Ambient temp in tubs?

[cinderbird]

So, i switched my little girl over to a tub about a week ago, give or take a few days. everything is fantastic except the ambient temps.

i feel like they are a little low, 74-76 on the cool side. 76-77ish on the hot side. i use an UTH, a zoomed for a 10-20gal. it is set to 98 F. i have a johnson thermostat and the probe for it is located inside her tub in her hide on the warm side. the humidity is 58-65. substrate is newspaper ( 5ish individual sheets) with a THIN layer of reptibark on top to absorb extra fluids.

she regularly thermo regulates and switches hides. she is drinking and urinating ( i havent seen her deficate since i last fed her but im giving it a few more days ) she eats with gusto but her temps were pretty off and so was her humidity before i switched her to a tub so i think she was a little stressed.

i thought i was having a problem with my thermostat so i emailed rich at reptile basics, i think ( who was a GREAT help ) and he told me that the UTH wouldn't raise the ambient temps more than a few degrees.

the room she is in isnt cold, but it isnt 80. the room is probably 72-73ish F. before i had a CHE that was on top of the screen outside her tank, now with the tub i dont have a stand for it so i cant sit it on top. i dont trust it not to melt the plastic lid, even with the thermostat unless you guys think it would be okay . i dont use any heating elements without the use of a thermostat.

a space heater is out of the question because my boyfriend and i cant sleep with the room that warm. i can go back to using the CHE, but would you guys recommend getting a little stand for it or can it just sit on top of the lid of the tub? its a rubbermaid locking thing. i also use binder clips to make sure she stays put.

wow, wordy. im sorry guys. lol, its been a long day so far ( at 11:51 am ).

[starmom]

Our house stays cool and so I put rigid insulation around my racks; but is yours only in a tub? Without a box around it? Maybe you could build a box for it. With the t'stat at 98, what are your warm side temps? Do you have a temp gun? Maybe you ought to get rid of the reptibark and use just the newspapers? A lot of this is going to be trial and error......

[PythonWallace]

It sounds like you're measuring the air temps instead of surface temps. While your cool side is probably too cold, make sure you're checking the floor and not the air temp.

[cinderbird]

Our house stays cool and so I put rigid insulation around my racks; but is yours only in a tub? Without a box around it? Maybe you could build a box for it. With the t'stat at 98, what are your warm side temps? Do you have a temp gun? Maybe you ought to get rid of the reptibark and use just the newspapers? A lot of this is going to be trial and error......

there isnt even enough reptibark in there to cover the floor. i can take a picture when i get home. i can also insulate the tub. the sides aren't flat though, they're kind of curved? What would you reccomend? i dont have a temp gun ( but i can get one ), i have 3 thermometers in her tub, an accurite on the left side (the warm side) with the probe directly on the UTH ( on the inside of the tank) the UTH itself is on the OUTSIDE. it reads 98.4-99.4ish. the ambient temps are in the mid 70s. i have another accurite on the right side (the cool side) that gives me humidity and ambient temps. that thermometer has no probe. the temps normally read about 74. the third thermometer is in there just for kicks. it is inside the tub, on the "front" side on the hot side. again it normally reads about 76.

[cinderbird]

It sounds like you're measuring the air temps instead of surface temps. While your cool side is probably too cold, make sure you're checking the floor and not the air temp.

you know what.. i think thats what im doing.

would a temp gun be a better choice for measuring temps? or would you recommend another accurite?

[starmom]

you know what.. i think thats what im doing.

would a temp gun be a better choice for measuring temps? or would you recommend another accurite?

Temp gun

[cinderbird]

Temp gun

thanks for the info. i will order one as soon as im done taking my next final. if the temps are still too low, what material would you recommend to insulate? the tub is 6-8 inches high with the lid. and its slightly curved at the bottom.

[starmom]

thanks for the info. i will order one as soon as im done taking my next final. if the temps are still too low, what material would you recommend to insulate? the tub is 6-8 inches high with the lid. and its slightly curved at the bottom.

I just used rigid insulation around the case of my tubs (I have racks from Reptile Basics). I was just wondering if you could build a box around your rack ; that would help to up the temps. If it wasn't enough, using insulation or 1.5 inch rigid foam board would certainly do the trick!

[Indigo]

It sounds like you're measuring the air temps instead of surface temps. While your cool side is probably too cold, make sure you're checking the floor and not the air temp.

Okay okay okay... not to derail but I was under the impression the 80/90 was supposed to be the air temperature?!

I hate being such a newbie! X.X