Need help on temps asap, please

[eawndl]

ok so im trying to get my temps all situated because tomorrow i get my snake! woot!
well l have my undertank heater on, plus i have this connected to it set at low.

and to take the temp i have this thing.

now my problem is that when i feel the warm side of the tank(i know my temps are dif than the snakes) when that thermometer says it is 84, it doesnt feel anything like 84, it doesnt even really feel like the UTH is on. so basically, i have the rheostat set for low and the thermometer says its 84, but it doesnt feel like it. the thermometer has ranged (in a 12 hour time period) from 83 to 85 degrees but just doesnt seem like it.


any ideas or thoughts? is this thermometer reading accurately?

 

[wstphal]

If your hands are healthy & your home is not too cold, 84F is LOWER than the skin temp of your hands. Try holding the thermometer probe in your hands & see what reading you get. So the UTH feels kind of cool to you.

 

[Dinah]

Exactly what wstphal said.

We just set up our tank a few weeks ago and for the most part it doesn't feel warm on the warm side at all even though my thermometers and temp gun are both giving excellent readings. It did feel a little bit warm to touch a couple weeks ago when it got REALLY REALLY cold here. But even when we were freezing the warm side only felt the slightest bit warm to touch. The best of luck to you with your set up and snake, we just got our snake on Saturday so I know how exciting this is for you!!!!!

 

[Nroc]

Bury your finger down through the substrate on the cold side near the heat pad. Then slide it over where the pad is. I can feel the glass getting warmer (although only slightly) as I do this.

 

[l0ck_0ff]

haha take the rheostat back. it wont get low enough trust me on this i took mine back. went to home depot and got a plug-in lamp dimmer for 10 bucks. and it works way way way better.

 

[bitsy]

Yup - 84 degrees is cooler than you are (humans run at over 90 degrees), so the mat will feel lukewarm at most. Sounds good to me.

 

[eawndl]

ok so now that i have this thing on half of the lid (to help with humidity) the temp is at 88.7 degrees. and my thermostat thing is at the lowest setting. I'm gonig to be getting something different to help control the heat once i get paid but that wont be for another week. is this temp ok? i mean will it hurt the snake? is there somethnig else i can do till i get something new to help control the heat? sorry for so many questions but i get my snake in like 21/2 hours, or right about there.

 

[amazondoc]

As long as you only have the UTH under part of the cage, then the cooler end of the cage should be al right for the snake. I actually use two thermometers in most of my boxes -- one at the hot end, and one at the cool end. Even in the small boxes I'm using right now, the range from end to end is usually about 10 degrees.

I would strongly recommend replacing your rheostat with a real thermostat. The rheostat sets a specific amount of power going to the UTH -- but you may need different amounts at different times of day, depending on your room's temp, in order to maintain cage temp. A thermostat, however, will maintain a specific temperature in the cage no matter what your room temp is.

 

[wade]

But for now you are in good shape. Go get your snake and have fun. Your snake will be just fine.