Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So, we finally got a cold front here in florida (which is like 50s and 60s, but still). I can't get my BRB, Suga Shank's, home to warm up. I have an all glass 10 gallon with an all glass lid to keep humidity and heat in. I have a small bottom heater pad that takes up one side. I've been progressively turning up the thermostat everyday. It's at the highest it will go and the tank temperature reads like 68-70 during the day. I don't really know what to do.
My friend mentioned getting a UVB ray bulb? I don't know. I don't want to fry him either.

Poor Suga. Help.
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SARA B.

-1.0 BRB (Suga Shank)
-1.0 pink dog (Hermes)

You need to insulate the cage, IMO a great product is Reflectix. You should be able to find it at your local home improvement / hardware store. It looks like aluminized plastic bubble wrap. Wrap three sides and top with it and WATCH YOUR TEMPS as they may climb faster than you think. If that's not enough, you can always cover the front as well (just for the cold spells).
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

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

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Pumping more heat into the cage may sound like a good idea but in reality, will likely make some spots too hot while the rest is still too cold. Glass is an excellent conductor of heat. Your cage is conducting the heat into your colder house!!!
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

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

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

What can I used until I get to a home improvement shop? A blanket maybe?
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SARA B.

1.0 BRB (Suga Shank)
1.0 pink dog (Hermes)

Yeah, I've done that before works just fine but your original post said you turned the thermostat up? If you stop the flow of heat out of the cage you could see rapid temp increase!!! WATCH IT CAREFULLY or your prevented snakesicle could turn into snakebacon!!!!!!!!
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

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

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

For Sure.

Thanks, as always, Dave!
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SARA B.

1.0 BRB (Suga Shank)
1.0 pink dog (Hermes)

Most welcome and any time!!!!
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

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

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

yeah!
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0.1 08 JCP
0.1 05 BCI
1.0 08 BRB

I have not seen reflectix in stores here in the southeastern states. The local home repair stores do have a product called RM3 Plus Sheathing that is probably very similar. It is a home insulation product that comes in 4 by 8 sheets and has a white surface on one side and silver reflective surface on the other.

>>You need to insulate the cage, IMO a great product is Reflectix. You should be able to find it at your local home improvement / hardware store. It looks like aluminized plastic bubble wrap. Wrap three sides and top with it and WATCH YOUR TEMPS as they may climb faster than you think. If that's not enough, you can always cover the front as well (just for the cold spells).
>>-----
>>Thanks,
>>
>>
>>Dave Colling
>>
>>www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com
>>
>>
>>
>>0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
>>0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)
>>
>>LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
>>26.49 BRB
>>20.21 BCI
>>And those are only the breeders
>>
>>lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Two PDF's I found with a quick search...

retail guide pdf

Foil/Bubble insulation
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

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

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Very different products but both should do a good job of insulating a tank.

>>Two PDF's I found with a quick search...
>>
>>retail guide pdf
>>
>>
>>Foil/Bubble insulation
>>-----
>>Thanks,
>>
>>
>>Dave Colling
>>
>>www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com
>>
>>
>>
>>0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
>>0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)
>>
>>LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
>>26.49 BRB
>>20.21 BCI
>>And those are only the breeders
>>
>>lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

I went looking for Reflectix at Home Depot and Lowe's, its not to be found. I did find it at DoitBest.com. They offer free shipping on "standard" shipping, aka 2 days to pack, up to 10 days to arrive. Use the coupon code "sale" and get 10% off. Looks like useful stuff.
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Julie
www.[url ban]/gfx

Are you talking about the thermostat in your house or the one connected to your UTH?

Where are you measuring your temps?
Generally an UTH without regulation heats a spot to the 90s. But the ambient cage temp will be a lot lower, like in the 70s.
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1.1.0 beardies
1.0.0 bloodred corn
0.1.0 striped anery corn
0.1.0 leopard gecko
0.1.0 golden gecko
0.2.0 mourning geckos
1.1.0 cats

soon to be:
BRB- thank you Dave!

I mean the thermostat attached to the heat pad.

I use the T-Rex round temperature and humility gauges. They are close-ish to the bottom of the tank (I guess I could have put them lower).
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SARA B.

1.0 BRB (Suga Shank)
1.0 pink dog (Hermes)

Sara,
...You need to know the temperature right down where the snake lives, which is on the bottom of the cage most of the time. Try placing the thermometer there for awhile. Some stick on thermometers are very inaccurate. One placed on a glass pane is going to be indicating the temperature of the pane which is generally an average of the temperatures on both sides of the pane. Many stick on thermometers are not very accurate. With a non contact infrared thermometer you can read temperatures at different locations in the cage and even shoot the snake with it to see what his temperature is. That undertank heater should be creating a warm spot on the floor of the cage and the snake will move on and off of it as it wants. If that warm area on the floor is in the 80s and the rest of the cage is in the high 60s that is okay but, ideally you should have most of the cage in the 70s. The insulation that Dave recommended can make that work. BTW, I have kept little BRBS over a winter with their cages in the 60s most of the time and they did fine. I wish I was in Florida. It is REALLY cold here in Savannah.
Jeff

>>So, we finally got a cold front here in florida (which is like 50s and 60s, but still). I can't get my BRB, Suga Shank's, home to warm up. I have an all glass 10 gallon with an all glass lid to keep humidity and heat in. I have a small bottom heater pad that takes up one side. I've been progressively turning up the thermostat everyday. It's at the highest it will go and the tank temperature reads like 68-70 during the day. I don't really know what to do.
>>My friend mentioned getting a UVB ray bulb? I don't know. I don't want to fry him either.
>>
>>Poor Suga. Help.
>>-----
>>SARA B.
>>
>>-1.0 BRB (Suga Shank)
>>-1.0 pink dog (Hermes)

So what temp is my snake irself supposed to be?
(and where the heck are the smileys on this forum?!)
-----
1.1.0 beardies
1.0.0 bloodred corn
0.1.0 striped anery corn
0.1.0 leopard gecko
0.1.0 golden gecko
0.2.0 mourning geckos
1.1.0 cats

soon to be:
BRB- thank you Dave!

What Smilies: again with spaces... ; ) : ) ; )
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

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

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Let the snake tell you. Put it in a cage with a gradient from the low 70s at one end to the high 70s at the other end with a warm spot on the floor of the cage in the low to mid 80s. Shoot the snake with a non contact thermometer every time you check on it and you will probably find that it is spending time in the part of the cage that keeps it around 73 to 75 much of the time and warmer when digesting a meal. Our snakes are talking to us. We just have to figure out what they are saying.

>>So what temp is my snake irself supposed to be?
>>(and where the heck are the smileys on this forum?!)
>>-----
>>1.1.0 beardies
>>1.0.0 bloodred corn
>>0.1.0 striped anery corn
>>0.1.0 leopard gecko
>>0.1.0 golden gecko
>>0.2.0 mourning geckos
>>1.1.0 cats
>>
>>soon to be:
>>BRB- thank you Dave!