Re: Hey Serpentdude...a couple more questions :)

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Posted by Nicodemus on March 02, 2003 at 19:48:03:

In Reply to: Re: Hey Serpentdude...a couple more questions :) posted by serpentdude on March 02, 2003 at 10:36:11:

:I have a hide box over the hot spot in my enclosres, with a thin layer (1/4" to 1/2") of aspen or crushed walnut shell over the glass and newspaper surface. I just checked the temp. on the surface of the substrate in my San Gabriel rosy's warm hide box and it is right at 90 degrees. For some reason my rosy's don't burrow into their substrate much, so in the hide box they sit comfortably right on top of it.

I'm using a couple of overturned flowerpots as hide boxes. I was told not to put a hide box directly over the pad as excess heat canbuild up, but it seems about 5 degrees cooler inside them, so it might equal out.

Also, would the typical snake burrow inside the hide box?

:Yeah, 100 degrees is a little too much. You may have to see if you can get a rheostat or something to reduce the juice and bring the heat down. If you get the temps. down to within a degree or two of 90, either way, your fine. The cool side is fine where it is.

Well right now, its a thin piece of card board on the glass. I'm now trying something a little thicker. if that doesn't work I'll look for a dimmer switch.

:You'll know when you have the right temps. for sure when your snake cruises back and forth between the warm and cool spots. If they continually hang in one spot only, then something isn't right temperature wise. I'll go in and look at a particular snake and he/she may be in his warm hide box, go in an hour or so later and their over on the cool side. They're just doing the thermal balancing act, like they would in habitat.

Logical....and good to know. I'll watch for that.

:Your humidity is a little high. Occaisional periods of higher humidity I don't believe would be detrimental, but for long term maintenance, it should be lower. The humidity in my enclosures cruises between 25% to 40% (sometimes lower) so I've never had to deal with the humidity issue. Does the room you'll be keeping your snake in have central heating? Usually, in the winter with heating going most homes tend to dry out a bit.

Yeah, its a bit dry right now, but its a little more humid in the tank.
So I think I figured out the problem. I washed the dust and dirt from the inside of the tank before I put everything in. The flowerpots too. They might be holding on to some of the water still, so I think the humidity should go down in time.

I still have to wait about 2 weeks for the snake :(
But at least it gives me time to get this down. :)

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