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Heating Pad, Fire Hazard?

Okay, that's good! I find my Hydrofarms a little cooler than their displays too. Didn't even realize until I finally bought a temperature gun.
 
Yeah, in fact I cut off the heating lamp I have been using so far, thinking that the heating pad could regulate the temperature by itself, and the temp dropped down to 75 degrees, so I turned the lamp back on.
 
I suspect you have the wrong type of pad (see my post above), if it can't keep up without using the light. You should also have a hide for the snake above the heating pad, which will help trap heat inside it.
 
True .... if I didn't have my thermostat, the temp would be who knows where. This holds it down where I want it. I don't need a heat lamp to keep it warm.
 
DollysMom said:
Bottom line, set it for whatever you need to for the thermometer to read 85. That's the temp that will matter to your snake.
Click to expand...

^This. I have thermostats set at 88 and others set at 105 to keep different enclosures' warm spots at 86ish. It depends on the thickness of glass (or plastic), choice of substrate, placement of the probe, ambient room temp, etc. There is no universal "set it at such and such and forget it."
 
The ambient temperature in the cage is about 83 to 85 usually. I have placed the probe for the thermostat on the warm side of the cage fixed to the glass wall with the tip of the probe just barely dipping into the substrate.

The heating pad is zoo med, and on the package it said it was ideal for a 20 gallon tank.
 
Well, the ambient temperature I listed is what the thermometer on the warm side of the tank reads. The ambient temperature on the cool side usually is about 75 to 78 degrees according to the thermometer I placed there.
 
those thermometers that you stick to the wall of the cage to measure ambient temps are misleading.

If you have a Heat Pad attached to the bottom glass of the tank and it's hot enough to make the ambient air temp 85 degrees, then the temp on the glass bottom is probably well over 100. (I have a heat pad that hits 113 unregulated).

The heat pad has a Rheostat on it and the glass bottom now stays at 85 degrees. My Ambient air temp in the cage itself runs about 75 to 77.

(Now if you are maintaining an ambient temp of 85 "Without" using a heat pad, then disregard what I've just said.) However, if you have Ambient air temps of 85 and you do use a heat pad, I urge you to ASAP brush back your substrate from the pad and measure the temp directly on the glass. If it's over 88 you will probably have problems if you don't already.
 
The thermostat says its 85 though. The probe of the thermostat measures at the top of the substrate on the warm side.
 
I think there's a little confusion about the term ambient temperature. In this case the ambient temperature would refer to your room temperature.

Your cool side temp is usually within a few degrees of the ambient room temp. I measure my cool side temp with a probe placed in the cool hide. I measure my warm side temp with a probe on the glass, under the substrate, in the center of the UTH, in the center of warm hide. That is the temp you want to be 84-86. I always aim for 85.

I asked about your ambient temp because if it is very low (or very high), it can make it difficult to keep the warm side temp at 85. However, that does not seem to be the case for you.

In the middle of posting I notice that Karl just answered. Just take this in addition, not instead of what he said.
 
you don't measure the "Top of the Substrate" you measure directly on the glass under the substrate. The corn snake can and will burrow at times and can come into contact with the glass bottom.
 
Oh. I thought 85 was just the general temperature it needed to be on the substrate on the warm side. Okay, well I can bury the probe under the substrate on the very bottom, but if the heat pad itself is only 85 the warm side temperature overall will probably be in the high 70's to 80 I think.

The room temperature is about 70-71 degrees.
 
SQUID67 said:
Oh. I thought 85 was just the general temperature it needed to be on the substrate on the warm side. Okay, well I can bury the probe under the substrate on the very bottom, but if the heat pad itself is only 85 the warm side temperature overall will probably be in the high 70's to 80 I think.

The room temperature is about 70-71 degrees.
Click to expand...

That room temp sounds fine. Just make sure that warm side probe in the hide, on the glass, under the substrate is about 85 and your snake will take care of the rest.

Remember, you are creating a thermal gradient so your snake can choose its own temp.
 
Okay. I put the probe for my thermostat under the substrate directly on the heating pad, and the temperature was about 93, so I decided to bury the end of the probe under the substrate, and kept the temperature at 85 degrees. This will mean that the overall temperature on the warm end will be less than 85. Is this correct?
 
SQUID67 said:
Okay. I put the probe for my thermostat under the substrate directly on the heating pad, and the temperature was about 93, so I decided to bury the end of the probe under the substrate, and kept the temperature at 85 degrees. This will mean that the overall temperature on the warm end will be less than 85. Is this correct?
Click to expand...

Yes it is.
 
SQUID67 said:
Alright. Thank you all for your suggestions! You've been very helpful
Click to expand...

I this is an extremely helpful place. One of the nicest forums I've ever been on anywhere. I hope you stick around and continue to ask any questions. There is no such thing as a stupid question and if you don't understand the first time, keep asking until you do. The goal is healthy, happy snakes with confident and competent owners.
 
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