Tank Temperature Inconsistent.

[ThistleProse]

Hello all!

I'm a first-time noodle mumma, and I'm a bit concerned about the way in which her tank isn't holding its heat with any consistency. I originally got a heat mat when I bought the tank, and set it up the week before I brought her home, but found it wasn't keeping the tank warm at all, so when I picked her up, I also picked up a heat lamp to go up top.

Currently - at 12pm - the tank is just now sitting between 26.9 and 27c, and will probably manage to make it up to around 30 before mid-afternoon. It'll hover at the 30-33 mark until the evening, when it will start dropping again. Overnight, it goes down to the low 20's/high teens.

When I got up this morning, she was curled up on top of her hide, which is right under the lamp.

I'm really worried about how I am going to keep her warm come winter, because the house I live in is old and it has **** for insulation, and I can't afford to run the AC all winter!

Her tank is the Exo Terra medium-low (example: link ) so it is four-sided glass. I have temporarily taken out the polystyrene backing, as she forced herself through the tiny gap at the bottom for wires, and I had to rescue her. I am wondering, however, if blocking the gaps for wires, and using the polystyrene backing on three sides of the enclosure will assist with keeping the heat in?

Thanks <3

 

[Herpetology]

Taking a wild guess that most of if not all of the setup was recommended from a petshop employee

Pictures always help. It’s possible the tank is too big for the snake aswell, is it a baby

Get a stronger wattage lamp say 75w Phillips globe from Bunnings and put it on a thermostat

Or stronger heat mat prob 10-14w


Of course putting insulation material will help hold temps, most people would just use a polystyrene glued to the outer sides and back. Glass has ~0 insulation properties

Assumptions are being made that your measuring temps underneat the lamp?

Do NOT buy reptile branded globes. Biggest waste of money for half the time of usage

Buy these instead (test 60w first to see if it gives better temps)

 

[Mack86]

I have a similar tank sold to me by a petshop (lesson learnt there). Currently my guy is in a tub set up (herpetology talked me through that - thank you) and it's been a god send for keeping heat in and humidity. My snake is growing at a rate of knots now that I have upsized his food twice to now feeding on medium sized mice which means that sooner than I thought I will need to move him. He looks huge even in his 14L Sistema container. What I am planing on trialing (before the snake goes in) is insulating the glass enclosure with foam boards (Bunnings, Officeworks etc have them) on either two sides if I leave the artificial background in or three if I take it out stuck to the outside of the enclosure. I'll also cover most of the top vent with the same stuff to reduce heat leaving the enclosure and keep the humidity at an acceptable level. I'll trial all this before moving him and see how it maintains temp and humidity. If it fails I will look at other options. You will notice here that glass isn't the best option but at times you may have to just make adjustments.

I should note I probably won't run a lamp just an 18w heat mat on the bottom.

I understand your stress. It's the worst. A bit of playing around should solve the issue. Try the floodlights suggested, that might make all the difference. Good luck.

 

[ThistleProse]

Thanks guys!

Yeah, the shop suggested. They suggested only the heat mat for her, but it was a joke; it wasn't even making it over 20c during the middle of the day. The light is doing a much better job. I have ordered a temperature gun and am waiting for it to arrive.

I tried blocking the wire openings on the poly background, and the little **** got behind it anyway, so I took it back out, and it's just sitting behind the tank now. My dad bought some plyboard of some type and cut it to size, so that it sits lightly on top of the tank, and it seems to be helping.

I couldn't find her this morning; in the end, I found her curled up tightly under her water bowl. She was quite cold, but after warming up again she ducked back under it. So today, I got her a smaller hiding place, and put it in the middle of the tank. The hide she has at the moment is quite big, with a pretty large opening. She tends to prefer to hide behind it, rather than in it, and I can't say I blame her all that much.

 

[Mack86]

Yep I'm no expert and this has been a huge learning curve for me but the tighter they fit in the hide the more they prefer it. They don't like big spaces to hide in. Sounds like you're doing the best you can and are figuring things out pretty quickly. It was suggested to me to use small cardboard boxes which I found worked great. I had to learn to let go of aesthetics for a while and do what was best for my little mate.