Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Using an UTH, a rheostat, carpet as substrate, and a tempgun, what temp should I keep the substrate heat at? I was wanting to get rid of the over tank ceramic heat emitter, but I don't believe that the UTH would keep the ambient temp high enough (on the warm end).

Sorry meant to add this.... I don't think the UTH would keep the ambient temp high enough without burning his belly first. Does that make sense?

You want to measure the temp on the substrate on the hot end. He'll be down there, not up in the middle of the tank. That's where you want it to be 90-95 depending on what you're keeping it at. If you keep it 90 or so there and the rest of your house is a decent temp, it should keep a good temp gradient over the enclosure.

So anywhere from 90-95 is okay? If I have the UTH on full blast, it reads 92-93. Those temps won't burn the snake will it?

I know Nyoke prefers the uth to be on low. He will not go near the warm side of the tank if it's anything above. We keep the heat lamp on during the day and only using the UTH at night, and he's quite content with low.

His He likes to sleep in his hide, with his nose poked out looking straight at me while i sleep. LOL.

95 is honestly kinda hot unless your snake might be sick. Most of my animals are kept between 85-90, depending on time of day and how cold the house is.
I don't use any kind of additional lights to heat, as they tend to dry out the enclosure. They also will bump up the temperature of the entire cage to a level that is too high, unless you have the light on a dimmer. I found when I tried to use lights that I eventually had the dimmer on so low I might as well not have had it on at all.

If your house is warm enough for you to be comfortable (70 ish) chances are that snake cage with the UTH is going to be just fine for the snake. Watch your snake - if it is spending all of its time on the warm side, then find a way to heat up the whole cage a little bit. This could be with a low wattage red heat light, or by upping the thermostat in your house... Or another UTH, but then you'd just have a whole lot of the cage at the same temperature, which is not what you want.
If the snake spends all of its time on the cool side, then it's too hot in the cage, and you need to turn down the rheostat on the heat pad, and/or turn off the heat light.

What works for one snake doesn't necessarily work for all of them. Watch your snake, and if it's going back and forth between sides, and actively thermoregulating, then you know you've got it right.

You might want to try a different substrate - Aspen or cypress mulch, for instance. My personal experience with reptile carpet has never been good, and you may find that the snake seems to enjoy shoving around the substrate more than laying on the scratchy carpet. The loose substrates also help with humidity, and if you use any kind of radiant heat (like that ceramic heat emitter), humidity is likely going to be an issue.

~jenny
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"Polysyllabism in no way insures that what you're saying is actually worth being heard." - Blake (an e-friend of mine)

"I have never made but one prayer to god, a very short one: "O lord, make my enemies ridiculous." And he granted it." - Voltaire

So, the 92-93 won't burn the belly of my snake, right? Or, is that in the danger zone? I'm just afraid that if I turn down the UTH to 85-90, and not use the overhead ceramic heat emitter, that the ambient temp won't be high enough.

Won't burn the snake, but it's higher than it really needs to be. Try turning it down and see how the snake does. If the snake stops eating or huddles around the heat pad, then turn it back up. Stop placing so much emphasis on the ambient temps - my snakes 'ambient' temperatures are 75 degrees, but they are thermoregulating (using the entire cage) and eating and pooping and breeding just fine. Their warm spot is about 88-90 degrees.

Giving your snake a place to get warm if it chooses should be plenty fine. Short of your house getting below 70 degrees (which is the range that makes YOU cold), the temperature in the cage is going to be at least a few degrees above the temperature in your house anyway (because you cover the top of the cage to keep in humidity, right?). Covering the top of the cage will keep humidity levels up and keep in warm air. Snakes don't need nearly as much circulation as we do - opening the top to change the water every day will freshen up the air perfectly for the snake.

~jenny
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"Polysyllabism in no way insures that what you're saying is actually worth being heard." - Blake (an e-friend of mine)

"I have never made but one prayer to god, a very short one: "O lord, make my enemies ridiculous." And he granted it." - Voltaire

Thanks A Bunch!! You have been sooooooo helpful to all of my questions!!

No problem!
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"Polysyllabism in no way insures that what you're saying is actually worth being heard." - Blake (an e-friend of mine)

"I have never made but one prayer to god, a very short one: "O lord, make my enemies ridiculous." And he granted it." - Voltaire

I was just saying that anywhere between there is okay. I usually keep mine at 90-92 but I've had them at 95 and they have always been fine. They'll move if they don't like it and as long as there is a good temp. gradient across the cage. I even recall one big breeder, can't remember which one, saying that they keep their hot side at 95 year round during the day and just drop it at night for breeding. Sorry, I'm not trying to be an a$$, just defending my post As always, you have great info and are always there to help out. Everyone appreciates it. Take care.