heating question - facts

been reading for days - have no snake - plan to order on monday - set up is 10 gallon glass tank with zoo med uth small 10 gallon size - plugged it up - went way too hot as i have learned from posts here it would - layed down a piece of repticarpet on top of it - better but still way too hot - plugged it into a rheostat i had from my doghouse - had used it with a large heating pad for dogs - at lowest setting on rheostat the best i could do is 89 degrees at surface of carpet over heat with a little aspen laying on top of it - room temp about 69 as is "cool" side of tank - checked voltage with voltmeter of rheostat at high 120 volts at lowest setting about 88 volts - won't go lower - one more time............. is 90 too hot - i'll probably go today and buy a plug in light dimmer switch and take the voltage down to 75 or so which should get the temps down - just learning and wondering - any thoughts - know you'll tell me to get a t'stat and i might but just really didn't want another device, another wire down in tank, etc. - stubborn maybe - just believe i can get there with a rheostat - also was wondering - hadn't ttried it yet about laying a ceramic bath tile on top of heater?????

Is the heatmat fixed to the tank? If not, raising the tank 1/2 an inch off might do the trick

Don't rely on the reptile carpet- the snake will crawl right under that and get burned. You need to measure the temp right on the glass in the middle of the UTH. As a temporary measure, you can try putting a ceramic floor tile over the UTH inside the viv. Just make sure the top of the tile gets warm enough, then.

I was having the same issue with my Zoo Med Rheostat not getting my ZM UTH low enough. I picked up a lamp dimmer last weekend at Walmart (figured I try that before getting another t'stat or switching to the Exo Terra Rainforest UTH) and it's worked wonderfully. It does require the occasional adjustment depending on room temp, but it's usually positioned just under the midway point with plenty of room to spare up and down.

robeyeshua said:

is 90 too hot

Click to expand...

I don't think so. I questioned this myself and while setting up some new tanks of my own, did a little test and put the thermometer tip on my hand and it measured 94 degrees. Certainly haven't had a snake getting burned while holding him/her. I also make sure that I can put my bare hand against the glass above the UTH and not burn myself, and I haven't had any problems with keeping the warm side at 90. I had a corn who actually preferred the warm side be around 90. He wouldn't eat regularly if I kept it around 80-85.

With a rheostat though the temps will fluctuate some. My warms sides now stay between 85 and 90.

answers to reply questions

1. yes it is now fixed to the tank - i stuck it on the tank as the instructions said - they also say if you try and remove it , you might damage the element - i believe that as it stuck pretty good
2. i taped the repticarpet to the tank bottom - he cannot get under it - i know this is a cleaning nuisance but i did it anyway
3. i can lay my hand on the carpet over the heater - it is barely warm to touch - i just ham having trouble thinking this can be a problem - i know that snakes can't regulate their body temperature internally - thats why we provide heat and why they are in the road dead in many cases - i also know that in the wild they experience in kentucky very hot summers and very cold winters and very unpredictable and rapidly changing off seasons - i'll still probably by a dimmer if i can find a plug in type - one that will reduce the voltage down to correlate to the ability to achieve 80 - 90 at will with adjustment but the temps i feel i just don't believe could harm, let alone burn ,any animal - surely he would just crawl off - i am a first timer though - thats why i am researching this so much - i had a bad experience with a beardie and don't want to get a bad start now

90 is not too hot. 94 is too hot.

Putting carpet or tile on top of the heater will act as insulation and slow the transfer of heat down. It will not stop it. Eventually the temperature of the carpet will be the same as the heater.

A rheostat will work fine. Most light dimmers will adjust the voltage all the way from 120 to zero. The thing that makes a thermostat better is that the temperature is monitored and constantly adjusted. With a rheostat you will have to be the monitor. The fluctuations in temperature should be small and easily adjusted for as long as you remember to check.

Babies often do well at 85-90 F, but it can be too warm for older snakes. 90 F is kind of the threshold temperature of the danger zone. Temperatures over 90 for even a short time can cause regurges, lethargy, generalized behavior changes, and worse.

Good for you, robeyeshua, for setting up your viv before you get your new snake! Be sure you tell us all about it when it arrives.

th'x to all - will do - came in today and found temps at or around 88 -89 steady - also fyi i stopped by lowes and found for only 10 bucks a really neat dimmer that is plug in - made for table lamps or floor lamps with a nice slide adjustment - voltmeter checked it down to 50 volts or so unloaded - put it away as a backup if needed - was with the sectio where lighting timers were located - will post pictures when viv is set up and when he arrives on tuesday in conjunction with my son's 12th b'day

Sounds great!

By the way, where in Kentucky are you? I have a lot of family there, and I was born in the Bluegrass State.

locality

franklin - 20 miles southof bg

robeyeshua said:

2. i taped the repticarpet to the tank bottom

Click to expand...

I was a little concerned when I read that. Tape and snakes is not a good combination. If the adhesive is strong enough to hold the carpet down then it's strong enough to stick to a snake.
These snakes test every hole, crack and crevice in their area. If there is any way possible to touch the adhesive side of the tape it may happen.

THX

THX ALAN FOR YOUR THOUGHT

Yeah, of course I can't see it but I read "tape" and had an "oh, no" moment.
What kind of snakey are you getting?

I'm familiar with Franklin. I have cousins in Grayson County.

Lori's right about the tape. I didn't catch that. There are a lot of horror stories about snakes entangled with tape. Some of those stories end fatally.

So, as Alan said - what kind of snakey are you getting?

candy cane - male about 3 months old - from south mountain - due in on tuesday

Don makes great candy canes! I know you'll get a beauty from him. We look forward to pictures.