balfrob
New member
Hello Everyone!
I am in the testing process of my ball python's new terrarium's temperatures. The size is 40x20x20 inches (100x50x50cm). Quite some portion of the space is taken by the background rock wall. With the background I have formed two hides and one shelf for basking under the light (i know that this is usually not a need for a ball python as they are usually hiding all day, but i noticed mine likes to do it from time to time during the day, so i want to give him the option).
At the moment I have two 35W halogen spotlights as a heat source from above. They are dimmed to a level where the surface temperature on the rock shelf reaches 94F.
The hide on the hot side of the tank has an UTH under it (it is taking up approx. 1/3 of the tank). It is a 20W UTH regulated with a thermostat. I have the thermostats probe inside the tank (the runs safely on the bottom, covered by enough coconut husk, so the snake cannot reach it). The probe itself is fixed right in the middle of the hide approx. in the middle of the coconut husk layer, which is around 1.5 inches thick there. I have set the thermostat to swtich off the UTH when the probe reaches 92F. The ambient temperature in this hide is 78F and onverall in the tank it is 75.2.
I am unsure of two things. As the thermostat probe is situated in the middle of the coconut bedding I am probably not getting the actual surface temperature in the hide. I do not have an IR thermometer at the moment. Do you think the 92 is enough or can I raise it a bit more.
My other concern is about the overall ambient temperature which seems a bit low to me both in the rest of the tank and also in the warm hide.
Any advice is highly appreciated.
Thanks!
I am in the testing process of my ball python's new terrarium's temperatures. The size is 40x20x20 inches (100x50x50cm). Quite some portion of the space is taken by the background rock wall. With the background I have formed two hides and one shelf for basking under the light (i know that this is usually not a need for a ball python as they are usually hiding all day, but i noticed mine likes to do it from time to time during the day, so i want to give him the option).
At the moment I have two 35W halogen spotlights as a heat source from above. They are dimmed to a level where the surface temperature on the rock shelf reaches 94F.
The hide on the hot side of the tank has an UTH under it (it is taking up approx. 1/3 of the tank). It is a 20W UTH regulated with a thermostat. I have the thermostats probe inside the tank (the runs safely on the bottom, covered by enough coconut husk, so the snake cannot reach it). The probe itself is fixed right in the middle of the hide approx. in the middle of the coconut husk layer, which is around 1.5 inches thick there. I have set the thermostat to swtich off the UTH when the probe reaches 92F. The ambient temperature in this hide is 78F and onverall in the tank it is 75.2.
I am unsure of two things. As the thermostat probe is situated in the middle of the coconut bedding I am probably not getting the actual surface temperature in the hide. I do not have an IR thermometer at the moment. Do you think the 92 is enough or can I raise it a bit more.
My other concern is about the overall ambient temperature which seems a bit low to me both in the rest of the tank and also in the warm hide.
Any advice is highly appreciated.
Thanks!