Can't get my temperatures up

[Simland]

Hi,

The temperatures in my terrarium are a bit cool and I can't seem to be able to get them up.

The current temperatures
Cool side: around 20 C (sometimes even 1 or 2 degrees lower)
Warm side air: max around 25-26C, sometimes 27C, min night time : 20C
Warm side surface: 30-32 for the rock and 1-2 degrees less for the soil

Although I wasn't regularly monitoring the temperatures last winter, they seemed to be fine and my snake was behaving normally. This summer I switched the terrarium and the new one is the same size, but 2 inches taller.

I believe the heat bulb I had last year was a 75W bulb, but I replaced it with a 50W bulb at some point and I don't remember when that was...could have been during the winter.

My snake started acting strange during the summer (which I thought must be because of the heat even though it wasn't spending an overly large amount of time in its water bowl). It probably didn't have a cool side back then (the only cool place was probably the water bowl). Now the temperatures went from hot to too cool kind of quickly early in the fall.

I switched the 50W bulb for a 75W bulb, and waited to see if my snake's behavior would improve, but it didn't. Then I started monitoring the temperatures more seriously, with a different thermometer and with a temperature gun, which showed the temperatures were cooler than I thought. I believed that might be because of the new terrarium's extra 2 inches of height so, yesterday, I added more substrate to raise the warm side up by roughly 2 inches. I didn't really notice any change in the temperatures.

Today I bought a 100W bulb but after several a hours... nothing's changed. The air temperature is 25.5C at the moment and the surface temperature of the rock is 32C.

I'm thinking that the substrate (soil) I added is acting as enough of a heat sink to compensate for the increased closeness to the heat source and the increase in Watts, especially since it's still relatively moist so there's more evaporation going on than there was before the change, but still, I'm surprised that I haven't even gained 1 degree.

I'm starting to freak out. Should I wait for the soil to dry up a bit more and see what happens? Should I get the soil back down to the level it was before and see if the 100W will work its magic with less of a heat sink? I'm thinking the best thing to do would be to replace the substrate in the warm side, but with what? I really don't like newspaper and other "sheet" substrates or no substrate. Is there a solution I'm missing. I'd rather not use a rack for two reasons: I can't find a premade one and I'm convinced part of why my terrarium is escape proof is that while my snake can reach the top, it can't use its strength to push through.

I'd also rather find an "in-tank" solution, rather than running both a heat bad and and heat bulb, but if I can find a decent affordable pad that you don't stick to the glass, I might it on the of the terrarium...

I'm pretty sure that I'm seeing visual signs that my snake has started losing weight.

I don't know if this info is useful, but my heat bulbs are the visible light kind, not the infrared kind.

[guidofatherof5]

Can you post a photo of your snake and give us some history on it. Diet? Feeding schedule? Brumation? etc.

[Simland]

I'll try to take a new picture tomorrow, but here's the composite I used in another thread. It's the one on the left.
IMG_7182-8par12.jpg

Diet: Nightcrawlers. The schedule used to be every other day and I continue to offer him nightcrawlers every other day, but he only takes them once a week, now... sometimes less often if I remember correctly (without checking my notes)

I tried feeding him a guppy once, but it freaked out and faked attacks on my hand.

I supplement with calcium once a month, although I admit that I've been a bit flaky about that in the past...and now it's kind of difficult because if I forget the supplement, then it's at least another week before there's any sort of chance he'll take the food/supplement.

I never made it brumate.

I got it in september 2014 and it was pretty much the same length. It's a male, so it could be its final size, or just about, and, by extension, I don't really know its age.

It took a couple of months for it to shed, than it shed every two months and, now, if I remember correctly, it hasn't shed since last June or July.

Whenever he does eat, he has no problem with the food. He seems to be digesting it just fine, so I may start force feeding it a bit if nothing else works, but I'd rather fix the temperatures first.

[guidofatherof5]

If he's eating once a week I wouldn't worry too much and I don't suggest force feeding. Once a week is fine. Garters can cycle on eating. Could just be a seasonal change thing. Have you tried frozen/thawed pinkies or some tilapia?

Nice Thamnophis sirtalis parientalis - Red-sided garter snake

[joeysgreen]

A photo of your tank might be helpful as well. I don't like undertank heaters when you have substrate that insulates against it. If your snake were to burrow it'd find dangerous temp's down there.

You may find that the evaporative effects of the soil are indeed keeping the temp's moderated. It takes energy to raise water and then to evaporate it. A good method to show this is to have ice cubes in water, on a sunny window ledge. The water temperature will not begin to rise until all the ice has melted.

So, you don't want a dry substrate, but you want to raise the temperature. This is where you look for creating a microhabitat. A simple way to do this is to place a thin, flat piece of wood or slate on top of the substrate. Dig a hollow underneath for a nice humid hide. On top, the rock can warm up faster than the soil below. Additionally, you can add another rock or wood hide on top to get a dry hide, and another basking spot that is both independent of the substrate, and closer to the bulb for a warmer temperature available for your snake. Google rete's rack for more organized versions of this idea.

[Simland]

At first, that's what I thought it was: that it just would not feel like eating much for a short while, but I believe it's been too long for that to be the case. One of my other thoughts was: maybe it's pretty much fully grown so it's eating less (although the change was fairly sudden). But the weight loss suggests its something else. I haven't tried pinkies and tilapia. I'm thinking it would be hard to make it accept pinkies since I couldn't use tricks like senting with worm sent, but I might try the tilapia (do you just buy tilapia filets from the grocery store?)

Here are the pictures I was able to take yesterday of the snake and its terrarium:
IMG_7316.jpgIMG_7320.jpg

This is the current version of the terraium, with the thicker substrate to bring the surface closer to the light.

As you can see from the condensation, there's still a fair bit of evaporation going on and the temperature is, at least, a bit warmer than the room temperature (which is the same as last year [min:20C]).

I don't know if it makes a difference, but it's a thamnophis sirtalis (not the parientalis subspecies).

What kind of wood would you recommend? I have some nice split log pieces that I could put in, but I don't know what species they're from.

[Rushthezeppelin]

If you get tilapia (or other fish) make sure to look at the ingredients. The only ingredients it should have is tilapia (or w/e fish) and maybe water. Anything else should not be used...Also if using any sea fish I would not take anything caught in the N Pacific.

[joeysgreen]

tilapia fillet in itself is not a full meal; it's muscle meat. A treat or intermediate to get eating is about it.

Split logs should be fine, but might be a little bulky for what you are looking for... your judgement call. Type of wood doesn't matter much, just let it dry and air out a bit. Species like cedar and pine should be avoided, but moreso when freshly cut, or as bedding that is always freshened and/or kept moist with spilt water or waste. These soft woods have noxious aromatics that can be dangerous.

[Rushthezeppelin]

BTW, a heads up. If you are using only ecoearth for substrate that pothos probably won't last in there. Ecoearth does not have nutrients that are easily accessible by plants. It makes a great amendment to substrates that can grow plants to help them retain moisture but that's about it in that respect. The fern might fare a bit better if it's a type that can grow epiphytically but even it will enjoy a nutrient rich substrate as well.

[Albert Clark]

As far as the heat is concerned you should consider a ultra therm heat mat and regulate the temperature with a thermostat. You could always adjust the mounting and placement bc there is no adhesive on the ultra therms. They also are low wattage and more reptile friendly.