Newbie Here

[mainbutter]

don't let him freeze when you pick him up!

If you haven't picked him up already, I would recommend taking a 2nd person along to stay in your car and keep it running/heated. Transporting reptiles in wintertime is always tricky.

[Clyde Frog]

A second person is coming, no worries! I didn't want to have a BP popsicle

[Hapa_Haole]

What are you going to be measuring your temps/humidity with? The ones you buy at your local pet store are very inaccurate. I speak from both experience and extensive reading when I say this!

You should definitely buy a digital thermometer/hydrometer if you want to keep a proper heat gradient for your snake. They only run for 13$ at Walmart and it includes everything you need (a probe you can place on the hot side for measuring hot side temps, the device itself that measures the ambient cool side temps, and the device itself that measures humidity). If you can't find them at Walmart then amazon.com always has a bunch in stock.

[Clyde Frog]

May I ask which one you use? I have a $25 gift card to Wal-Mart from some kind of holiday, birthday, something. I was planning on using it for a thermometer for my little guy but I don't want to go all out and spend $70 on some super thermometer thats gonna transform or something! lol

[Melicious]

May I ask which one you use? I have a $25 gift card to Wal-Mart from some kind of holiday, birthday, something. I was planning on using it for a thermometer for my little guy but I don't want to go all out and spend $70 on some super thermometer thats gonna transform or something! lol

-Grins.- Most of the people who matriculate here use the AcuRite thermometer/Hygrometer at Wal-Mart. It's going to run you about $12.97 plus tax.

It will read the temp at the end of the probe(under the substrate on the glass/plastic of the tub) and then you can read the ambient temp on the cool side and the humidity.

[Hapa_Haole]

Ditto what Melicious said. I ordered a Timex device off of amazon for about the same price w/o shipping. But mine and the 13$ Acurite one work great. You definitely don't need a 70$ one!

[Melicious]

Ditto what Melicious said. I ordered a Timex device off of amazon for about the same price w/o shipping. But mine and the 13$ Acurite one work great. You definitely don't need a 70$ one!

O_O Absolutely not. For $70, that thermometer/hygrometer better be able to clean up snake poop, pet them, and tell me I'm gorgeous when I open their enclosures. WOW!

[Clyde Frog]

Hahaha. I've read some crazy set-ups. People putting $1,000+ into their husbandry on a regular basis. Hell, if I had the money I would but my snake is my friend, not my king!

I'm actually going to order that AcuRite one right now. Sounds like it's perfect for what I'm looking for.

Now, just to clarify, I should tape one probe on the glass right above my UTH (under the hot side hide) and the temp should be about 90 and the ambient temp should be 80-83, correct?

[dr del]

Hi,

No tape.

Since you really only measure it till you have set your thermostat you will want to be able to move the probe easily anyway - I would use the edge of the hide to hold it down, or maybe a small rock.

A glue gun would also work.

If you must use tape make sure to use low-tack painters tape - anything else and you risk seriously hurting your snake.

I kind of bang on about that but for those who think it will never happen to you read the links in this post - they thought the same.

And right on the glass you want it around 93-94f 'ish other wise it will probably be a little low on the surface of the substrate I think - but test it out and see.

you need to be able to move the probe and base unit easily till you get everything dialed in and self regulating.


dr del

[Clyde Frog]

Awesome. Thanks for all the help.

Quick question about the Reptitemp 500r thermostat. I can't tell by the pictures on the web, but is it set up so that you plug in your UTH (or other heat source) into the thermostat, place the probe from the thermostat above the UTH, and then set the temp that you want it to stay at on the thermostat and it will regulate it for you?

I hope that's not too confusing