Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I need some advice on my setup. I have a young BRB and keep her in a sterilite sweater-type box, about 18x10 (in.) I drilled 6-1/4 inch holes into the lid and 8 1/4 holes around the sides. I have an undercage heater (heading pad made for people) I have 2 hides on each side. My thermometer reads between 79-82 (outside the hide) on the warm side and about 72 on the cool side. She spends all her time on the cools side in the hide. I measured the temps in the hide on the warm side and it was over 90.

Is the cool side at 72 too cool? Isn't the 90 too high? I am worried that my warm side is too warm and my cool is too cool.

Also, I am seem to be having trouble maintaining high humidity-do I have too many holes?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! If you need pic let me know.

Thanks for your reply. I thought that heating pads made for reptiles got too hot. Do you think I should invest in one and get a rheostat? Can you recommend anything in particular? I only have one hole in the each hide-do you think that if I add another hole in the hide, it will bring down the temp? She stays in the cool hide all the time. Do you think she will have problems with digestion at 72 degrees?

I am adding humidity by misting, and I am using cypress mulch, which holds the water pretty well.

Thanks again!

>>I expect someone with far more experience will weigh in shortly, but from my own reading and keeping:
>>
>>1. 90 is waaay to warm for a BRB, especially a young one. Should be 80. Also, a people-style heating pad is not the best solution; start planning for a reptile-specific solution.
>>
>>2. 72 for the cool side is fine.
>>
>>3. Temp should be measured inside, not out, and on the bottom where the snake would be.
>>
>>4. How many holes do you have? And how are you adding humidity to begin with?
>>
>>5. People love picts.
>>
>>Hope this helps,

No more holes in hides needed, need to get the tub temps right.

YES you need to get a rheostat (dimmer) to allow you to adjust power levels at a bare minimum!!!

Pics of one I made......

-----
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

Like snakesitter already said.....

90 is wayyyyy to hot, temps are always to be measured at snake locations, floor inside hides is perfect spot to measure.

Jeff would tell you to listen to your snake - it's always at the cooler end so the cooler end is more to it's liking.

Better to have a reptile Under Tank Heater (UTH) but either way, you need to adjust the power level down. Best solution is a proportional thermostat like Helix DBS1000. At a bare mimimum, you need a dimmer switch to manually adjust the temps. I've heard that lighting departments in hardware and/or home improvement stores have a lamp extension cord with a built in dimmer switch. Or if you are handy you can rig up a standard wall dimmer switch. I have pics and instructions if you want.

To tweak your humidity, first off get the temps right, if still not humid enough, start closing off the holes, tape should work fine.

I also recommend a damp moss hide. Plastic container with hole cut in side or top. Some damp green moss inside and voila, damp moss hide. You will have to watch the hide for mold or snake waste and change out the moss as necessary to keep it clean.

Pics are always welcome!!!
-----
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've seen it and seems to be related to too much water.
-----
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

Actually for a moss hide it's better the other way around. As long as you don't let it get too dry. I even have one of those sprinkle watering cans to remoisten if need be.
-----
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

Dan,
...72 on the cool end is fine. Little BRBs will even eat and digest and grow with the entire cage in the high 60s to low 70s. 90s at the warmest part of the cage is too high. By staying in the cooler hiding place the snake is telling you that it likes 72 better than 90. If you were to control the heating pad with a dimmer you could get that warmest area cooler. If your room temperature is fairly stable the dimmer alone will be fine but if the room temperature changes very much you will need a thermostat. Digital proportional thermostats are best but a simpler and cheaper non-proportional thermostat would work fine in series with a dimmer. Alternatively the simplest and cheapest change might be just to move the box so that just a very small corner is on the heat pad. The heat from the pad is pushing lots of humidity out of the box. If you close off some of the ventilation holes AND move the box so that just a small corner is warmed by the heating pad the humidity will probably greatly increase.
Jeff

>>I need some advice on my setup. I have a young BRB and keep her in a sterilite sweater-type box, about 18x10 (in.) I drilled 6-1/4 inch holes into the lid and 8 1/4 holes around the sides. I have an undercage heater (heading pad made for people) I have 2 hides on each side. My thermometer reads between 79-82 (outside the hide) on the warm side and about 72 on the cool side. She spends all her time on the cools side in the hide. I measured the temps in the hide on the warm side and it was over 90.
>>
>>Is the cool side at 72 too cool? Isn't the 90 too high? I am worried that my warm side is too warm and my cool is too cool.
>>
>>Also, I am seem to be having trouble maintaining high humidity-do I have too many holes?
>>
>>Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! If you need pic let me know.

I keep mine in temps around 73-82 and on NERD's website they have a care sheet if that'll help anymore.