Temperature question.

First off I would like to say hello, as I am new here.

Now, I just got a beautiful 5 month old corn snake around a week ago. I am using a zoo med UTH and this gets the warm side to around 85 outside the hide and around 90 degrees in the hide. The cool side stays around the 70-75 range.

Is 90 degrees too hot for inside the hide?

Originally Posted by LoNine

First off I would like to say hello, as I am new here.

Now, I just got a beautiful 5 month old corn snake around a week ago. I am using a zoo med UTH and this gets the warm side to around 85 outside the hide and around 90 degrees in the hide. The cool side stays around the 70-75 range.

Is 90 degrees too hot for inside the hide?

Yes,
The temps should be in the mid 80's

What are you using to read the temps with anyway??
And is the uth regulated too?

Hello and welcome!

90 is the top end of their range, so I'd take it down a few degrees so that the hide is around 85-ish.

Im using a inside/outside thermometer, with the outside part in the tank, and I dont have anything to regulate it yet, as Im not sure what to get.

Would the subtrate make a difference that that temp? Right now I'm using newspaper but I ordered lizard carpet, which will be here on monday.

If you don't have anything to regulate the UTH I would get something ASAP. It is very likely that your temps directly on the glass above the UTH are getting above 90. I tested an unregulated zoo med UTH once (without a snake in the tank) and the temperature reached over 110 degrees before I unplugged it.

An actual thermostat is the preferred way to go. The "herpstat" proportional ones are always recommended http://www.spyderrobotics.com/products/herpstat.html The Ranco stats are also fairly popular, though it is an on/off stat, not a proportional. http://www.reptilebasics.com/ranco-e...pre-wired.html

If you don't have the money right now for a thermostat you can look into a rheostat. For this you can pick up a lamp dimmer switch from Home Depot or most other hardware stores. http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...atalogId=10053 With this you have to play with the switch, raising and lowering the switch (and therefore the power to the heat pad) until you get to the preferred temperature reading on the thermometer. If the temperatures in your house go up or down a lot (say from winter to summer, etc..) then you have to keep a close eye on that thermometer because the heater will raise and lower temps with the change in house temperature, and you have to adjust the dimmer switch accordingly.

Thanks for the quick replies. Ill definatly look into getting a regulator of some sort in the next few days.

I use lamp dimmers on all the snakes. They work for a small collection but they need to be checked a few times a day.