Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Mike,

Did another room temperature check with the digital probe thermometer and it was reading about 65.5. The big problem is the hide box, I kept the probe in there and when I returned after two hours, it read 63.5. So that is definitely NOT good. What now? I was thinking of getting rid of the hood and getting a reflector lamp with a night bulb of a higher wattage(90 or 100 I think should do it). Then I would put the reflector lamp on the what should be the hot end of the cage. Would that(as well as the heat pad stuck to the side wall of the tank) be able to do the trick for heating?

PS-as for humidity, if the reflector bulb and heat-pad-on-the-side-wall method works, I found a piece of glass that should be able to cover at least half of the screen top.
-----
Scott

Reptiles
--------
0.0.1 Colombian Rainbow Boa(formerly named Precious by the previous owner....I gotta change that...)
1.0 Ball Python (Sultan)
0.1 California Kingsnake (Leota)
1.0 Eastern Painted Turtle (Yugi)
0.1 Red/Gold Bearded Dragon* (Irwin, R.I.P.)

Other
-----
1.0 Betta Fish (Tyrone)

Scott,
....This is really simple science. The colder dry air in the room is dropping into the cage at the cooler end and flowing up and out with some of the humidity and the heat at the end of the tank that is being heated. The solution is equally simple. Place the heat pad under one end of the tank and cover the screen to stop the flow of air. Soon after you do that the cage will be warm on the floor and in the substrate above the heating pad. You may have to adjust the output of the heating pad so that it does not make that end of the cage too warm. The cage will have a temperature gradient with the cool end a little more than room temperature and the snake will show you by where it stays when burrowed what part of the cage has the temperature that it likes best. Get rid of the lights.
Jeff

>>Mike,
>>
>>Did another room temperature check with the digital probe thermometer and it was reading about 65.5. The big problem is the hide box, I kept the probe in there and when I returned after two hours, it read 63.5. So that is definitely NOT good. What now? I was thinking of getting rid of the hood and getting a reflector lamp with a night bulb of a higher wattage(90 or 100 I think should do it). Then I would put the reflector lamp on the what should be the hot end of the cage. Would that(as well as the heat pad stuck to the side wall of the tank) be able to do the trick for heating?
>>
>>PS-as for humidity, if the reflector bulb and heat-pad-on-the-side-wall method works, I found a piece of glass that should be able to cover at least half of the screen top.
>>-----
>>Scott
>>
>>Reptiles
>>--------
>>0.0.1 Colombian Rainbow Boa(formerly named Precious by the previous owner....I gotta change that...)
>>1.0 Ball Python (Sultan)
>>0.1 California Kingsnake (Leota)
>>1.0 Eastern Painted Turtle (Yugi)
>>0.1 Red/Gold Bearded Dragon* (Irwin, R.I.P.)
>>
>>Other
>>-----
>>1.0 Betta Fish (Tyrone)

So basically all I need to do is ditch lights completely and stick a heat pad under one side, cover the entire screen top(well as much as I can for right now I'm limited with glass)? Why do I have to make things so much more complicated than they need to? lol

So if I just use the heat pad underneath, should i just stick the probe into the substrate, not touching the bottom, and measure the temperature that way?

Hey Jeff,

It seems like I may have slightly bugged you the past few days. I'd like to apologize for that. I'd also like to thank you very much for the help you gave me. Obviously you have helped me learn a great deal about caring for these beautiful snakes.

The thing with the lights, I was just so used to using lights with all the snakes I've kept to this point that I thought that it would be fine with it(at least a night light as to not disturb it). So I guess that even the red/purple/black/whatever color night bulbs disturb them too?

-----
Scott

Reptiles
--------
0.0.1 Colombian Rainbow Boa(formerly named Precious by the previous owner....I gotta change that...)
1.0 Ball Python (Sultan)
0.1 California Kingsnake (Leota)
1.0 Eastern Painted Turtle (Yugi)
0.1 Red/Gold Bearded Dragon* (Irwin, R.I.P.)

Other
-----
1.0 Betta Fish (Tyrone)

Scott,
...There is loads of information about keeping Rainbow Boas in the threads here and in Mike's website and in my website that I posted a link to for you several weeks ago. I am the old grouch on this forum. I have even been known to sign my threads with a GRRRR at the end.
Cheers,
Jeff

>>So basically all I need to do is ditch lights completely and stick a heat pad under one side, cover the entire screen top(well as much as I can for right now I'm limited with glass)? Why do I have to make things so much more complicated than they need to? lol
>>
>>So if I just use the heat pad underneath, should i just stick the probe into the substrate, not touching the bottom, and measure the temperature that way?
>>
>>Hey Jeff,
>>
>>It seems like I may have slightly bugged you the past few days. I'd like to apologize for that. I'd also like to thank you very much for the help you gave me. Obviously you have helped me learn a great deal about caring for these beautiful snakes.
>>
>>The thing with the lights, I was just so used to using lights with all the snakes I've kept to this point that I thought that it would be fine with it(at least a night light as to not disturb it). So I guess that even the red/purple/black/whatever color night bulbs disturb them too?
>>
>>
>>-----
>>Scott
>>
>>Reptiles
>>--------
>>0.0.1 Colombian Rainbow Boa(formerly named Precious by the previous owner....I gotta change that...)
>>1.0 Ball Python (Sultan)
>>0.1 California Kingsnake (Leota)
>>1.0 Eastern Painted Turtle (Yugi)
>>0.1 Red/Gold Bearded Dragon* (Irwin, R.I.P.)
>>
>>Other
>>-----
>>1.0 Betta Fish (Tyrone)

Scott,

Jeff is right. it sounds like your problem is easily solved by putting that heating pad under the tank. If it's a drugstore heating pad it will need to be set on low. If it's some other type of heating pad you may have to hook up a dimmer switch or some other type of control. But, this should do it. Good luck and keep us posted.

Have you gotten rid of the lights yet?
-----
Mike Lockwood
www.tooscaley.com

I just shut off all heating right now. Once it cools, I will be able to get the pad under the one end of the tank and put the glass on top. Now I have to cover the ENTIRE screen top? I think that might suffocate the snake wouldn't it? It'd be alright to leave one little spot on the screen uncovered wouldn't it?
-----
Scott

Reptiles
--------
0.0.1 Colombian Rainbow Boa(formerly named Precious by the previous owner....I gotta change that...)
1.0 Ball Python (Sultan)
0.1 California Kingsnake (Leota)
1.0 Eastern Painted Turtle (Yugi)
0.1 Red/Gold Bearded Dragon* (Irwin, R.I.P.)

Other
-----
1.0 Betta Fish (Tyrone)

Don't worry about suffocating the snake, it's a fairly large enclosure and they really don't need much oxygen. Unlike mammals, they get their heat from outside so they are not burning calories (with the associated amounts of oxygen) to keep warm. With just your opening the cage daily to check on /handle that will provide plenty of fresh air.

A small corner open would be fine, each of my cage sections has a 2" screen vent. That's for a 2' x 2' x 18" area.
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB, selectively bred from good stock)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
12.24 BRB
11.13 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

and on track for getting your setup all nice and cozy for your CRB.
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB, selectively bred from good stock)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
12.24 BRB
11.13 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

One note I like to add about using human heating pads (actually two notes thought of another one) which I don't think have been mentioned so far. Make sure you get a human heating pad that does not have auto shutoff (else after an hour or so it will turn off and probably stay off till you reset it)

As you are using a glass tank, do not crush the heating pad underneath it. This is important as human heating pads are not designed to be under a lot of weight. However, most glass aquariums have a frame around them and this does raise the bottom of the tank a few milimeters (64ths of an inch roughly). Even then sometimes th is isn't enough space without risking damaging the heating pad (and thus causing a short which could lead to a fire and we don't want that do we?) So, since I have used heating pads with glass tanks, I just propped up one end of the tank about a quarter inch with small pieces of wood (like a shim) or layers of cardboard (as cardboard tends to collapse I raise it bit higher than normal to account for 'settle') Then I slide the heating pad underneath the warm end, making sure it fits within the frame of the bottom of the tank.

Plastic or acrylic tanks are easier, as they are lighter and don't put pressure on the heating pad (except when you have a 6 pound BRB or CRB (then again I don't think CRB's get as big as BRB's). Even the weight of the animal may be fine.
-----
PHLdyPayne

Household heating pads may work on these, but not the zoo med pads because of their ability to stick to the whole bottom and provide higher levels of heat than houseold ones. If you get a zoo med or similar type of heating, make sure of the type of surface it can attach to. Maybe only quality polyethylene can be heated up like in most snake racks.

One of the many things I have learned is that it takes time for the enclosure to regulate it's heat and humidity holding capabilities. Cover as much of the top as possible and leave the whole enclosure alone with whatever heating you currently have for 6 to 8 hours and then recheck the temps. Longer may be needed to achieve your desired range. Make one adjustment at a time and allow it to "take effect" before adjusting further. The entire process will not likely happen within 24 hours....and don't keep opening up the top or flipping the hide because you will lose heat and get inaccurate readings until the temperture settles to it's true reading.

Linda
-----
When the student is ready, the teacher appears. When the student is ready, the teacher appears. When the student is ready, the teacher appears. When the student is ready, the teachers appears.