Basking Temps

[EasternGirl]

Right...I keep forgetting you live in the cold area of the country! I am going to order one of those temp guns in a couple of days...then I am going to see what my temps really are. I have heard that you can see how "off" digital thermometer readings can be once you get an infrared temp gun. I do have thermostats though on two of my tanks. I need to buy two more as soon as I get the money. I have them set to shut things off if temps go over 88.

[tress29]

Marnie, what kind of bulb are you using?

[ConcinusMan]

personally, i do 28-32 C but for the basking area, you should use a probe type thermometer to read the surface temperature of the substrate, not the air. be sure that the air temperature through most of the tank is much lower. i try not to let the end farthest from the basking area exceed 23 C. (air temp) keep your basking area highly localized, not to exceed more than 1/3 of the enclosure, 1/4 is better. also, make sure nothing is between the lamp and the substrate such as plants or branches.

rather than worry about raising or lowering lights, i keep my tanks at or under 46cm high, (lamp should be 30-46cm above substrate) and use the lowest wattage bulb necessary to achieve the desired temperature. using flood lamp type bulbs and reflective dome will produce a localized hot "spot". always use a ceramic socket! (no plastic or metal) never exceed the recommended wattage stated on the fixture. very important!

Wow then that care sheet was wrong then.

not necessarily. you really dont need to obsess over precise temperatures for garter snakes. i think most people tend to keep garters warmer than they need to be. thats when you start seeing things like RI's and failed litters / poor fertility. most will do just fine if they can achieve a body temperature of about 24-31 degrees C for about 8-10 hours a day.

precise temperatures are not necessary. they can thrive in a rather wide range. its always best to error on the side of too cool than to go too hot. when youre unsure, use a lower temp.

[EasternGirl]

Tress...I use regular 40 and 60 watt light bulbs for my eastern's enclosures...with hood lamps on top of the tanks. I also have UTH mats for additional heat when necessary...or in the case of Cee Cee who has chronic RI problems, I always leave the UTH on at night. For my baby easterns, I use a 40 watt regular bulb with a dome lamp, and for my albinos I use a 40 watt red bulb and I have a UTH mat for additional heat if necessary.

Richard, I have thermometers stuck on the insides of the tanks that are supposed to give me a reading of the air temps on both sides, then I have a digital thermometer with the probe stuck right in the top of the substrate on the warm side...but not directly under the basking light...so that I can try to get a temp there too. Then I have my thermostats. The problem is knowing the accuracy of the devices...and of course all of the readings are always so different. Usually the thermostat for Cee Cee's tank will be set to shut of at 88, but the digital therm will read 84 or 86...and the therm on the wall will read 80-82...which is probably close to accurate...the one on the cool side will read 75-78. But the thermostat will shut off when the surface temp reading says 82...probably because the probe for the thermostat is close to the UTH and it gets too warm. It's so complicated!

[ConcinusMan]

yeah, you do have to consider air and surface temps, placement of probes, accuracy, how wide a gradient you have, etc. its not an exact science. thats ok, it doesnt have to be exact.

I've been doing this so long, i dont really even need temp probes if i dont have them right away. i can usually get things "close enough" without precise readings.

[Eight]

I think its also important to remember that thermostats aren't always accurate either. I've made a raised platform for basking in the hope that it keeps the rest of the enclosure slightly cooler, but I may try to pick up a lower wattage bulb. It just seems to be getting a little too warm for my liking. I think I'll play around with it for a week to get it right before I put a garter in there.

[ConcinusMan]

good idea

[EasternGirl]

Oh I absolutely agree. I know thermostats can be off...they never seem to match up with thermometers and different thermostats will give you different readings. I still like the one I got from Big Apple Herp Supply the best...it seems to be the most accurate and reliable. I just ordered the Pro Exotics Infrared Laser PE2 Temp Gun. I have heard really good things about it. I can't wait to test it out. I will let you guys know how it works out once I try it.

[Eight]

Please do. I've been thinking about getting one too so let us know if you think its good

[ConcinusMan]

fine for reading surface temperatures / snake body temp but i would still recommend a good ambient thermometer reading the end farthest from the heat sources, a few inches off the floor. that should read no higher than low 70's whenever possible. if i was going to use a thermostat, i'd read from there and have it shut off at 75 F