Heating issues

[DClark747]

Hey, guys. A few weeks ago, I rescued my first ball python from coworker.

After keeping her in a glass aquarium (mesh-top), I realized that I was playing hell with my temps and humidity. I went to my local Home Depot a few days ago and bought a 25 gallon sterilite tub. I drilled a few ventilation holes in it, and misted. My humidity shot up to 70% and has only slightly dropped since then.

My temps even went up, but only a little. I'm using a basking light (60W, 120V) (secondary/supplemental heating) during the day, and although she doesn't bask it does well for keeping the temps up during the day. At night I used a Zilla Night Heat bulb. I was also using a ZooMed UTH (primary heating), which in conjunction with the basking light kept my temps around 80F. Out of curiosity, I tried using my own heating pad (which, I know, is frowned upon). Surprisingly, it bumped my temps up to 84F. The problem is that everything I've read about balls suggests that they need to be kept a little warmer than this. Any suggestions?

I could get a higher wattage/voltage day bulb, or even a larger ZooMed mat, although I have the proper size mat for the tub I have.

[Concept9]

Do you have pics of your setup ?

What are you using to control the UTH ?

[DClark747]

Do you have pics of your setup ?

What are you using to control the UTH ?

At the moment, I don't. I'm at my office right now and don't have my camera with me. However, I'm using a rheostat.

I may or may not get pics up a little later today.

[Lankyrob]

You need to get the temp on the hot end up to 91-95f in whatever way is easiest for you, and if you dont already have a theermostat you need one as soon as possible.

I would also expect some flak for calling this a rescue when you arent providing ideal conditions "for a few weeks"

[Amadeus]

Hey, guys. A few weeks ago, I rescued my first ball python from coworker.

After keeping her in a glass aquarium (mesh-top), I realized that I was playing hell with my temps and humidity. I went to my local Home Depot a few days ago and bought a 25 gallon sterilite tub. I drilled a few ventilation holes in it, and misted. My humidity shot up to 70% and has only slightly dropped since then.

My temps even went up, but only a little. I'm using a basking light (60W, 120V) (secondary/supplemental heating) during the day, and although she doesn't bask it does well for keeping the temps up during the day. At night I used a Zilla Night Heat bulb. I was also using a ZooMed UTH (primary heating), which in conjunction with the basking light kept my temps around 80F. Out of curiosity, I tried using my own heating pad (which, I know, is frowned upon). Surprisingly, it bumped my temps up to 84F. The problem is that everything I've read about balls suggests that they need to be kept a little warmer than this. Any suggestions?

I could get a higher wattage/voltage day bulb, or even a larger ZooMed mat, although I have the proper size mat for the tub I have.

You need a cool side and a warm side, for my ball its warm side is usually 992f and the cool side fluctuates slightly between 77-80

[DClark747]

You need to get the temp on the hot end up to 91-95f in whatever way is easiest for you, and if you dont already have a theermostat you need one as soon as possible.

I would also expect some flak for calling this a rescue when you arent providing ideal conditions "for a few weeks"

Well, the lady I got her from was letting it free roam her house. She had a lot of stuck on shed when I got her.

"flak for calling it a rescue". What is this, 4chan?

[Amadeus]

Well, the lady I got her from was letting it free roam her house. She had a lot of stuck on shed when I got her.

"flak for calling it a rescue". What is this, 4chan?

Hey 4chan is the sh*t don't dis 4chan dawg ;)

[Lankyrob]

A rescue is taking an animal from non-ideal conditions and getting it into ideal comditions so that it can recover (hopefully) back to full health.

Keeping it for a few weeks in non-ideal conditions isnt a rescue

[DClark747]

A rescue is taking an animal from non-ideal conditions and getting it into ideal comditions so that it can recover (hopefully) back to full health.

Keeping it for a few weeks in non-ideal conditions isnt a rescue

It was kept At 80F for about a week and a half, and now it's kept at 84-85. Is 80 or 85 optimum? No. But is it better than what is was in? Yes.

I'm not here to argue with you, or anyone. I'm here to figure out how to bump up my temps.

[Concept9]

I run a 28L Serilite and all I use is a UTH for it. I run my warm side at 88-92~.

Can you not just turn your rheostat up ?

I would personally invest in a thermostat to better control things.

[DClark747]

I run a 28L Serilite and all I use is a UTH for it. I run my warm side at 88-92~.

Can you not just turn your rheostat up ?

I would personally invest in a thermostat to better control things.

I've got my rheostat all the way up. I may run over to petco and get the next size up in UTH's, but I don't know that it will make things too much hotter.

[Concept9]

I would really have to see the setup. Even if I turn on my air-conditioning, I could crank up the thermostat on my UTH and get it over 100~ if I wanted too. (I DONT :)).

I run a Zoo Med 20-30gal UTH.

[DClark747]

As I said, my office is right down the road from Petco, so I'll probably run on down there after 5 and see how that does for me.

[DClark747]

Although, now thinking about it objectively, I could use a dual light output/splitter and just grab another bulb. which should definitely be enough.

[Concept9]

I wouldn't buy anything right yet (other then a thermostat).

Wait till you get home tonight, take a couple pic of the outside and inside and post them here.

Maybe we can see something that is a easy fix. :)

[DClark747]

I wouldn't buy anything right yet (other then a thermostat).

Wait till you get home tonight, take a couple pic of the outside and inside and post them here.

Maybe we can see something that is a easy fix. :)

Ehhh, may be until tomorrow that I get a pic up, just keep an eye out for this thread. When both my girlfriend and I get off of work we're going out for dinner and a date, and I probably won't get much done tonight.

[bcr229]

Well, the lady I got her from was letting it free roam her house.
Great googly-moogly if I did that mine would all disappear.

How are you measuring the temperatures? Those little round thermometers are worthless. Get an IR thermometer so you know what the temperature is on the surface of the tub. You could have an ambient in the low-mid 80's and the hot spot high enough to burn your snake with an unregulated UTH.

[DClark747]

Great googly-moogly if I did that mine would all disappear.

How are you measuring the temperatures? Those little round thermometers are worthless. Get an IR thermometer so you know what the temperature is on the surface of the tub. You could have an ambient in the low-mid 80's and the hot spot high enough to burn your snake with an unregulated UTH.

This is what I'm using. It isn't an IR, but I've read/been told good things about them. Anyone have any experience with them?

Acurite Digital Humidity & Temperature Monitor 00325 (http://www.acurite.com/weather/thermometers/digital-humidity-temperature-monitor-00325-00326-00327.html)

[DClark747]

Great googly-moogly if I did that mine would all disappear.

How are you measuring the temperatures? Those little round thermometers are worthless. Get an IR thermometer so you know what the temperature is on the surface of the tub. You could have an ambient in the low-mid 80's and the hot spot high enough to burn your snake with an unregulated UTH.

Although, I do regular daily tests in which I put the thermometer in several different locations in my tub, as well as putting it directly on the UTH. Looks like the highest my UTH gets is in the mid-90's

[Mikoh4792]

If I let any of my snakes free roam the house for a day I would lose every one of them. How did this not happen to her?

[DClark747]

If I let any of my snakes free roam the house for a day I would lose every one of them. How did this not happen to her?

I wasn't living with her, so I'm not entirely sure and I didn't ask.

Update, though. The house I live in is quite a bit older, so al of the outlets and wiring isn't so great. Where I had my UTH plugged in at would just stop working randomly. Where I've got it at now seems to be working pretty well. To test it out, I plugged it in and left it on the counter overnight with the thermometer on it. When I checked back it was at 102F

[Concept9]

I wasn't living with her, so I'm not entirely sure and I didn't ask.

Update, though. The house I live in is quite a bit older, so al of the outlets and wiring isn't so great. Where I had my UTH plugged in at would just stop working randomly. Where I've got it at now seems to be working pretty well. To test it out, I plugged it in and left it on the counter overnight with the thermometer on it. When I checked back it was at 102F

Good. so ill you need to do is get a thermostat . . . like NOW. :)

[Lupinus]

With electrical like that heating may eventually prove to not be a problem :eek:

[jarich]

The problem with getting another light is that you will be greatly increasing the heat, and but also reducing the humidity. What size UTH are you using? Id start with the new thermostat first and see if you can just adjust the higher temperatures that way. As said above, the UTH should be able to do the job with the right controls.