New Brazilian rainbow and owner :)

[bigsnakegirl785]

Probe should be outside the enclosure in between the UTH and the bottom of the tub. The hot spot should be measured under the bedding, the temperature at the top does not matter as long as your room temp is no lower than 75-80F. If the snake needs more warmth, it can just bury itself in the bedding down to the UTH. Which, rainbows being the burrowing type, will definitely happen. This is why you want the probe outside the enclosure so the probe's readings are as accurate as possible, then you use a temp gun to dial in the thermostat's setting so the surface of the tub under the bedding is reaching 80-85F. This gives the snake a chance to hug the heat or escape the heat as it needs to without it getting dangerously hot under the bedding where your rainbow is likely to spend the majority of its time.

I have 3 rainbows and none of them soak with any regularity. The only time I've caught them in the bowl was maybe for an hour or two after eating a meal. They much prefer the dampness of their bedding.