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UTH + Hide Box = OVEN!!!

G

guitrage

Ophidiophile
With just the UTH on, the temperature on top of the substrate in my tank was 84. I put the probe under the hide and it climbed to 99 degrees! THAT'S HOT!!! The heat coming through the floor gets trapped in the hide instead of rising to the top of the tank and it gets REALLY HOT!!!

I've noticed that my snake was spending an awful lot of time under the hide on the cool side of the tank, and I became suspicious. So today I put the thermometer probe under the hide over the UTH and found that it was about 100 degrees!! The probe usually just sits on top of the substrate next to the hide, and today when I got home it was reading 84 degrees. I was wondering why my snake wasn't enjoying this optimal temperature, so I did this little experiment and discovered unbelievably high temperatures under the hide box.

And the hide box is very well ventilated! It is a semi-circle piece of bark and both sides are open, kind of like a Habba Hut but smaller. I imagine that if it had a smaller opening it would get even hotter under there! No wonder she didn't like hanging out under there for very long!

Someone else with a UTH please test the temps under their hide box and let me know what the results are. I want to know if this is common or if it is just my setup. I have a ceramic heat emitter and a thermostat being shipped to me right now, so I'm going to use that from now on, possibly in conjunction with the UTH after it's turned down.

What do you all think about this?
 
My tank right now is at 85 (the thermometer is on the UTH). I'll move the thermometer under the hide and post back later tonight. It's not digital so it might not be that accurate, but it'll give me an idea of how the heat gets trapped under the hide.

I've never heard of this to be a problem, but I have to admit, my snake has also been spending a lot of time under the cool hide. He'll go into the warm side hide, but 30 minutes later I'll look and he's under the cool side hide.
 
I never let the temps for my snake enclosures get high enough for that to be a problem, but with my geckos, I make sure to never rest the hide squarely on the UTH. It's always half on and half off the UTH so they can thermoregulate themselves within the warm hide.
 
Yes I noticed that too when I used my UTH. I always keep my digital tbermometer under the hide. ANd then I have a stick on at the bottom of the tank. They are usually off by a couple of degrees. Now I just use the bulbs and my tank keeps good temps. Although since its started to get chilly at night I have added an extra bulb. My temps were going down to 76 at night and I want to keep it at 80.

Jean
 
It's about 88-89 so it went up maybe 5 degrees. I have the heat lamp on as well though, so that for sure had an effect.

One thing though. The UTH provides only belly heat. If the temps in your room are cold, the air in the tank will also be cold. The UTH is just like having a heated floor, but no central heating.
 
I'm going to use the UTH (on the LOW setting) in conjunction with the heat lamp. Thank you very much for the replies!
 
if you have a UTH attached to the bottom of the glass with no way to adjust the power it will cause the glass to get real HOT, thus warming the substrate above to a too warm temp...Unless your snake likes to hover, belly heat is just fine, as long as your room isnt that cold ;*)...even if your room dips into the 60's or even lower if your corn is cold, he'll stay close to where it's warm...IMHO both overhead heating or under tank heating works just fine for corns, but a combo of both tends to make it overly warm, and has to have more "attention" paid to it...
 
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