Temperature troubles

[Caitlin96]

Hi all,
I’ve been having issues getting the hot side of my enclosure to actually get anywhere near hot. I’m going to be getting a Stimson and so I need the hot side to be around 32 degrees obviously, but I can’t get it above 22. I have a very large enclosure (90cm long 45cm deep and 60cm tall). My heat mat did essentially nothing, so I’ve got a ceramic heather (150W) in a porcelain glow light sitting directly on top of the enclosure and it still won’t heat above 22 degrees. The whole top of my enclosure is ventilated, would covering some (not all) of it help trap the heat in better? Or is this a terrible idea? I really don’t know what to do now. Any help would be much appreciated!!! Thank you!

 

[Bl69aze]

150W would be getting 22 easy peasy (would be getting upwards of 40+) pretty much cook your snake if its not on a thermostat.. my 75w gets 30c in winter

you either have a dodgy CHE or you arent measuring the temp properly. Do u have an IR temp gun? aim that at the heater directly and it should be well in the x100s

pictures would help alot

 

[Caitlin96]

I had the heater and my light hooked into the thermostat, with the thermostat temperature probe in the centre of my tank, one thermometer on the cold side and two separate ones on the hot side and the low readings were consistent at all times. I tried uploading a picture but it’s too large and is failing to upload :/ my house is quite cold, could this be effecting it? Sorry, I haven’t owned a snake before so I’m just trying to look at all the possibilities!!

 

[Pauls_Pythons]

A pic of your set up and some more detail will help to diagnose your problems.
What type of thermostat, have you turned the thermostat up, is the CHE getting hot, what type of thermometer (very important as you are probably measuring air temp instead of surface temp directly below the CHE.

In short yes, blocking vents will of course raise the temp but might not be necessary.

 

[Caitlin96]

I’ve attached an overall photo of the set up as is right now (hopefully it works). The thermostats im using is called the Eco Tech DNT-100 thermostat I believe. As far as I’m aware it’s set up correctly, I have the CHE plugged into the heat outlet and the temperature on the thermostat set to 32.5 degrees Celsius with a variance allowance of 2 degrees Celsius, as far as I can tell this is all the correct way to do it? When left on you can feel by placing your hand anywhere near the lamp that it hot, but the temperature never gets over 22. I have a stick on thermometer on both sides of the tank, the thermostats temperature probe in the centre, and an eco terra stick on thermometer currently sitting on the floor level of my “hot” side (as no snake in there).


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[Bl69aze]

is it possible you plugged the CHE into timer?

i'd recommend having a branch go over the hide, close ish to the top and then measure the spot

if you can feel that its hot, then it should be HOT and reaching temperatures no problems, it is most likely a dude CHE, or you havent let it warm up enough?

try it without a thermostat and see

 

[Tobe404]

I've always preferred heat mat/cord over lights for Snakes. As for wattage for heat from a light. 30-60watt should be plenty (even in Winter [Example is for a Yellow Spotted Monitor, but point still stands]).

My 60watt flood light gets to about 60c on the tile stack and 25-30c at the ends of the enclosure during the day for my Yellow Spotted Monitor. During warmer months I use a 40watt with no issues.

I'd position the thermostat as close to the top of the substrate as you can (in the middle of the main heat source side [maybe stick it to the back wall]) and then see what the temps are.

Actually, since the top is ventilated, and the light is actually outside the enclosure, you'd be losing A LOT of heat.

Used to have the same enclosure for one of my Murray Darlings. Had a stick on heat matt underneath (think it was 15-20watt.) Always got to the appropriate temps (at ground level at least). Belly heat is more important for Snakes anyway I reckon.

 

[Caitlin96]

It’s definitely plugged into the heat as my light is in the timer and it goes off and on perfectly as timed. And the temperature on the thermostat is definitely set for 32.5 as I said, which I’m assuming means it should continue to heat until the temperature probe of the thermostat starts to read 32.5 but it doesn’t even get close


My heat mat basically did nothing, you could only feel a slight warmth if you pushed your fingers into the substrate above it. So are you saying that moving the actual thermostat box might help? I don’t really see how but then again I’m new to this and will give anything a shot


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[Bl69aze]

My heat mat basically did nothing, you could only feel a slight warmth if you pushed your fingers into the substrate above it. So are you saying that moving the actual thermostat box might help? I don’t really see how but then again I’m new to this and will give anything a shot


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i think he meant thermostat probe, see where it gets to being hot and then becoming cold

again with that kind of setup i'd recommend a basking branch, where i'd use a mat or heatcord for the hide hot spot ( if thats what i was going for ) flip that branch around so its under the CHE

 

[Caitlin96]

Not sure if you can see too well but the probe is just there, very bottom and in centre of tank. I’ll try moving it to the hot side

Okay so I’ve flipped the branch so it is higher up underneathe the CHE, and I’ve put the temperature probe from the thermostat at ground level on hot side and I’ve sat the dial thermometer on the branch up close to the CHE to see what it gets too

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[Bl69aze]

Okay so I’ve flipped the branch so it is higher up underneathe the CHE, and I’ve put the temperature probe from the thermostat at ground level on hot side and I’ve sat the dial thermometer on the branch up close to the CHE to see what it gets too

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So with those kinds of thermomemeters, they measure the air temperatures around it

You should buy a cheap “infrared temp gun for like 15$”

That will give u the temperatures of the exact spot you are aiming at

For the thermostat probe, put that on the branch where you put the round one

The CHE will go full blast trying to get the thermostat to hit 32° but it can’t because it’s too far away (if that makes sense) when in reality it’s going like 80-90° where you want the hot spot to be

 

[Caitlin96]

Oh okay that’s really useful, I wasn’t aware of the difference! I’ll have to grab one tomorrow. For now, I’ll leave it like this and see how we go? Otherwise I’m back at phase 1 and looking at how to cover up some of the roof somehow, which I really don’t want to do/think I should need to do

Ahhhh yes that makes sense! But don’t I want to make sure the heat is getting all the way through to the bottom? Or as long as there’s one spot the snake can get to where it’s hot it will be okay? If that makes sense


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[Bl69aze]

Oh okay that’s really useful, I wasn’t aware of the difference! I’ll have to grab one tomorrow. For now, I’ll leave it like this and see how we go? Otherwise I’m back at phase 1 and looking at how to cover up some of the roof somehow, which I really don’t want to do/think I should need to do

Ahhhh yes that makes sense! But don’t I want to make sure the heat is getting all the way through to the bottom? Or as long as there’s one spot the snake can get to where it’s hot it will be okay? If that makes sense


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I wouldn’t think changing the top would do anything.

Have you tried putting the probe on top of the hide?

 

[Caitlin96]

I’ve swapped the probe and the dial thermometer over from the last photo now so we will see what that gets to


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[Bl69aze]

I’ve swapped the probe and the dial thermometer over from the last photo now so we will see what that gets to


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Being a non arboreal species, Stimson pythons aren’t really climbers (just realised this is what you have , was thinking of Diamond python for some reason, lots of diamond python threads) and get majority of the heat on ground.

Set the thermostat temperature higher just so it doesn’t mess with the heater (heating up fast then abruptly stopping)

So what I would do is see what the temp is on the branch should well and truly hit 32° and slowly lower it down to the hide.

150w is definitely 100% enough.

 

[Caitlin96]

Yes that’s why I was concerned and why I originally had the thermostat probe down just above the substrate, because I wanted to ensure it would be getting the heat it needed at ground level


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[Pauls_Pythons]

1st thing is those thermometers are useless. Designed for aquariums not vivariums & they will never get warm because they are too far way from the heat source.

Block off half the vent at the top and go buy a non contact thermometer (infra red gun)
For now you could put the thermometer directly under the heat source to see what temp you get with the current set up.
Just because your thermostat is set at 32 doesn't mean anything, its a set point, you may well need to increase that well above the required temp to achieve the temps you want inside the enclosure.

 

[Caitlin96]

Okay so left the heater on over night with the probe high up on the branch. Highest I saw it get to before bed was 23 degrees last night, this morning it’s reading 19 degrees. I will still get a contactless thermometer but it’s clear my tank isn’t getting hot enough. Do I need to try increasing the temperature set on my thermostat (even though the temperature didn’t get anywhere near what it is currently set at) or do I have to find something to cover some of the ventilated roof?


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[Bl69aze]

sounds like a dud heater at that distance even with uncovered roof, it should be hitting ATLEAST 30+

are you sure it was 150w and not 50w?

you could try set your thermostat to as high as it goes? perhaps its limiting the amount of power getting to the CHE

you could also try get a spotlight i know some people use from bunnings, instead of spreading heat from the Heat emitter, it shoots straight down

 

[Shire pythons]

What he said above. Somethings not quite right ! I have a 150w ceramic heating my bhp enclosure and his hot spot gets up to 40 easily and even creates a hot spot for the bhp above (stacked enclosures) !! And its bloody cold in my snake room atm
[doublepost=1530231616,1530231059][/doublepost]Also glass enclosures are terrible at holding heat , no insulation. Might be worth covering the sides and back with some foam , mdf maybe even just a thick towel or the like to help . Keep those things away from the lamp on top obviously