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We just got a new rack system with belly heat and I just want to make sure I don't do anything to hurt my BPs. We only have one girl in there right now but she is the type who refuses to sleep on her aspen substrate, prefering the bottom of her tub instead. Her temps are well-regulated (ambient temp of 82 or so near the heat tape and about 76 in the front of the tub). So my question is, could she get hurt by lying over the heat tape without having any substrate between her and the plastic tub? Her belly looks fine right now and she seems perfectly happy and healthy but I just wanted to make sure that this set-up is safe. Thanks in advance!

Is it 82 at the warmest spot? If so I would bump that up to at least 90, and at least 80 on the cool side.
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1.2 Het Pied
1.1 Het Lavender Albino
1.1 Het Albino
0.7 Normals
1.0 66% Het lav albino
1.0 50% Het lav albino
0.0.2 1999 Hatchling Galapagos Torts

We put the probe in the tub on the floor center of tape...under substrate...and keep it at 95 degrees. top of substrate is like 90-92.
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Mike and David at 3-D Pythons
www.3dpythons.com

in the tub?
you mean under the heat tape...right?
not in the tub. that would be silly.

Nope in the tub. Most of ours now are actually on heat rope (since we are moving to vision racks), some on pads (visoion cages), few left on tape. What is needed is to get 95 degreese through to the inside of the tub..which means heat has passed through the plastic of the tub plastic (for our set up), and with substrate losses that gets it to 92 at the surface of the substrate and assures if they get under the substrate the plastic is no more than 95 degrees. I don't really care what the heat rope or pad, etc. are I care what heat ends up in my tubs. So I don't consider that silly. Otherwise as you suggest I put the probe on the outside and measure simply how hot the device is, which tells me nothing about what is inside my tub...I have to monitor that then, and keep adjsuting until I can match what I need...that seemes silly to me, but then whatever works for anyone is their best set up and there's nothing wrong with that. --- David
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Mike and David at 3-D Pythons
www.3dpythons.com

And by the way is it too much to ask for some politeness here. Too many people are getting hostile in these posts about someone's approach being "silly," or such...There are a thousand different ways to set up enclosures, and care for these guys, whatever works for you keep doing it. If it isn't and you seek ideas post here an applaud the diversity in approaches as that is what gets peopple talking and finding even greater ideas through merging two seemingly disparate ones. This is the third time I've been referred to as "silly" or "and just how many have you had" or similar hostile comments. Get a life people we are breeding our snakes very well, have been breeding pythons for 20 years, making money doing so and just are trying to share ideas and help along with the many other great people on this site. If you like to think your s doesn't stink and like to name call, and get hostile beacuse you think only you know what you are doing, I pitty you. -- David
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Mike and David at 3-D Pythons
www.3dpythons.com