heat question

[ScorpZion]

well i have my 10 gallon tank ready for my sand boa, but the problem is this i hooked up the undertank heater made for ten gallon i tested the heat and it was high 90. now i think this is too hot, the zoo med thermostat is like 45 bucks here and i cant afford that. is there anyt other way i can regulate the temp on the hot side of the tank? if so please let me know, i dont want to cook my snake....

 

[ScorpZion]

i meant to say high 90's,

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

How about hooking up a light dimmer switch to the UTH? That would make it adjustable, I think. You'd have to experiment a bit to get it adjusted correctly, of course. And it would not adjust itself automatically either, as a thermostat would.

If someone knows that this is a bad idea, feel free to shoot me down. I don't remember where I picked the idea up at, presumably I read it somewhere. In a book or magazine, this was pre-internet times for me.
Anyway, I did use the method to lower the temperature of a hot rock and it seemed to work okay for that purpose.

 

[ScorpZion]

i was thinking about that, but then i also thought me + wireing = house fire lol. but i will figure out something im sure that as hot as i keep my room the snake will be fine untill i get a thermostate next pay check

 

[LPacker79]

I also went with store bought rheostasts for my snakes based on my lack of confidence that I couldn't wire up a dimmer switch without burning down my apartment. I use rheostats on some cages, and thermostats on some others. I do prefer thermostats, for obvious reasons, but rheostats are also suitable, though not quite as reliable. Regardless of the method used, temps should be checked frequently. I check mine twice a day with a heat gun, something every herp keeper should have in my opinion.

 

[ScorpZion]

heat gun? i use a meatl thermometer, i dont know i think i will wait to get a thermostate on pay day. when i mesured the heat it was the worst at the bottom of the sand, you think the boa will go staright to the bottom? i have like 5 inches of sand in there

 

[Psoulocybe]

give more air under the tank and heater.

If there is more air room under the tank, it will disapate quickly and lower overall temperatures a bit.

 

[Schlyne]

heat gun?

A temperature gun. Any one of the models on this page qualfies as a temp gun. There are some other brands out there. I think the name of the other major one I've seen is a raytech.

Point the temp gun at something, push the button and presto! instant temperature reading of where you pointed the gun at basied on radiant heat emission.