Having trouble keeping temps stable

[Freakonaleash]

I have a 50 gallon glas aquarium with a sliding screen top. I am using it for my new ball python (its a young adult i think, its less than 3 feet, the pet store guys said it was 10 yrs old but i dont think its that old.) For substrate i have fir bark, i have a hideout on the left and right (hot/cool respectively) sides of the tank. I am using a 50 gallon aquarium under tank heater. I have it slid underneath on the left, narrow side of the aquarium, so its sliding under the hideout on the left, and a little infront of the hideout. the temperature on the cool side seems to be doing just fine, sticking right around 80-85F for 2 days straight now. But the warm side where the heater is im having trouble keeping the temp stable. I woke up this morning and it was a blood boiling 98.8 in there, but last night before i went to bed i was having trouble getting it to reach 90F. I did go out and buy a lamp dimmer, but its a crappy one that i have to rewire my heater to if i wanted to use it. It doesnt just plug into the wall and let the heater plug into it , i would have to slice the power outlet for the heater up and splice it into the dimmer... and i really dont want to destroy something i just paid 60 bucks for yesterday. Please someone give me some advice. Right now this is my biggest worry, getting the aquarium to stick at a stable temp.

[Icefire]

you could buy a thermostat for reptile, there is some at 20-30$us
online. they have a remote probe that you put in the tank and
you just plug it in.
they you use a themometer to monitor the temp :)

[Invictus]

Originally posted by Freakonaleash
I have a 50 gallon glas aquarium with a sliding screen top.

... and that's why you're having trouble keeping the temps steady.

Think about it... air is going to circulate. Hot air will move into cooler areas, and vice versa. Remember, temperatures will always equalize with the environment - ice melts, and hot coffee eventually cools down to achieve room temperature. Plus, heat rises.

Same principles apply to an enclosure with an open top. Whatever heat you do generate is going to rise right out the top, and room temperature air will replace it.

You need to find a way to restrict the air flow, and an open top is just NOT the way to do it. I'd suggest blocking off at LEAST 80% of the top. Secondly, once you do restrict air flow to keep temps moderately stable, put the heater on a lamp dimmer, which you can get at Walmart for around $20. If your temps get too high, just turn it down. But the important thing is, achieve the stability FIRST.

And here's the best advice I can possibly give... for ball pythons, rubbermaids are the best there is, best there was, and best there ever shall be. It's much easier to maintain both the temp and humidity that BPs require. Remember, the animal's needs MUST come first.

Good luck with whatever you choose.