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Other heating options?

G

gembob

New member
So I'm getting my tank set up, and I've got a Zoo Med 20-30 Gallon UTH heater on one end of my tank, and I've had it on set to medium on the Zoo Med Rheostat for at least an hour but it's not bumping the temp up hardly at all. The cold end of the tank is 60, the "warm" end is only 65. What else can I do? Because that's not going to be enough I don't think.
 
I might be wrong, but I believe the rheostat instructions mention something about a few hours to regulate.
 
Also, where are you measuring the temp on the warm side? I would start with the rheostat up almost all the way, and work it downward after it heats up.
 
Another thing. You say the cold side is 60. Is this viv in a heated room? if not, and the ambient temp will vary by more than 5* or so, I would get a thermostat. A rheostat can't adjust for changes in ambient temp, so the tank temp will fluctuate.
 
Thanks for the advice.

The room is only semi-heated. I actually live in the top of a barn so the room is heated by a wood-stove but it's not very warm. It's only about 60 in the room, and gets down to more like 40-50 at night : / I'm home almost all of the time though, it's very rare for me to be gone more than a few hours.

Maybe it's not the best thing for me to be getting a snake, no matter how desperately I want one because of how cold it gets here... and there's no way of keeping it any warmer in the room either haha so all the heating will have to be directly in/on the tank.

Also, I'm measuring the temp on the substrate above the UTH. I'm hoping what OkeeteeMom said is true, and it just needs a few hours to adjust properly. It's been on for an hour right about now.
 
After reading that you heat the room by woodstove (I do too, plus use the furnace when needed) I highly agree with rexracer's suggestion of a thermostat over a rheostat. I've been there and done that and even though I too am home almost all of time, it was a pain in the Heine when I used a rheostat!

EDITED: Here's the Thermostat that was recommended to me by a well known CS.com breeder: The Bean Farm
 
I would definitely upgrade to a thermostat then. Even if you get the heat right at 60*, if the temp drops to 40* then the tank temp will also drop, possibly by more than the 20* the room dropped since the heater might not be able to deal with the cold. If you get the thermostat, you can also use a ceramic heater up top to help keep the temp right. Maybe move the viv closer to the wood stove, too. You can put the warm side toward the stove.
 
Oh, another suggestion because of the woodstove is this...I keep moist hides in all of my Vivs, all of the time (not just during sheds) because of how the air dries out so bad from the woodstove. It gives the snakes a hydrating place to hang out.
 
Rats. That means I wasted 20 bucks on the Rheostat : / They wont take returns on something that's been opened. I guess I'll have to do my best to keep the tank warm enough for my corn until I can get the Thermostat, since she tomorrow haha.
 
You're not alone on "wasting" money in here, if that's any consolation! There's always Craigslist. Just yesterday I finally sold my rheostat, ceramic lamp and Moonlight heat bulb for half of what I paid. But hey, at least some money recouped is better than unused stuff sitting in a closet!

EDIT: PS, as long as you're keeping a watchful eye on the temp you can also wrap a towel or two around the tank to cut down on chill.
 
Not a chance around here haha xD No one, and I mean like NO ONE has reptiles. I don't know a single person who does, and there's never anything on the closest Craigslist for reptiles, the last aquarium posting was a month ago and it was for an aquarium stand : ) Not gonna lie, where I live is pretty much the suckiest place ever when it comes to selling/buying anything xD Heck, even the bookstore in the mall went out of business... which is absolutely pathetic.

Well, at least at this point at almost two hours of running, the thermometer is saying 75 on the substrate above the heating pad, which is at least an inch above it. So I think near the woodstove, it should be just fine until I can afford the thermostat : D

Thanks for all your help there guys, this is the first animal I've had in a long time where I've NEVER had any experience with it before, and considering I have over 100 animals that's saying something xD It's great that there are so many people out there willing to help out a newb : )
 
I know there's a PacNW group in here, so you might be surprised.

In any event, please keep us posted and just do lots and lots of reading in here and you can learn vast amounts about your choice in a CS pet!
 
PS: For your reading on the warm side get your reading down close to the heating pad, not at the top of the bedding, which gives the wrong reading.

PPS: For those who can't get warm enough temps to keep your corn active and feeding, consider brumating the snake. Also you can cover the cage to some degree to hold in humidity and cut down on drafts, which are deadly on your snakes.

TC :santa:
 
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