Troubleshooting with heating!

emmemm93 · 02-25-14, 11:56 AM

I've got a Hog Island Boa in a 40 gallon breeder tank. She needs the usual temps for a boa- 80 ambient, 90 hot side, 95 basking.

I've got her on a undertank heater usually (will be installing a new one in a couple of days) and a 50watt daytime bulb (the 75watt one brought the basking spot to 120!!) The bulb turns off at night. The temp readings I took were: 100 or 107 on her basking spot... but only 80 or 82 on the floor of the hot side. The temp gun read 90 degrees on average for the temps of the branches on her basking spot.

Halp.

Mikoh4792 · 02-25-14, 11:59 AM

Glass tanks with screen tops suck.....they suck heat and humidity right out the top. And they suck in general.(they are "okay" for kings, corns...etc. but it's a different story for most boids)

Get a decent thermostat asap. The reason your temps are all out of place is because

1)you are not controlling them with a thermostat
2) you are using a glass tank with a screen top.

Get a tub or a plastic/wooden enclosure. You will also have much more luck with a radiant heat panel than a light bulb.

Mikoh4792 · 02-25-14, 12:00 PM

And I don't mean to be rude, but I understand where the older members of this forum come from when they see posts like this.

You should setup the enclosure before you get the snake....and make sure it's all set up and running before putting the snake in.

emmemm93 · 02-25-14, 12:01 PM

It's got a wooden top that I built, the only screen on it is where the heat lamp sits.

emmemm93 · 02-25-14, 12:02 PM

She was in a 20 as a baby. And I just recently stopped using red heat lamps because of an article I read, which is why my temps are out of whack. I am going to get a boaphile or the like for her final cage, but don't have the means to buy a boaphile every time she needs an upgrade.

Mikoh4792 · 02-25-14, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by emmemm93

It's got a wooden top that I built, the only screen on it is where the heat lamp sits.

In that case disregard what I said about humidity. Now the issue is just heat. A thermostat is a must.

Mikoh4792 · 02-25-14, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by emmemm93

She was in a 20 as a baby. And I just recently stopped using red heat lamps because of an article I read, which is why my temps are out of whack. I am going to get a boaphile or the like for her final cage, but don't have the means to buy a boaphile every time she needs an upgrade.

You don't need to keep upgrading. Get a baby snake and put it in it's adult enclosure. Baby snakes are born in the wild all the time and they don't get stressed out from all the space. Just give it things to hide in and the size of the enclosure will not matter.

emmemm93 · 02-25-14, 12:06 PM

My main question is how do I get BOTH spots to the temps where they should be? Seems as though the basking has to be too hot, or the floor of the hot side, too cold.

emmemm93 · 02-25-14, 12:09 PM

Mikoh--

Will do; I've heard so much conflicting info on that. She's going on 4 feet, though, so I was planning on investing in a plastics cage this summer.

Mikoh4792 · 02-25-14, 12:10 PM

A pic of the enclosure would be good, because you mention different readings in different areas of the enclosure(floor of hot side, perching branch...etc). Giving us a good visual layout of the cage will help.

And the simple answer would be because you don't have a thermostat. What is the temp of your cold side?

emmemm93 · 02-25-14, 12:18 PM

The cool side is reading a littttle over 75 degrees.
Here's a photo, sorry for the crappy phone camera quality: http://i.imgur.com/SnZvlVh.jpg

sharthun · 02-25-14, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikoh4792

You don't need to keep upgrading. Get a baby snake and put it in it's adult enclosure. Baby snakes are born in the wild all the time and they don't get stressed out from all the space. Just give it things to hide in and the size of the enclosure will not matter.

^^^^^^^^ this is so true!

emmemm93 · 02-25-14, 12:24 PM

Is the crappy heat distribution due mainly to the glass? Would insulating the sides and back of the enclosure help?

emmemm93 · 02-25-14, 12:25 PM

Recommendations on plastics cages would be awesome, too. I like the kind that have a little dip in the top for the heat lamp, so that I can stack any future ones I get. I'm in college and whatnots, so as affordable as possible without sacrificing quality is a must.

Mikoh4792 · 02-25-14, 12:26 PM

Would you say this is an accurate representation of the thermal gradient?