A bit confused on heating issues

[Colonel SB]

If you are worried about over heat the bottom you may want to put the heater on the side of the tank a little off the ground. That way the snake will not be lying on the heat tape, I have dont this with some sucess with my Afrocks.

[BWSmith]

I use both lights and UTH's. Depends on the enclosure and species. I have had great success.

FIRST OFF: I heat heating pads with a passion the snakes dont have a volcano under there bodies do they? So why put one.

FIRST OFF: I assume you meant you HATE heating pads. I think that you are over dramatizing the use of UTHs. Over the years, I have had to scrape snakes off a heat rock with a spatula, never had any probs with UTHs. How many snakes have you turned into a "volcano" using them? Or are you just regurging what someone else has said?

the side that has 2 lights place a big flat rock in 2 hours of constant heat lamp glaring on it it will be real good temps for digestion

I use this method as well. Although I prefer to move itto the side a bit so that it heats well but dose not cook. I place it to the side of the impact point of the lamp and monitor temps as i am setting up the cage (usually for a week). This gives me an idea if it needs to be placed closer or farther to the heat source.

you know thows 1foot brick's you can get well put a layer of mulch down and place the flat rock over the brick now I dont care if you have to cement it in place the rock can not move or it may fall on the snake now you have the floor area a warm hid And a place to go and digest.

ok, I have no idea what you are trying to say there. It reads like a 5 year old trying to tell a joke. I think the gist is that any rocks need to be secured?

Call me crazy but it seams to be a good system never had a problem with it so give it a try if you feal like a change some day.

Doesn't seem too bad to me. Just out of curiosity, how many years have you been using it and on how many snakes of how many species? Just as a point of reference. Fromt he tone of your post I would assume that you have kept at least 100 snakes of at least 20 species. I assume that you are not someone who has kept 5 red tails for a couple years.

BTW: I have found no better way to maintain humidity in high humidity species than an UTH.

[ReptiZone]

I have wroked with Anacondas, Retic's, Burms, Carpets, Royals, boas, indigo's, Rock Pythons, Corn's, king's, milks.

A few of the small varanids like that method.
Such as baby savana's, mangrove's and baby water monitors.

I started reading up on reptiles when i was around 6-7 a small book here a small book there. As I got older I started to grow into reptiles at 12 all i did or talked about was reptiles I volunteered at pet shops that knew nothing about them and started most of my reserch there, that is how saw a bunch of reptile problems.

At 17 I started to work in pet stores full time actualy owned my first herp at that age and started to study them in a more organized fasion keeping records and so on.

6 monts I after my 18 B-day I was offerd a job at a reptile only zoo I stayed for a bit but was under paid and left.

I am now 20 and i am starting all over again and building my life in montreal QC and hoping to land a job in the herp field soon again I right now have 2 offers I am still considering an we will just have to see what the future holds.

I hope that is enugh to make my post valid to some ppl...LOL

P.S. the whole securing the rock thing was intentionaly written like that cause if we dont make our selves clear some where a herp is gona die due to my not clearly stating the do's and dont's.

[marisa]

Why are heating pads wrong for snakes? I have always been under the assumption that most snakes bask in areas where not only is the sun coming down, but where it has heating up the road, rocks, or the ground, and where those things are still giving off heat even in evening time...etc.....curious....

Marisa

[Jeff_Favelle]

I guess I better throw those 59 eggs in my incubator out because they must be bad because I have only ever used UTH's in my 12 years of reptile breeding.

[ReptiZone]

I am not saying that it will not work I am saing that it the long run it is not the best thing to use do what you fell comfotable with but if somthing hapenst 5 years down the road dont say you were not told that is all.

And marisa you are a smart girland you do alot of reserch just check it out a tell us what you find.

but in short if a light is beaming on a rock all day it will stil be warm during the evening hours if you have a night light on.

[BWSmith]

That works. When bold statements are made, I like to know where they are coming from

[ReptiZone]

cool it was actualy a acident the way I found that set up I just hapend to move a rock on to a lpg and i thaught it work if I eleveted the sides to give the whole ground to move around in a a basking spot that is a bit closer to the heat sours not to close but you know. And then bag I hade a asome set up.

I like trying new things with my cages like every 2 monts the cage is moved around but I alwase come back to the good old fasion platforms.

[jwsporty]

Well after a trip to the vet, everything checks out with my baby and there has been no further regurging. I will stick with my current setup as my little guy is using all elements of the tank. BOTH upper and lower heating.

[killaclown]

chondro,

Im like a young version of you im 14 and i have been into this since i was 8. But the advise i give to you is wire you a rheostat to that uth and only use it at night and use a red or basking bulb in the day. Go down to a garden store and gat you a fogger to boost the humidity. Thats what i use for my balls and boas.

[jwsporty]

killaclown,

I like your idea, Here's a pic of the boa tank. All temps are stable and humidity is sticking close to the 63% mark.