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Question about heater in viv...need a response asap

CALIVIK

CALIVIK

New member
OK I finally got my corn a heater, felt that is one of the reason he did not have a complete shed & am worried he needs one. So I had bought today a UTH & put it on the lowerside of his 10 gallon tank. Its hot, very warm to touch. So I reread the intructions & it said to put it about 5 inches above the bottom to prevent burns. So I just ran downstairs & where was he in his hide curled up next to the heater, b/c I stuck it to close to the bottom. The heater has been on for about 5 to 6 hrs. I know he was not there long b/c he was on top hanging out in his tree limb. Now what? Did I hurt him? He looks fine, I'm just scared he got hurt. He is only 12wks old....

Need a response as to where to put the heater & did I hurt my baby corn?

Thank YOU!
 
I don't really understand the directions telling you to put it five inches above the bottom, is it stuck to the bottome of the tank or on the inside? You need to get a thermostat to regulate the UTH (as I'm sure you've read elsewhere). I doubt the little guy is hurt but being exposed to the high heat for an extended time could do some damage. For now you could try putting something between the glass and the heater to lower the temp on the glass. I've heard of people using a towel or a tile to lessen the heat, but without a thermostat its going to be hard to keep it a constant temp. Hope that helps ;) good luck.

---Kenny
 
TY Kenny & thanks for responding so quickly. I ran & raised it up which I think he did not like b/c he moved away from the warm glass. I have one that is a sticky UTH, you stick it to the outside of the glass. I have it on the outside glass. He liked it, cause he was all curled up against the glass. What temp should the heater be?

I have him w/ me right now as I type. He is fine.
 
It should be at around 85 degrees, if you touch it and if feels hot then its a good bet that it is way to hot for him. It should really only feel barley warm to you since body temp is hotter than 85. You can get a thermometer from a place like wal-mart for around $11, get an indoor/outdoor thermometer with a probe that you can put right on the glass where the heater is that way you can tell exactly how hot it is at the warmest spot in the tank. Hope it all works out for you ;)

---Kenny
 
I won't worry that you hurt the snake. If he was too hot he'd have moved away from the glass.
The best set up with a UTH is to have a thermometer with a probe (indoor/outdoor thermometer from wal~mart). The probe gets put under the substrate on the hot side. Then you'll what a rheostat (dimmer switch) or thermostate. I like rheostats because they cost way less. Use the rheostat or thermostate to control the heat.
I have an exo-terra rainforst uth and don't even bother with a dimmer because at room temperatures it keeps the tank at 85 degrees.
 
My babies are doing just fine. He did like the heat. So I need to get a real grt one for them. Thanks for responding quickly! :)
 
Also, to buffer the heat a bit, try adding some extra substrate in that area (if it is underneath the viv), so he can decide how close to the heat he wants to be, while still being comfortable. Not to mention, it will give you some extra peace of mind.
 
Hey, you need a thermostat! They aren't too expensive. Like a Zoomed 500R or something. An uncontrolled heat mat can get to 120F or higher!! And you need to measure right on the glass- the max temp the snake can get to, not on top of the aspen, if your heat mat was under the tank where they are usually mounted...

Nanci
 
incomplete sheds have more to do with low humidity than heat. I had to cover some the mesh lid on my tank to keep more humidity in, that helped. I also spray FinFang with a squirt bottle two days before he sheds.

For my heater, I have a thermometer with probe (it can also measure humidity) and I attached a lamp dimmer to the heatpad so I could adjust it. Thermostats also work, as some people have mentioned.
 
Hey Nanci I have a Zoo med UTH, I fed him last night & turned the heater on, its on the side which Zoo Med recommends & I have nothing against it. His hid is below but away about an inch from the glass. I be darn if he did not squeeze himself (somehow) to get as close to the glass as possible. He had some of his body against the window. So I figure he must need it. This morning he was in the same spot but had moved around a little. lol I love him so much!! I want him to be happy & be able to take care of them so they live to be 20 something. :D

For our new girl I got the Zoo med mini, which lets off lower watts than the one he has. but she stayed up in her vine, close to it but not on it like him.

V~ I got some spray too, I have been doing that. Could it be my bedding? Its carebedding (or carefresh) looks like white papertowel smushed up. I like it cause it absorbs & I can see the poo easier. But I just do not want to do what's best for me, but what's best for them...:)

TY again!
 
CALIVIK said:
Hey Nanci I have a Zoo med UTH
Click to expand...

Nanci was referring to a thermostat, which allows you to control or regulate the temperature of the Zoomed UTH that you have.

The key question is what is the temperature on the side where you have the UTH?
 
ah yes, I considered using care fresh for bedding (I had a ton left over from my bunny, I used it as his litter) and ya the stuff was great but I read it can dry out your snake because it's super absorbent. So I donated it to the SPCA and bought aspen bedding instead.

There was a poll a while ago, most people here use aspen (pine and cedar can be toxic). I was using it because of all the research I did it looked the best, but it's up to you. I'm sure there are some people who use carefresh here.
 
Hey not sure what the temp is on the outside, he is downstairs in our den, next to the window. We keep the room around 72 at night & 74 to 78 during the day.

V~ never thought of it dryin' him out. I can SO see this happening. When I bought him this was what he was in. My 'little toot' she came in on a paper towel.

He had his shed last mth on the 17th. He looks so dull. He hung out on our orange tree out back while I cleaned his cage & sprayed it down & then sprayed him down w/ that stuff...got to get the namebrand. I am upstairs getting ready to go to bed. (too lazy) Anyway it soften him up. We'll see. He looks like anyday, his eyes aren't as red as my sunglows, & his skin looks paler than hers right now. I can't believe how much he has grown in 7wks!

Will keep you updated & get that thermostat! I'm so mad b/c when I bought the UTH the guy said 'oh you don't really need a thermostat w/ those'..Argh!:punch:
 
CALIVIK said:
Hey not sure what the temp is on the outside, he is downstairs in our den, next to the window. We keep the room around 72 at night & 74 to 78 during the day.

V~ never thought of it dryin' him out. I can SO see this happening. When I bought him this was what he was in. My 'little toot' she came in on a paper towel.

He had his shed last mth on the 17th. He looks so dull. He hung out on our orange tree out back while I cleaned his cage & sprayed it down & then sprayed him down w/ that stuff...got to get the namebrand. I am upstairs getting ready to go to bed. (too lazy) Anyway it soften him up. We'll see. He looks like anyday, his eyes aren't as red as my sunglows, & his skin looks paler than hers right now. I can't believe how much he has grown in 7wks!

Will keep you updated & get that thermostat! I'm so mad b/c when I bought the UTH the guy said 'oh you don't really need a thermostat w/ those'..Argh!:punch:
Click to expand...



Think he meant what is the temperature on the hot side of the tank (in the tank) not in the room the tank is in.
 
What JustineNYC said! You need to get that temp asap if you haven't already, so that you know if it's dangerous for your snake or not.

Also, you said that the mini heat pad had a lower wattage. That means the energy it consumes, unless there is some other info on those boxes that you're getting this from. that means that if the mini is smaller (and that would make sense) then it may still warm up to the same tempature, even if a different amount of energy, heat that is, is given off. That one needs to be controlled as well.
 
Just wanted to update. Everything is going well. Dani had a beautiful COMPLETE shed!! :) I was SO happy w/ that. He looks SO beautiful!!

Thanks for all the replies & help!
 
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