Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Greetings all, I'm back again with another novice question for you fine folk.

I've had my Ike (California king) for about a year and a half ago now, and he has finally outgrown his current tank. I bought him a nice new one recently, and I'm setting everything up for his "moving day". Lol.

Because this tank is a good bit bigger, I had to buy a new UTH heating pad for it (Zoo-med brand, of course). I plugged it in last night and let it run so it could warm up before I moved him, but when I came back to check it a few hours later, I noticed that the bedding above the pad is fine, but the glass where the pad is stuck is very hot. And like most snakes, Ike likes to bury himself, so common sense tells me that if I can't touch it for long, then chances are its too hot for him as well. I never had that problem with the smaller pad on the old tank, but I also had that one stuck to the side whereas the new one is on the bottom.

So I have two questions. Is a thermostat/rheostat a necessary investment to remedy this problem? I'm on a bit of a budget, so if there is another way, that might be better. My second question pertains to the actual move. Is it recommended to keep something from the old tank to put in the new tank? Would something familiar make it less stressful on him, or does it make no difference? Any other tips or need-to-knows about switching tanks are appreciated as well. Thanks guys!

I hear you, and this is a common scenario. Many substrates insulate the heat - keep most of the heat under the substrate.

A lamp dimmer helps alot and is easy to get/use. A temperature controller with a probe is best - in that case you need to fix the probe onto the heat pad under the cage.

Here are some other suggestions that you can try:

1. If the substrate is not as deep, more heat comes to the surface and is easier to monitor. Substrates like packaging paper allow the heat to reach the snake, again making it easier to monitor and control. Luckily, kings are very good at thermoregulating, and they will stay clear of temps that are too warm.

2. Placing a piece of ceramic or other tile above the glass over the heater helps distribute the heat better, and it buffers it better than glass alone.

3. An alternative to #2, if still too much heat, use two pieces of tile stacked. My favorite is one large piece with a smaller piece fixed to it on top with silicon or velcro. This makes a gradient over the whole tile assy.

4. Side heat. Use a deep layer of coir fiber, and attach the heat pad to the side of the tank mostly (but not completely) below the substrate line. The snake can burrow into the coir and access the heat. Lean a hide against it, like in the pic 2. But not a rock hide, maybe a foam hide like in pic 1 with the gecko. That is pink foam sheet cut, glued and painted.