I had a similar problem recently, but my issue was completely my fault. First off, the temps had been lower than usual. Second, the light cycle had been much shorter than Zorro was used to. She thought it was time to hibernate. I don't usually brumate her as she isn't a breeding animal - just a spoiled pet.



As far as cooling goes, I'm no expert in that field. Bluerosy and some of the other experienced breeders can chime in here.



Here's my advice:



1. Get a thermometer and a humidity gauge. These are a must have for any reptile keeper. It could be as high as 100 degrees F in the tank or as low as 10 degrees F and you wouldn't know it. These guys require proper temperatures in order to digest food. If you want to go cheap, go to Walmart and buy the digital thermometer/humidity gauge with a probe and stick that in the tank in the substrate. You really need one for each end. If you want to go really cheap, get the fish thermometers (that stick to the side of the tank) and put one on each end of the tank at the very bottom. Even if you decide to use the fish thermometers, I would get a temp gun or a thermometer with a probe to verify your readings. You should be able to get the analog humidity gauges from any general petstore.



2. I don't use under tank heaters primarily because I can't afford a good thermostat, which you really need. I use a heat lamp instead. This is where the thermometer is really important. I keep my temps around 80-82F on the warm side and 76-78F on the cool side. How warm the heat lamp keeps the tank depends on the bulb and how far the lamp is from the substrate. Zorro's big tank is 75 gallons. I have to use a 100W bulb in the winter because it's about 20 inches plus from the lamp to the substrate. I also mist the tank about once a day, depending on the humidity, because screen lids heat lamps = serious humidity drops.



My optimal conditions:



Cool side: 76-78F

Warm side: 80-82F

Humidity: 40-60%



**All of the above are verified with a digital thermometer/humidity gauge w/ a probe.



Here's a pic of my setup.







I'm not trying to offend you with anything here.
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0.1 Banded California kingsnake - Zorro

1.0 Betta fish - Billy

0.0.3 White Cloud Fish

1.0 RES - Chopstick

0.1 Australian Shepherd - Jet

0.1 Domestic Shorthair Mix Cat - Pirate

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