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Heating Question

R

rara1337

New member
Hello! So I've had Molly for 2 weeks now and I will be feeding her for the second time tonight. She's fairly active this morning so I am guessing she is ready.

I am concerned about my temps, though. She doesn't seem to mind, but I guess I wouldn't know if she did for sure or not. One side stays at around 76 and the warm side is around 81. The store said this was fine, but I am reading 75-85 is optimal. I got a UTH because at this point I am only using lights, but I wonder how I appropriately measure the temp of the UTH? Should I tape my probe under the aspen over the heater? Or can it just be on the class close to the heater? It's up on the back wall at this point, just measuring air temp. But I will need it to make sure the UTH isn't too hot. How do you guys do this?
 
You should place it inside the vivarium, touching the glass (if your substrate layer is thick, burrow the probe under it so it touches the glass). Also, I see that it's always in the centermost part of the UTH as I can. UHT is recommended but with a lamp it should be the same, but over the substrate instead of burrowed.
You can hot glue it or use a suction cup, whatever works best for you. BUT (and I guess you already know), NO TAPE! EVER! Nowhere in the viv.
 
I actually didn't know about the no tape thing. What does that do? I have 1 piece of tape in the top corner keeping the cords out of the way. I didn't know it was bad :( I'll take it out as soon as I get home.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 
I just read about it. I'm all anxious to get off work and go home to change things around now.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 
It's pretty sure they'll get stuck on the tape eventually and can get injuried pretty bad. Use something else, like those plastic cords to group cables that only go one way (don't know the Eng name), for example, or suction cups.
 
Thanks for the info! I am going to suction cup the probe to the bottom of the tank and just bury the cord under the aspen. There is a spot in the tank lid that allows removable buttons for cord holes, but she's so small I was afraid she'd try to get out. But I'd rather try that and make it secure than use tape and potentially injure her.

Thanks!
 
Sorry if I missed it, but is the probe from a digital thermometer or a digital thermostat? We do recommend using a thermostat that will cut out the heat mat so it won't overheat. Some people use a rheostat (dimmer) but you really have to babysit them.

I second the recommendation of using a hot glue gun to stick anything needed in the viv. You could also use it to plug up any unnecessary holes, and it can be removed later if the holes are needed.
 
There is a digital thermometer, digital hydrometer, and another digital thermometer. One measures the warm side and the other measures the cool side. The hydrometer is what she is climbing on in this pic.

I am going to change up these cords now. They are held up with tape so I need to change it, but at this point I don't have the UTH hooked up. Tonight when I hook it up, I will put the warm side probe under the aspen and secure with the suction cup to measure the temp of the heating pad. The thermostat I purchased has 4 heat settings that I can set it to (low, medium, high, and something else) and it says to monitor the heat for the first hour to make sure the setting is right. I don't have one that switches off automatically. Is that recommended? Or is having the one that determines level of temp enough?
 

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I just went online and found a thermostat that's the same brand as what I got. I must have a rheostat then. Darn it!
 
Yeah, that sounds like a rheostat. Some people here use them with no complaints. I imagine if the room temperatures were stable it would be a plus.

If you do start having trouble maintaining the right temperatures, Amazon sells an affordable probed thermostat called Hydrofarm Jumpstart, which many of us here use. Unfortunately in Canada it costs me $50 but I think it's quite a bit cheaper in the US.
 
Great! I would hold off feeding her until everything is set up and running nicely for a couple of days. Waiting a few days to eat won't hurt her, but fluctuating temperatures and moving stuff around in her tank right after she ate would be very hard on her.
 
Wow that tape was screaming "stuck snake". I'm glad we've been able to avoid a disaster.
I can't help you with US products, though :(
 
mishima25 said:
Wow that tape was screaming "stuck snake". I'm glad we've been able to avoid a disaster.
I can't help you with US products, though :(
Click to expand...

Me too! I had no idea it was such an issue. Glad I found out before anything happened and I can take care of it right away. I'm happy there are so many knowledgeable people on this forum. I feel like I've learned so much!
 
Rigby & Marcy said:
Great! I would hold off feeding her until everything is set up and running nicely for a couple of days. Waiting a few days to eat won't hurt her, but fluctuating temperatures and moving stuff around in her tank right after she ate would be very hard on her.
Click to expand...

I still have to wait for a couple of days to get the thermostat in the mail. Would it be ok to feed her tonight and then change everything up this weekend after she's finished digesting?
 
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