thermometer and thermostat location?

[ronix1]

hey guys.
just building a coastal carpet python enclosure and just wondering where abouts i should position my thermostat and thermometer (if thats even needed). ive built a 1200x600x600 16mm thick melamine enclosure with vents at the top of one end and bottom of the other. also it would be good if you could give me some ideas on how i could install the thermostat as its a probe one with the long spring wire attaching the probe to the box. any help will be greatly appreciated. cheers guys.

 

[fugawi]

OK....firstly, all herps need to have a hot and cold area to go to to regulate their temp. You don't need to control the temp throughout the whole enclosure, just the hot/basking end. At one end of the enclosure you need to set up either a heat mat or basking lamp, this will be the end that the probe will need to be located. The main body of the t/stat can go on the front on the outside or the side, somewhere convenient. The probe needs to go near the lamp but not directly under it, also it shouldn't be hard against the back wall or it will pick up the wall temp rather than the air temp. Put the lamp at the end with the high vent (hot air rises) this will allow the cold air to flow through the bottom vent and slowly rise allowing the hot air to leave at the higher vent. The Coastal should move itself from the basking area to the cooler end when it needs to cool down a bit.

Hope it helps.

 

[chase77]

Hi, I need to ask, when i built my first enclosure 8 months ago, I was told by people on here and read alot of stuff on here that you want the vents down low at your hot end or you will just loose all your heat! just wondering?

Put the lamp at the end with the high vent (hot air rises) this will allow the cold air to flow through the bottom vent and slowly rise allowing the hot air to leave at the higher vent.
Hope it helps.

 

[saximus]

Hi, I need to ask, when i built my first enclosure 8 months ago, I was told by people on here and read alot of stuff on here that you want the vents down low at your hot end or you will just loose all your heat! just wondering?

It isn't a huge deal. The ideal way, from my understanding, is one low down at the cool end and one higher at the warm end to promote a natural convection to be created. Location isn't as important as size though. If they are too big you will lose too much heat and humidity and end up just wasting energy

 

[ronix1]

OK....firstly, all herps need to have a hot and cold area to go to to regulate their temp. You don't need to control the temp throughout the whole enclosure, just the hot/basking end. At one end of the enclosure you need to set up either a heat mat or basking lamp, this will be the end that the probe will need to be located. The main body of the t/stat can go on the front on the outside or the side, somewhere convenient. The probe needs to go near the lamp but not directly under it, also it shouldn't be hard against the back wall or it will pick up the wall temp rather than the air temp. Put the lamp at the end with the high vent (hot air rises) this will allow the cold air to flow through the bottom vent and slowly rise allowing the hot air to leave at the higher vent. The Coastal should move itself from the basking area to the cooler end when it needs to cool down a bit.

Hope it helps.

thanks man appreciate the help. was also just wondering if you had any ideas on how i should put the probe through the melamine? im not quite sure where i should put the hole in it. and also how i should fix the probe down. again thanks for your help