Keeping temps of substrate right.

[Flip]

I'm constantly doubting the proper way to keep the substrate temps in check. My thermostat probe is siliconed to the bottom of the inside of the enclosure, and having it set to 105f gets the substrate (layer of husk) to about 89f.

This means at the bottom of the enclosure, if she were to burrow a bit, itd be 103ish, give or take. Checking with a temp gun confirms this, though once the substrate covers it it's fine.

Even her moving it around can change these numbers drastically.

What do?

[Craiga 01453]

Youre actually going to want to move the thermostat probe OUTSIDE the enclosure. Being inside it can be peed on, water spilled on, laid on, etc....which can all cause inaccurate readings which could result in dangerous heat spikes.

You also want to check the actual surface temp, not the substrate temp. Your snake can and will burrow and/or push substrate around and end up lying directly on the enclosure floor. Most of mine push all the substrate out of their hides anyway.

[Zincubus]

I'm constantly doubting the proper way to keep the substrate temps in check. My thermostat probe is siliconed to the bottom of the inside of the enclosure, and having it set to 105f gets the substrate (layer of husk) to about 89f.

This means at the bottom of the enclosure, if she were to burrow a bit, itd be 103ish, give or take. Checking with a temp gun confirms this, though once the substrate covers it it's fine.

Even her moving it around can change these numbers drastically.

What do?

Well snakes WILL burrow meaning it will be lying on temps of 103 at certain times - dangerously high ..

Just needs a bit of fine tuning .. maybe a shallower level of substrate but make sure the viv floor is not too much higher than 92


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[Flip]

With the floor at that temp, even a small layer of substrate will read low 80s high 70s?

Is this ideal?

[Craiga 01453]

With the floor at that temp, even a small layer of substrate will read low 80s high 70s?

Is this ideal?

The substrate temp is irrelevant, as long as your surface temps are 88-89.

[Flip]

The substrate temp is irrelevant, as long as your surface temps are 88-89.

Perhaps this is where I'm confused as a new keeper. Some people use no substrate, keeping the same temp with paper, while others use 2 inches of stuff.

They would differ drastically in this case, no?

[Craiga 01453]

Perhaps this is where I'm confused as a new keeper. Some people use no substrate, keeping the same temp with paper, while others use 2 inches of stuff.

They would differ drastically in this case, no?

Nope, regardless of substrate you want to focus on just the surface temps.
You also want to monitor ambient temps. Your cool side should be around 80, but no lower than 75

[Midwest]

I have my UTH's on the outside bottom of my tank, one on the hot side and one on the cool side. I check the temps on the inside surface floor below the substrate. The hot side shows 89-90 and the cool side is on 80. I then cover it back up with substrate. Sometimes he burrows down to the glass surface sometimes he doesn't. I wouldn't try to get the substrate to 90 degrees, because as you have shown, the floor temps are way to high to achieve the temps when measured on top of the substrate.

[Zincubus]

I have my UTH's on the outside bottom of my tank, one on the hot side and one on the cool side. I check the temps on the inside surface floor below the substrate. The hot side shows 89-90 and the cool side is on 80. I then cover it back up with substrate. Sometimes he burrows down to the glass surface sometimes he doesn't. I wouldn't try to get the substrate to 90 degrees, because as you have shown, the floor temps are way to high to achieve the temps when measured on top of the substrate.

Yours is the perfect way to heat a glass tank using UTH ( under tank heat mats )


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