[HELP] Can I use an old kitchen thermometer to monitor enclosure temps?

[lanzaey]

So basically, I have an old kitchen thermometer lying around and I've ordered a heat mat online for my scorp. I've kept her in an unheated enclosure because I was skeptical at first whether or not she will survive the first months after being taken from the wild.

Here are photos of the thermometer:
http://imgur.com/a/6J48CzU

On an aditional note, how hot would you suggest the temps to be? I'm keeping a female Asian Forest Scorpion on a pretty large 30×65×35cm tank.

My heatmat is 14w at 30×30cm. Would you guys recommend side mounting it or putting it underneath the tank? Thanks!

 

[moricollins]

So basically, I have an old kitchen thermometer lying around and I've ordered a heat mat online for my scorp. I've kept her in an unheated enclosure because I was skeptical at first whether or not she will survive the first months after being taken from the wild.

Here are photos of the thermometer:
http://imgur.com/a/6J48CzU

On an aditional note, how hot would you suggest the temps to be? I'm keeping a female Asian Forest Scorpion on a pretty large 30×65×35cm tank.

My heatmat is 14w at 30×30cm. Would you guys recommend side mounting it or putting it underneath the tank? Thanks!

Never put a heat mat under an invertebrate's tank. If it digs into the substrate it could burn itself.

I would imagine that a kitchen thermometer would work to measure temperature in a tank ...

 

[Dry Desert]

Not a good idea to leave the scorpion in less than correct environment for a couple of months to see if it makes it !
Have the heat mat on the side, never under the tank, and have one hide close to the side with the heat mat and another hide in a slightly cooler area.
Temp. range 85/88 cent. humidity 80/85.
The kitchen therm. should be okay, place it in a central area of the tank, not up against the heat mat.That will give a temp. gradient from hot heat mat area to cooler areas.

 

[lanzaey]

Not a good idea to leave the scorpion in less than correct environment for a couple of months to see if it makes it !
Have the heat mat on the side, never under the tank, and have one hide close to the side with the heat mat and another hide in a slightly cooler area.
Temp. range 85/88 cent. humidity 80/85.
The kitchen therm. should be okay, place it in a central area of the tank, not up against the heat mat.That will give a temp. gradient from hot heat mat area to cooler areas.

Yeah I know it was a bad idea and I'm trying to make it up to her now. Thanks for the advice on temps and heat mat placement