heating question

ok i ordered my temp gun but it'll take about a week to get. my question is this. if i have a uth, is a cermaic heater too much? the temp reading on the outside of the tank reads 73(located on the hot side) however when i place my hand there, it doesn't feel like that but warmer. the cool side temp reader says 73 as well. the temp that sticks to the glass inside the tank says 75. i have a tropical terrarium light as well. i don't want to cook the snake. i also have 2 humidity boxes, one on each side. he spends the day in the box on the hot side. what do you all think? he does have normal nocturnal activity and a good appetite. thank you for your time and answers.

Jessica,
If the warm end of the enclosure feels warm to the touch then it more than likely it's warmer than 73 but if the snake spends all or most of its time on the warm end and the cool end feels cool to your touch, then chances are that the snake likes the warmer end and you should be O.K. If you have a small mercury type thermometer or something similar lay it on the cage floor on the warm end and try to get an accurate or a better idea of what that temp really is. You'll like the non contact temp gun.
Mike Derks

The temp reading you are getting on the outside of the tank is just that, the temp on the outside, it's not going to tell you anything about what's going on inside the tank. If you are really concerned about the temps, for the time being I would go to Walmart or someplace and just pick up a cheap generic thermometer as was suggested, it's not going to be super-accurate, but at least it would give you an idea where you are at. Place the thermometer where the snake would be at, right on top of the bedding, and see what it says. The temp gun you have coming will make life a LOT simpler, lol.....at this point, as long as the snake is doing OK, I wouldn't make any drastic changes until you are certain about your temps.

Do you have your UTH on a thermostat? Any heating device should be run through a thermostat of some sort.

i do have a rheostat for the uth. i can check the temps tomorrow when i clean the tank. thanks

got my temp gun today and checked the temps of goldy's tank. the hot side is reading at 81.5 and the cool end is 75. goldy seems to be pretty happy. he is going through a shed right now and spending alot of time in his humidity box at the hot end. i've been misting him to help him along and planning on giving him a good soak tomorrow. thanks for the advice of the temp gun, i do love it

The warm spot could be warmer.
Also, as it may have been mentioned before it is the most beneficial to have your thermometer touching the substrate, because a snake's temperature is determined by ground temperature, not what the air temperature is... well unless its arboreal lol, than it's another case.

ok dumb question. the temp gun has to be touching the floor of the tank? if so, then i need to recheck the temp. thanks. not familiar with this thing yet.

Noooooo.......the temp gun itself doesn't need to be touching the floor, lol. I don't think Michael realized that you had gotten your temp gun, and thought you were still using a regular thermometer.

Definately could be warmer on the hot side IMO
If the snake moves the substrate and lays on the floor like mine does, than you should spot check the floor, close, but not touching. Mine is usually about 88-90 directly on the floor, and the substrate reduces that about 6-8 degrees. My probe is stuck directly to the floor on the hot spot, because this is where He chooses to lay.

I would change the rheostat to a thermostat though. Once set at the desired temps it will stay pretty consistant, and run more efficient. Some rhestats arent that great. I have one that I dont use anymore, because there was no difference when I turned it down. Only about 2 degrees difference between high, and almost off.

Hope that helps.

Rick

thanks. i did reread the manual and the temps are still too low on the hot side(actually went down to 78 at night!) gonna pick up some additional heating source when out today and then recheck temps again when i have that established. can't have my baby getting cold. thanks again for the suggestion for the temp gun, does make it easier to keep track of everything.