Old rack, New heat tape... more problems :(

[DeesBalls]

OKay, so yesterday, i switched my heat tape to belly heat, its 11x12'' of heat tape all wired together and was on a rheostat..

well i turned it on, and monitored it for about 3 hrs while i cleaned tubs and all that...

i have the digital thermometer hot glued down right where the heat tape is..

well when i was monitoring it, the heat tape sait it got up to 100* i hocked it into my rheostat and adjusted it, and it got down to 93*. which is where i wanted to... because once it gets into the tub, it should loose a degree or two...

well got everything in and all that, and now all my temps are reading 99-112* ?

i put my hand on it though and it does not feel hot, a little warm i know....

just now, i took out Kerrella, (BRB) and her substrate was warm... but not hot. i know my temp is different so it may feel hot to her, but still very confused...

i did just get a zilla temperature conrtoller and hooked it up. i turneded it down low to see if it owuld even work at all... and going to monitor it.

could it be because i have the substrate covering the probe and stuff? that would be traping the heat and making it read higher?

i will be getting a thermostat here soon!!

[DeesBalls]

Okay, so I just checked on the tape, i put a digital thermometer on the tape directly. it is reading 89, bc i have it turned down low....

in the tubs, it reads 100?!?!

[marvelfreak]

Originally Posted by LiL_Boa

Okay, so I just checked on the tape, i put a digital thermometer on the tape directly. it is reading 89, bc i have it turned down low....

in the tubs, it reads 100?!?!

I would get a Temp gun. You can get them on E- Bay cheap or Reptile Basic.com. I was amazed at what some of my temps were. In one cage my digital thermometer said it was 80 degrees right on the hot spot and the temp gun read 90 surface temp. I thought it was off and it was perfected. Any one with reptiles should own one.

Anyway in the tub it could be reading higher because the heat is trap in the tub raising the ambient temp. You may need to put a few more ventilation holes in it to help some of the heat escape. With BRB you never want temps over 87. My buddy Shawn had his temps to high around 90 and it killed his male CRB.

[DeesBalls]

Originally Posted by marvelfreak

I would get a Temp gun. You can get them on E- Bay cheap or Reptile Basic.com. I was amazed at what some of my temps were. In one cage my digital thermometer said it was 80 degrees right on the hot spot and the temp gun read 90 surface temp. I thought it was off and it was perfected. Any one with reptiles should own one.

Anyway in the tub it could be reading higher because the heat is trap in the tub raising the ambient temp. You may need to put a few more ventilation holes in it to help some of the heat escape. With BRB you never want temps over 87. My buddy Shawn had his temps to high around 90 and it killed his male CRB.

yea, i know... that is what im scared of... the others seem to be around 90-98, but my BRB gets up there, i want to say because i have his "pool" over his warm side and that is trapping the heat... i will put more holes in and see what that does, also ill get a temp gun as well as a thermostat.

[DeesBalls]

So im going to have to put holes in to set the temps... i have the tape set at 93 degrees, so in the tubs it should be around 91-92.

i just need to add holes and check temps periodically.. should be good.