Substrate and Temps

[JohnNJ]

It's not there yet.

I removed most of the aspen from under the hides so now there's two layers of newspaper and just enough aspen to cover it.

93 degrees on the glass - 78 degrees on top of the aspen in the hide.

The only other option is to remove one layer of newspaper. I doubt this will raise the temp 12 degrees so I may just have to raise the temp over the recommended 95 degrees.

[Argentra]

I probably missed it, but what are you using to control the temps? Is the probe for that control outside the tank directly on the heat source? These things can make the temps vary a lot.

Also, the temp the t-stat is set for is almost always going to be higher than what you have inside the tank! Don't think that you're going 'too high' because the stat is set at 103 or something...if that's what it takes to get the inside temps on the glass to be right, then that's what it takes.

Removing a layer of paper should help as well. Let us know if things are still way off and we'll see what else might be out of whack.

[JohnNJ]

I probably missed it, but what are you using to control the temps? Is the probe for that control outside the tank directly on the heat source? These things can make the temps vary a lot.

Also, the temp the t-stat is set for is almost always going to be higher than what you have inside the tank! Don't think that you're going 'too high' because the stat is set at 103 or something...if that's what it takes to get the inside temps on the glass to be right, then that's what it takes.

Removing a layer of paper should help as well. Let us know if things are still way off and we'll see what else might be out of whack.

There are two UTHs - small hot side, larger cool side. They are controlled by rheostats and they do not fluctuate more than 1-2 degrees.

The two Acu-Rites are inside the tank with the "outside" probes on the inside glass bottom of the tank.

There is a newspaper laying on the bottom over the probes. Picture a Wall St. Journal or NY Times type newspaper just folded normally. In effect there are two sheets of paper.

I have aspen on the newspaper. Initially I had too much so I removed some. It had no effect on raising the temp in the hides.

Last night temp on the glass was 93 and temp inside hide was 78. I raised the UTH temp a few degrees and will check the hide temp later.

Thanks.
JohnNJ

[JohnNJ]

I just checked it again.

Probe on glass is 94. Probe on aspen, inside hide, is 83.

I don't think anything will change until I remove one layer of newspaper.

Thanks.
JohnNJ

[dr del]

Hi,

That's really strange.

I use two sheets of newspaper in my tubs and the heat gets through fine.

Have you checked the thermometers side by side to make sure they read the same (not that I think that accounts for a ten degree difference )?


dr del

[JohnNJ]

Have you checked the thermometers side by side to make sure they read the same (not that I think that accounts for a ten degree difference)?

I have both Acu-Rites in the tank, across from each other. The one probe is under the newpaper & aspen, the other is above.

The inside temps (unit temps) are one degree apart so I have to assume that the probes are relatively close in accuracy. The temp gun had a similar reading.

Maybe my local newspaper is thicker than most. I'll make the change on the weekend and let you know.

Thanks.
JohnNJ

[Oxylepy]

What is the ambient room temperature? Try and get it to at least 75~80 degrees, 85 degrees is optimal.

[JohnNJ]

Just had my son check the Acu-Rites:

Probe on glass is 100. Probe on aspen, inside hide, is 85.

[MUSTANGGTANDGSXR]

have you figured this out yet?

[JohnNJ]

have you figured this out yet?

Nope.

I set up a new 20GL tank today. I insulated the sides and back, sealing it up with aluminum tape. I put a small Ultratherm UTH on one side and the larger Ultratherm on the other (cool) side. I put two Acu-Rite probes on the glass on each side and covered them with one sheet of newspaper. I put just enough aspen on the newspaper so that I couldn't see it. I put the hides directly over the UTH's. Using the standard Home Depot sliding rheostats to control the temps.

Got the new tank and old tank to read 95 on the hot side and 85 on the cool side. The probes on top of the aspen (in the hides) continue to read 10+- degrees less than the ones under the newspaper, not the 2-3 degree difference that was quoted here.

I have six Acu-Rites and one Taylor. They all read within a degree of each other. UTH's on the new tank (Ultratherm) are different from the ones on the old tank (ReptiTherm/ZooMed).

I have accepted the fact that I will need to keep the temp around 100 degrees on the hot side to get the temp in the hide to 90. I will keep the cool side temp around 87.

This was a frustrating affair and I'm glad it's over. Next I'll work on humidity. Thanks for the support.

JohnNJ