Reptile & Amphibian Forums

That's right. I've been monitoring the new herp and his warm end is now in the high 80s(last I checked it was 88.2!). It's a Zoo Med heat pad(the one that sticks to the glass if that info is needed)) so will it be able to be used with a thermostat? Thanks in advance.
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Scott

Reptiles
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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
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1.0 Betta Fish (Tyrone)

Turn off that heat because it is always better to have them a little cooler than hot. 85 should be probably be the highest your tank should get unless it was a hotspot, but didn't you say you a thermostat and a probe? I would turn your heat off and wait for further instructions from Jeff and at the same time since it is hot in there (take him out) and you had questions about what mouse size he should eat, try and get a good estimate on his length because any information you provide him would be beneficial to you also. If you do decide to take him out, having a fan on will obviously dry him out which is not what we want to do since he is gonna be shedding in a few days so provide a little coconut or hide for him while that tank cools down. Maybe you can post that little "grey turd" we have been hearing about for mondays pics if he sheds in time.

If your temp is holding steady you would be most likely alright but if it is still climbing then you need to unplug it.

88 is too hot, Of course you should have that heating pad on some type of control. A proportional thermostat would be best followed by a on/off thermoa=stat and lastly (and minimal) a dimmer switch. What are the cool end temps? Can the CRB find a cooler spot to hide?

If you do get/have a thermostat, probe placement is very important. For most of my setups I have the probe directly on the heating element. Then you may have to set the stat some nunmber of g]=degrees higher to achieve the cage temp you want. Really depends on cage material. For glass, maybe no increase at all since it is a good conductor.
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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

No idea about the cool temps, but there is a cool end for him/her to hide. I'll get back to ya on it.
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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,
...If you started out with damp or wet substrate the evaporation would have provided some cooling and if it is now dried out it is no longer evaporating and cooling. Temperatures are important but just as important is the location of the temperature. If your thermometer probe is right on top of the heating pad and it is reading 88 that would be okay if the heating pad only covered a small part of the floor of the cage so long as the rest of the cage had a temperature in the 70s. An ideal cage for a Rainbow Boa has a gradient from low to mid 80s at the hot end to low 70s at the cool end. If there is enough room in the cage the snake can then select the temperature that is most suitable. If you had a cage ten feet long it would work if the hot end of the cage was 100 and the cool end was 60. The snake would find the part of the cage that was ideal for it. Watch what your snake is doing. If it is hanging out at the cool end of the cage it is probably too hot. If it is hanging out at the warmest part of the cage the temperature is probably too cool. After they eat a meal they need more heat to digest and will stay in the part of the cage that has the temperature that is best for digestion. Most reptile heating products are too hot when powered by full strength 110 house current. They need to be controlled with thermostats or rheostats. If you cannot get something to control the heat pad you could insulate between the heat pad and the cage.
Jeff

>>That's right. I've been monitoring the new herp and his warm end is now in the high 80s(last I checked it was 88.2!). It's a Zoo Med heat pad(the one that sticks to the glass if that info is needed)) so will it be able to be used with a thermostat? Thanks in advance.
>>-----
>>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)

The snake is just hanging out in the smack dab middle of the cage. The probe is in the warm end under the dirt but not enough to be touching the glass on the bottom. And I believe you're right. The slightly damp substrate(which I didn't know was damp. I thought it was completely dried out) is evaporating. Well I'll try and get temps of the cool end too.
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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)