Ceramic heat lamp not heating

[Colleen]

Hi all, we are a new Snake family, only getting our 2 mth old coastal Python "Neville" last weekend. Neville lives in a small glass enclosure that sits inside his big glass enclosure. This was so our granddaughter or kids cant just pick up the smaller enclosure and walk around with it. he has substrate, water and a hide. We have the 100W ceramic heat lamp attached into the large enclosure. The Thermostat says it wont heat over 26 degrees. Thermostat works, we tested it and it works fine. Are we doing something wrong? Is 100W to small for the enclosure? We dont have a UV light set up yet either.

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[doublepost=1579561119,1579558024][/doublepost]UPDATE: So i removed the lamp cage, walked away and came back 5mins later it had jumped 2 degrees and is still rising! WTH.. So the lamp cage appears to be absorbing all the heat! I wonder if heat pad is a better option now. Hes cant get to the lamp for a while so its ok for now.

 

[Herpetology]

Heat mat would be a much better option under a 3rd of the smaller enclosure, with the ceramic heater you aren’t giving the snake a proper heat gradient or all the heat is being lost along the way

 

[cagey]

I dont think removing the heat cage would do that. Iwould listen to Herpatology.

Heat mat would be a much better option under a 3rd of the smaller enclosure, with the ceramic heater you aren’t giving the snake a proper heat gradient or all the heat is being lost along the way

If removing the cage had caused the ceramic heater to start I would get the electricals checked. Also a heat gun can tell you if the CHEis on.

 

[Colleen]

Thank you for the suggestions. Removing the black cage from the ceramic seems to have helped quite a bit. It sits around 30 - 32 degrees now but often drops to around 28 degrees. i have the thermostat set to 34. We have also put some aluminium foil over the top of the enclosure as a lot of the heat was escaping out of the mesh top. Neville seems comfortable with the current set up. Very calm and relaxed when he comes out to be handled and very easy to feed. Can't wait for him to out grow his little enclosure so we can set up the larger one so he can climb and explore.

 

[Herpetology]

Thank you for the suggestions. Removing the black cage from the ceramic seems to have helped quite a bit. It sits around 30 - 32 degrees now but often drops to around 28 degrees. i have the thermostat set to 34. We have also put some aluminium foil over the top of the enclosure as a lot of the heat was escaping out of the mesh top. Neville seems comfortable with the current set up. Very calm and relaxed when he comes out to be handled and very easy to feed. Can't wait for him to out grow his little enclosure so we can set up the larger one so he can climb and explore.

Foil is a questionable, maybe dangerous choice? I was thinking like a towel or something

 

[CF Constrictor]

If you have removed the protective cage around the ceramic heat bulb then you are potentialy exposing your snake to being accidentaly burned. I would get rid af the ceramic bulb and use a heat mat as previously suggested.

 

[meako]

I would be getting that larger cage sorted out asap and make sure all temps and lights are properly working prior to moving him in. You dont need a uv light. Also and this is just my opinion...glass enclosures aren't good homes for snakes.The mesh top and glass are where the heat is escaping.
I also would like to know (as Im sure many others do ) how old the kids are who are likely to walk around with a glass box containing a baby python...to me that would be a big no no...with penalties. Its not a toy! Neville will hopefully live to a ripe old age and within 5 or 6 short years attain a length around 2M...you're gunna need a bigger boat chiefy! and a quiet space to put it...they like to hide...
The need for foil or towels or wooden lids or any of that suggests strongly to me that the enclosure is the wrong design for your needs climate wise...not to mention fire hazard...its dodgy to say the least....also -you need the cage around the che..no question.
I dont know your level of experience but imo a python keot in a fishtank type situation wont be happy.. couple of sticks to climb up would be a good addition to his enclosure and a couple of hides...in short the enclisure is the pythons home /retreat/safe place....bring him out in the garden for viewing and pooing...he will be healthier and happier..
Cheers.

 

[Sdaji]

There's a lot of good advice in this thread. It looks like you've gone to a pet shop and been sold an expensive setup which isn't really much good for the snake. Ceramic heat emitters are garbage which for every application have a cheaper, better alternative, but they remain popular among newbies, probably because pet shops/specialist manufacturers can make money from them, you can't buy them from regular shops, so they are actively marketed to less experienced keepers.

As said above, glass enclosures look good but aren't good for snakes. They're transparent and thermally poor, as well as fragile and if they break they are dangerous which is a consideration if you have young kids around.

Floor heat is the best way to provide a thermal gradient, it's also cheapest (less electricity) and heat cords never blow. The good news is that your snake is feeding well and seems happy At this time of year you'll get away with a glass enclosure and poor heating choices more easily than in winter. If you live up north or your house is always kept at a comfortable temperature you might do okay all year.
[doublepost=1581848054,1581847983][/doublepost]Oh, and +1 to not getting UV. It's not necessary or beneficial for Carpet Pythons. You've already thrown enough money at the newbie exploitation deal, you can stop now!