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Heating question... I'm confused

silivrentoliel

silivrentoliel

New member
At the moment, Dahlia has only a red heat bulb (that I stole from my leopard gecko) because her UTH was running amuck and I thought 100+ degrees was WAY too hot for her....

She doesn't seem to mind the light, and I've been monitoring the temps- normally around 86 or so on the warm side and in the mid 70s on the cool side, which I read was a good range....

IMG_3578.jpg


But since she ate (on Sunday), she's been mostly hanging out on her long which I've since moved a little and she hangs out on the log, wedged up against the glass, is it because she's needing more warmth that she stays up there? I get paid on Friday and plan on getting her a proper UTH with a way to regulate the temps to where I need them, but will she continue to enjoying climbing and being warm? Should I leave the light? I'm just afraid I'm doing something wrong :awcrap:

(as for the picture, she is kind of laying like that, wedged up between the glass and the wood, only curled up a lot more)
 
My corn's hot spot is usually around 84-87 with the lamp on. They've always been just fine. Heck, even my snakes in the "cold spot" of the house with warm side around 80 degrees haven't had any problems in 3 years. I think she'll be alright. Any higher, like in the 90s just sounds to warm to me.
 
Kathy Love's book says that heat lamps are okay to use. Personally, I and many others prefer the UTH route. But anyway, from Kathy's book, it says to allow a hot spot of 90 on a branch as a "slightly too hot" spot so the corns can thermoregulate however they want.
 
wedged up between the glass and the wood, only curled up a lot more
Click to expand...
They'll choose security over the correct temp, so she could just be hanging out there because she can wedge herself in and feel safe.

The switch to a UTH should make no difference to her behaviour if she's choosing security. Make sure she has some snug hides on the floor and maybe some ground cover, and as long as you keep the UTH at the correct temp with a thermostat, she'll have a good range of hiding places to choose from. After that - it's up to her!
 
If you use the heat lamp be sure to provide a good humid hide. The lamp can dry things out a bit and may make for difficult sheds.
JOSH
 
jkgeorge said:
If you use the heat lamp be sure to provide a good humid hide. The lamp can dry things out a bit and may make for difficult sheds.
JOSH
Click to expand...

I did not know that, thanks. Can I use both the UTH and lamp? She's currently in a 20T tank but I want to eventually upgrade her into at *least* a 40 breeder or 55... we'll see where we can find space ^_^ That in mind, I'd almost *want* to use both to help create a better gradient for her... I have had to for my beardie, but I use a ceramic bulb for her... and she has no screen on her tank, lol, can't do that w/ the snake!
 
You can, but there's no need to. A UTH regulated with a thermostat is plenty.

Remember corns come from a temperate climate, they don't want or appreciate high temps. Anything over 90 is considered to be in the dangerous territory for them.

Heat lamps don't really do much for a corn (who prefer belly heat...ie a UTH) and just dry out the air making sheds more difficult. If you need a light for visibility purposes, go ahead and use one of those night-time snake lights, just don't bother putting it right up against the tank (ie use it for light rather than heat).
 
In my opinion, using both would not be necessary. Your dragon requires a much hotter spot than you corn, so there is more "room" for a gradient. With snakes, surface temperature is more important than ambient air temperature, which is why good UTHs are the best heat source. I highly recommend taking at look at Ultratherm UTHs if you need to upgrade or replace yours. They aren't sticky like the others, but can be easily attached with aluminum tape. I prefer them over the usual UTHs and the price is very reasonable.
 
Rheostats are the cheap option for a UTH, but they need regular monitoring and you'll have to turn it up and down manually to try and maintain a constant temperature. It's not very convenient if your indoors temperatures fluctuate by a lot over the year, but it'll be fine if you don't mind the extra vigilence.

A thermostat costs more, but once you have it set up it will adjust itself automatically to maintain the same temperature, without you needing to turn it up or down.
 
bitsy said:
Rheostats are the cheap option for a UTH, but they need regular monitoring and you'll have to turn it up and down manually to try and maintain a constant temperature. It's not very convenient if your indoors temperatures fluctuate by a lot over the year, but it'll be fine if you don't mind the extra vigilence.

A thermostat costs more, but once you have it set up it will adjust itself automatically to maintain the same temperature, without you needing to turn it up or down.
Click to expand...

They had a thermostat for sale on the same site, but I wasn't sure which was the better option. Thank you for explaining it to me, because I had absolutely no idea, lol.

I'm still miffed at the UTH, the one in my leo's tank NEVER runs away like this one, I've had it monitored since the day he moved into a larger tank, and it stays around 87* or 90*, and it's rated for a MUCH larger tank (oops on the part of those who shipped it, but they told me to keep it and it works really well for him). This one is rated appropriately and wants to cook little Dahlia. Maybe I ought to try and unstick them and switch them around :shrugs:
 
Nanci said:
The hot UTH isn't malfunctioning. They are MADE to reach temps of 110-130, unregulated.
Click to expand...

hm, so then maybe the one in my leo's tank in the one that's malfunctioning... now i'm all paranoid, lol, i'm going to have to fiddle with his too.

as for the thermostats, I was looking at the zilla one, I don't have the funds, currently for the herpstat (at least not til I get out of school).
 
The Zilla will be fine. (Zilla doesn't make it, just brands it). The difference is Zilla is on/off. You set a temp. It turns on the UTH until it reaches the set temp, then turns the device off. The temp continues to rise a degree or two. The temp then falls and eventually the stat turns it on again.

The Herpstat is proportional. It supplies power to the heating device in a percentage- say 50% when you start it up. Then as it nears the set temp, it decreases the power supplied to 30%, 20%, 10%, slowing the temp rise, so that you don't have that big span of temps like you do with an on/off. Is this important for cornsnakes? Most likely, not. Nice digital proportional thermostats offer a lot of other functions, though, such as high/low alarms and safety shut-offs.
 
I have to say that I've always used the cheaper on/off thermostats with my UTHs and they've seemed fine. Whilst there is some fluctuation, I set them up to run at around 85 and I've never known them hit 90 or drop below 80.
 
Another good thermostat that's cheap is the "hydrofarm" thermostat. I'm using my cell so I can't easily post a link but will when I git home. Just google it and you'll find it on ebay or amazon. It's a digital thermostat so it's easier to use then the zilla one.
 
HazAnga said:
Another good thermostat that's cheap is the "hydrofarm" thermostat. I'm using my cell so I can't easily post a link but will when I git home. Just google it and you'll find it on ebay or amazon. It's a digital thermostat so it's easier to use then the zilla one.
Click to expand...

I saw it on Amazon.... is the Zilla one analog? or just an on/off type one?

(i know it was said that it switches on and off, but I didn't know if the temp settings were analog and controlled it, or how it worked...)
 
The zilla and hydrofarm thermostats are the same (on until around desired temp then once it's a couple degrees below desired temp it turns on again) except the zilla is analog and you'd need (should have anyway) a probe thermometer. But the hydrofarm thermostat is digital and you just set it to the temp you want, eg. 83F and you can almost forget about it. It's not as amazing as the herpstats though, I have 2 of the hydrofarm thermostats and one of the new herpstat 2's for my incubator (when I get a successful breeding).
 
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