Stabilizing the temperature in your DIY Click Clack

[bugeye23]

Hey guys, im new to the reptile world and have built my 2 click clacks the other day. They are both plastic containers with holes through the sides made by a soldering iron. I also have a 14w heat matt underneath them. I haven't even got my snakes yet:cry:

I have noticed over the past couple of days that at night time the heat would drop quite a bit inside the click clack. Which got me thinking of how i could make the click clack a nicer place for my snake at night and in general.

Basically all i did was wrap the outside of the click clack with ordinary everyday newspaper (just one layer).

So far i have found that the temperature is alot more stable at night and when i take the lid off and on it heats up quicker. I also think that the snake will enjoy the added privacy, so he doesnt feel like he is being watched.

Hope this helps anyone out that was having the same issues.

 

[J-A-X]

I don't personally see a problem with a drop in temp at night, it's more natural, as long as it's not dropping to 5c

 

[bugeye23]

Yeah you may be right, i am caught in between what people say the temperature should be and what it is like in the wild..
Obviously the temperature will still drop a little bit.

 

[J-A-X]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating full on natural replication, It's not something I believe can be done in an indoor enclosure, I don't believe in sticking to 10c temp gradients either. I believe in a basking spot to a temp that suits the species, heaps of ventilation for ambient temp and room for the snake to pick where it wants to be. Mine all have 24/7 heat, but they also have so much ventilating that they can feel a night time drop.

 

[bugeye23]

thanks for the info jax..I hope i didnt solve a problem that didnt exist?

 

[J-A-X]

LOL, possibly, but you are trying to make your little one comfortable, and no one can condemn you for that

 

[longqi]

Two simple questions
Does your room air temperature drop really dramatically at night??
Are the mats on a thermostat?

If you are losing too much heat at night just make fewer or smaller holes in the click clack

 

[coastalboy]

hey, i have two bredli's in click clacks as we speak and becasue i live in a cold town they are on a 20watt heatpad without thermostat, this keeps them nice and warm as at nights the temp outside the cages drop low......my click clacks have 3 holes each side of the click clack, 18 holes up one end and 3 up the other on the lid and 6 in the middle. i have found this formation of holes the work perfect and gives good airflow.

 

[dadaman]

Just make sure your temps at the hot end are hotter than the cold end. You will find that if the snake wants to warm up, it will progress down towards the heat mat and if it wants to cool off will go to the other end. This is a better system than having the hole enclosure a constant temp. All of mine drop 5 degrees at night and I haven't had any problems with this setting.