Thermostat/temp setting given substrate, etc

Hi all - despite reading care sheets and some similar questions, I am still unsure of my temp setting and would ask you be patient with another noob and clarify for me if I've got my thermostat set correctly:

- Baby (8 grams) corn snake - have had him 1 week
- 10 gallon sized habitat
- 1 inch aspen reptile substrate
- UTH heater affixed externally to glass, under right side of tank
- HydroFarm digital thermostat; probe affixed inside of tank directly to glass above center of UTH
- Thermostat set to 84 degrees F
- A thin cardboard hide on top of bedding over UTH, a thin cardboard hide on"cool" side as well.
- Sixx prefers to stay under his warm-side hide above the UTH

Questions: Given the depth of substrate and Sixx preferring to be under his warm-side hide, etc., is 84 degrees F appropriate setting? I'm picking up a thermometer to independently measure the actual temperature level - do I measure temperature at the UTH level next to the thermostat probe, or do I measure it at the area where Sixx generally tends to hang out (which would be on the substrate, under his hide)? And what temperature am I shooting for at the level where he hangs out the majority of his time?

Thanks for being patient with me...

Unless the snake burrows itself, you should take the temp reading near the top of the substrate (but still fully "submerged"). 84F at the top should be plenty as long as you give them a gradient (cold side - hot side).

I assumed you meant thermostat (the device that controls another by reference of temperature) instead of a thermometer (just reads the temp).

atomic peach said:

I assumed you meant thermostat (the device that controls another by reference of temperature) instead of a thermometer (just reads the temp).

Click to expand...

Whoops, yes! That's what I meant - thermostat is set at 84. Typing too fast this morning - will edit my original post to make it clear.

and thanks!

Measure the temp directly on the glass, inside the viv, in the center of the UTH. You need to know what the hottest place your snake can reach, reads.

I might add another inch of substrate, just for his burrowing pleasure! 84-86 would be a good temp for a baby. I let adults get a little cooler- 80-82. (But I'm in Florida- scared of temp spikes, and letting breeding males get too warm!)

Nanci said:

Measure the temp directly on the glass, inside the viv, in the center of the UTH. You need to know what the hottest place your snake can reach, reads.

Click to expand...

What Nanci said.

The whole idea is to give the snake a warm place to digest it's food. However, you do not want any area to be so warm or hot that the snake can harm itself.

Thanks, everyone. I picked up a ZooMed infrared temperature reader today. I've had the HydroFarm thermostat set at 84, but when I pushed the substrate away and read the glass inside the tank above the center of the UTH, it was coming up 81.5. I bumped up the thermostat setting to 86, and am now getting a reading pointed at glass at center of UTH of 84. I'll keep monitoring it every couple hours or so until to be sure it stays consistent.