# temp help



## pamonster (Jun 26, 2003)

Ok, i got my new savannah, it's in a 40 gallon breeder with the wire mesh top. I got a under tank heat pad, above tank light with a 100 watt bulb in it (it can handle up to a 150 watt), and our house temp is 70. With those two heat sources I could only get the temp up to 76 or so. So I had another heat lamp that with a 60 watt UV bulb. The tank temp only went up to about 80, so I covered the 1/3 of the tank taht did not have a bulb over it and that bumped it up to about 81 or 82. Is that ok? I would like to get it to 85+ for basking.... is the 3 deg. that important? Just looking for input, thanks


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## 00nothing (Mar 26, 2004)

one of the thngs to do is instead of a regular bubl use an infrared basking bulb that will increase the temps


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## pamonster (Jun 26, 2003)

ok, at the moment I am useing a 60 watt spot incandescent (Black Heat Lamp), and a 100 watt Neodymium Broad spectrum daylight bulb. So their not "regular"... would a infrared still be better?


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## 00nothing (Mar 26, 2004)

i found that with my infrared that instead of heating the air it heated the spot i wanted it to actually so much so that i ha to get a lower wattage than i expected i think it was the zoomed one i got iand they are around the 10 dollar mark


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

What are you using to measure your temps?


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## pamonster (Jun 26, 2003)

Mettle said:


> What are you using to measure your temps?
> [snapback]839590[/snapback]​


A Penn-Plax Therma-Temp Thermometer, probibly not the most accurate thing in the world, but it gets me in the general area.


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

Do yourself a favour and go out and buy a temp gun. I think they're commonly listed as things like 'non-contact infrared thermometer'. You can pick them up at Radio Shack.

This will allow you to measure the temps more accurately. Ball parking temps with herps is not a good idea...


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## pamonster (Jun 26, 2003)

ok, ill have to get one, but if my temp is still in the low 80's what would you suggest?


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

Well... Just a couple more questions. What type of substrate are you using and what type of heat pad is that exactly? Size?

Generally, glass tanks with mesh tops suck for two things: keeping in humidity and keeping in heat. Since warm air rises, you're losing all your heat quite frequently and easily And you're constantly warming cold air. Though with all that equipment, I think you might just be getting some inaccurate measures of temps. Chances are it's hotter than you know.

Wait til after you know the temps on the cold side and the warm side and then discuss solutions. If the temps are still too low the only solution might be getting a new enclosure more suited to the needs of your monitor.


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

Another quick question... I was looking at pics from your other thread and your monitor seems quite small now. What, approximately, are his measurements? You might get away with keeping him in something smaller and easier to heat for now like a transparent rubbermaid. (Not pretty - but effective.)


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## pamonster (Jun 26, 2003)

The substrate is crushed walnut shells, it is suposed to pass through their system if ingested. The pad is a Exo-Terra Heat Wave Terrarium Substrate Heater 11 X 17. What I did was change his set up a little, I put both heat lamps on teh 1/2 of the cage above the pad. My thermometer is about 3 inches from the pad and about 6 inches from the light and it was reading 84 last night. I assume that directly on the pad and under teh light is a few deg. warmer, hopefuly near 90. As for overnight I turn off the 100 watt, but I leave the 60 watt spot incandescent on, and in the morning the temp is regestering at 73, 3 inches from the pad and about 8 inches from the light. I'm guessing that his temp range is between 73 and 90 and over the pad probibly 76 or so to 90. I'm still open for suggestions and willing to change if it will suit his needs better though.

Right now he is almost 5 inches from nares to vent.

On another note, he eats like a champ. In 4 days he has eaten 5 superworms, 14 large crickets, 2 goldfish (more like he mangeled the hell out of them), and a pinkie. Dont worry I wont over feed him, its just fun as hell to watch him eat.


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## 00nothing (Mar 26, 2004)

i would seriously consider the infrared bulb u will be amazed how well they heat and its a penetrating heat instead of just surface heat think of the heat lamps at burger places thats what they are

if u place ure hand under one u can feel how rapidally ure whole hand heats and on the inside to vs jsut the skin getting warm with a regular bulb


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## pamonster (Jun 26, 2003)

00nothing said:


> i would seriously consider the infrared bulb u will be amazed how well they heat and its a penetrating heat instead of just surface heat think of the heat lamps at burger places thats what they are
> 
> if u place ure hand under one u can feel how rapidally ure whole hand heats and on the inside to vs jsut the skin getting warm with a regular bulb
> [snapback]842793[/snapback]​


Is that something that I can get at like Petco, or will have have to look at like a hardware store?


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## 00nothing (Mar 26, 2004)

every pet store has them now i think, they are in the reptile section usually


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## pamonster (Jun 26, 2003)

cool, thanks


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