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Thermostat/temperature question

M

Mauricia

New member
Hi, so I did a search and read some other posts and I still have a question. I just got a corn snake yesterday (my first) from someone who couldn't keep her anymore. She's in her original tank with the original UTH, but I'm using the thermostat that I just bought. The cool side of the tank is 74 degrees on the substrate according to the temp gun, and the warm side on the substrate is 78 degrees. From reading other posts I interpreted that if the snake is going to be laying on the glass above the heater then you want that to be the hottest temperature, so I set the thermostat at 85 degrees. She likes to burrow under the substrate and I don't want her to get burned. But when I set the thermostat to 85, when I point the temp gun at the heating mat its measuring like 92. The temp probe is right on top of the glass in the middle of the heat pad so it's in the correct spot. Does the glass prevent a lot of the heat from getting through, so that on top of the glass it would only be 85 but the actual heat source is 92? I know I should measure the bottom of the glass temp but she's laying right there and I don't want to freak her out by digging in the substrate since I think she needs time to adjust. So I turned down the thermostat to 84 just to be safe, but now the heat pad has a temp of only 85. So is my thermostat screwed up that there is such a big temp difference with only 1 degree adjustment on the dial? Is it ok to disturb her to get the temp, or is it better to just leave her for now and worry about the exact temp later? And how much does the glass block heat from getting through?
Thanks I hope this makes sense
 
I'm not sure if a laser temp is able to read temps through glass?? I would think the temp it is reading is the top surface of the glass (the first surface it hits). I might be wrong.

My best guess is the reason for the difference is the probe. Probes on most thermostats are still meant to only measure ambient temps, rather than surface temps...so your glass surface is going to be hotter than the air temp millimeters above the glass where the probe is. I'd probably go by the temp of the glass with the laser temp and lower the thermostat just a couple notches.
 
Ok that makes sense about the probe, so I will set it a little below 85. As far as the temp gun measuring through glass, I realize I'm not explaining it properly. So the tank is on a stand that leaves the majority of the bottom of the tank open (since UTH aren't supposed to be making direct contact with a surface) so I'm using the temp gun to directly measure the temp of the heater, so it's not the temp on the glass on the inside of the aquarium, but the UTH actual temp. I'm measuring the temp there to avoid disturbing the snake right after transport, as I would have to rustle around in the substrate to get the temp of where she is actually resting. So I'm asking if I can expect the temp on the other side of the heater, in the aquarium, to be much cooler than the heater itself. I turned the thermostat down and the heater is measuring 88. So I think this would be safe even if the glass is conducting all the heat? Which I think its not. She does have a hide that runs the length of the aquarium so she could move, is it safe to just leave the temps how they are for now?
 
Ohhh, if you're measuring the temp of the UTH under the glass that is going to be higher than the temp of the glass surface inside the tank, especially if the UTH is not in direct contact with the glass. In that case I'd probably go by the probe temperature, or if you get a glass surface reading inside the tank with the laser thermo.
 
This is what I do: put my probe directly on the heat pad or flexwatt. I set it for a few degrees higher than what I want the inside of the tank or tub to be. Then check the inside of the tank or tub with a temp gun or other thermometer to make sure it is what you actually want.
 
I would put the thermostat probe in the viv, in the middle of the UTH, under the aspen. I would measure with a temp gun and adjust the thermostat to the desired temp, based on the temp gun. 85F. What brand of thermostat do you have?
 
Ok thanks for your advice guys, I think I have it figured out. The thermostat is Newtek products. Its definitely a few degrees off, but my snake has been left alone for three days since she arrived so I figured it was ok to move her to get a temperature reading, and when I moved her I rearranged the hides a little so I would be able to get temp readings easily in the future without kicking her out of her hide. So now her heating pad is at a stable 85 degrees on the floor of her tank.
I just want to make sure though that she is behaving normally, because she hasn't moved at all. When I first brought her home it was only a five minute drive and I didn't take her out of the tank, so she's in the same tank she's been in for years. She hid for a couple hours, then she explored for an hour, then she went in her hide and never came out. Is this normal behavior for a snake or should I be concerned? Doesn't she need to drink or anything? I know she hasn't moved because I propped some of her bedding up so that she would knock it over if she moved and it hasn't changed. The lights are quite dim so I don't think that's it. I only picked her up for five minutes to move her hide to take the temp. How often is it ok to pick her up? Would like 10 minutes every other day (except 48 hours after feeding and during shedding) be too much handling? I tried to look online and some places said daily is ok and some places said you should only handle them when you have to do something. Her previous owner said she doesn't mind handling but I forgot to ask him how much he handled her.
 
she's in the same tank she's been in for years. She hid for a couple hours, then she explored for an hour, then she went in her hide and never came out. Is this normal behavior for a snake or should I be concerned?
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She needs time to settle into her new home. Even though she's in her usual tank, she'll be aware of new smells, sounds and possibly types of movement around her. She'll be feeling very nervous and it's normal for them to hide away more when they first arrive.

How often is it ok to pick her up? Would like 10 minutes every other day (except 48 hours after feeding and during shedding) be too much handling?
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It's usually recommended that you don't handle thm at all for the first week, so that they have time to relax a little first. Gentle handling every other day would be fine as long as it doesn't stress the snake. Some don't mind being handled, others just tolerate it. They're all individuals so there are no rules for that one (in fact there are no set-in-stone "rules" for anything really!). Also, you shouldn't handle for 48 hours after feeding or they might regurge.

I just want to make sure though that she is behaving normally, because she hasn't moved at all.
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Bear in mind that Corns are usually secretive and tend to be more active at dawn, dusk and overnight. Even when she's settled in, you may not see much of her during the day. Giving her a couple more hides or some ground cover like plastic foliage, might encourage her to move around more freely when she's ready. Looks good as well.
 
Thanks Bitsy, I appreciate your advice. I wasn't sure if she would still have to settle in since she's still in the same cage. I wasn't handling her for a week anyway though, just in case, which is why I wasn't sure if it was ok to move her to take the temp, so that's the only handling she's gotten in 5 days was when I picked her up for less than 5 minutes to move her hide so I could get the temp above the heater. I think her tank has enough hides, there's a paper towel roll that spans the length of the tank, plus two more hides, a log, and a big bushy fake plant. I expected her to stay hiding most of the time, I just wanted to make sure there wasn't a health problem if she literally wasn't moving. And I'll give her her first meal a week after she arrived so hopefully I won't have any problems with that. :) I'm just so nervous about doing anything wrong! I want to take proper care of her.
 
Well the setup sounds great and that behaviour sounds pretty normal for a new arrival. You're just a nervous new Momma! We all go through it... Welcome to the club!
 
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