affect the temp of the cool side.

The light for the plants is adding to the heat in the enclosure. It looks like there are only plastic plants in the enclosure, though? The T5 UVB lamp is adding heat, too. Both of those could be replaced with an LED strip for viewing light and photoperiod if need be.

There doesn't appear to be any real ventilation in the enclosure; the photos seem to show only the two vents in the back near the top, and those won't move much air (since they're not placed to allow warm moist air to exit and cool drier air to enter). Part of the issue could be that the box is simply sealed up too tightly.

That enclosure will probably get some heat from the enclosure underneath it. If that's the case, raising the top enclosure on small spacers (1/2") that leave an air gap that's open to the room will allow heat from the bottom enclosure to dissipate into the room; four square 1/2" dowels, each 2 feet in length, placed under the top enclosure from front to back would do it.

[Wowdude11]

Please clarify. Is your DHP on during the day or during the night only? If the DHP is on only at night, what are your nighttime temps? I wonder if the solution is to turn off the halogen and run the DHP 24/7.

Hello yes the DHP is off during the day and only on at Night. I could just use the DHP and see how those temps are. Is there any downside to not using the halogen bulb ?

[Wowdude11]

Minor quibble: an incandescent bulb can be thermostatically controlled. A simple on/off stat would be expected to blink the bulb unacceptably, but good units such as Herpstats have settings that make incandescent bulbs usefully controllable. That's not to say that an incandescent bulb is a great option for a snake that isn't primarily a basking species.

the halogen heat bulb is on a dimmer. So it doesn’t completely turn off. I also have the uvb bulb / plant light so if the halogen goes

What is the ambient air temp in the room? That will affect the temp of the cool side.

the air temp in the room is anywhere between 75-77

The light for the plants is adding to the heat in the enclosure. It looks like there are only plastic plants in the enclosure, though? The T5 UVB lamp is adding heat, too. Both of those could be replaced with an LED strip for viewing light and photoperiod if need be.

correct he likes to squish his plants. So I added fake one for now which he squishes. I eventually wanted to add another real plant. I did turning off the light to see if it affected heat. It did make any difference. I was thinking of switching to one of those led tho.

There doesn't appear to be any real ventilation in the enclosure; the photos seem to show only the two vents in the back near the top, and those won't move much air (since they're not placed to allow warm moist air to exit and cool drier air to enter). Part of the issue could be that the box is simply sealed up too tightly.

this is what I was thinking is the most likely case. I was thinking of adding to 2” vents near the bottom cool side on the left wall instead of the back. And adding 2 of the same 2” vents on the other side on the side wall higher up near the heat lamps. Would this be too much air flow ? Or should I just add the one 2” vents hole on the cool side and see how it goes. Another option I was thinking is adding one of those computer fans on the outside of the vent on the back and have it suck out hot air. Not sure if that would work.

That enclosure will probably get some heat from the enclosure underneath it. If that's the case, raising the top enclosure on small spacers (1/2") that leave an air gap that's open to the room will allow heat from the bottom enclosure to dissipate into the room; four square 1/2" dowels, each 2 feet in length, placed under the top enclosure from front to back would do it.

I’ll try this and see what changes

[Wowdude11]

How are you taking the temps? Are you using thermometers and probes or an IR temp gun? The air temps with the thermometer are an okay guide, but I would use an IR temp gun to get accurate temps on the ground where your BP is.

I am taking temps 3 different ways. one is heat gun to measure surface of basking area. Then I am using a govee hydrometer this sits on the ground to read air temp. I place a a second 2-in-1 Digital Thermometer & Hygrometer right next to it for accuracy . i check the air temp on both cool and hot side. you can see the sensors and govee in the pictures.

That's step one.

After you are sure of the temps at the ground (if you are not now) other heating option can be discussed. You likely want a radiant heat panel (RHP) or something similar instead of a bulb. BP's do not need intense lighting and heat from a bulb is not ideal. Further, as you will read below, bulbs are not very safe and cannot be controlled by a thermostat like a RHP can.

I am not using a heat gun on the ground just the probes and govee hydrometer. heat gun was only used on basking area.

How are you controlling these heating elements? A dimmer on a bulb is not the most reliable way to control temps and if the bulb creates too much heat without it, should not be used.

the halogen bulb is on a dimmer thermostat that controls the temperature to what ever i set it. the dhp is also just doesnt turn on until all other lights are out for the day.

[Homebody]

Hello yes the DHP is off during the day and only on at Night. I could just use the DHP and see how those temps are. Is there any downside to not using the halogen bulb ?

Only if you are relying on the halogen to maintain a day/night cycle for your BP.

[Wowdude11]

Only if you are relying on the halogen to maintain a day/night cycle for your BP.

in the tank i have the uvb bulb and grow light for plants. so i can stop using the halogen and just use DHP bulb

[Homebody]

in the tank i have the uvb bulb and grow light for plants. so i can stop using the halogen and just use DHP bulb

Based on my understanding of how DHPs work I would imagine that they wouldn't raise ambient temps as much as a halogen light would, so this might just do the trick. If not, I'd try Malum's suggestion of putting a spacer between the enclosures. You don't want to go cutting holes in your enclosure if you don't have to.