Confused

[pinefamily]

Needing some advice on this one. We brought home our new jungle yesterday and put her into a vivarium we already had set up from before. Everything worked fine when we used to run it a couple of months ago, but now the thermometer doesn't get above thirty (the probe is at the hot end).
Should I be checking the thermometer or the thermostat? What is more confusing, the snake is not showing signs of being cold, climbing on her pole at the cooler end. None of the equipment is more than 3 months' old.
And the vivarium is 1200 x 50 x 60. Melamine. heat source ceramic 100w.

Thanks in advance.

 

[slide]

Is the thermostat set to 100%?
if so have you tried moving the probe a little further away?
Is the thermometer built into the thermostat? Seperate digital thermometer? Glass and mercury/alcohol type thermometer?

 

[pinefamily]

It's one of those box thermostats that I have put in the middle of the tank; it doesn't have a probe.

 

[junglepython2]

A month ago the ambient temps would have been cooler meaning the thermostat gave more power which would have given you a good hot spot under the heat source. Now that its November the ambient temp is hotter so the thermostat cuts out earlier and you don't get a sufficient hot spot.

You need to either constantly alter the thermostat depending on the season to give you an appropriate hot spot or you need to place it closer to the heat source.

 

[pinefamily]

That makes sense, and I guess it can't be uncomfortable in there for her as she is moving around freely as I said above.
The only thing, it isn't that warm here in Adelaide overnight and this morning.

 

[junglepython2]

It might not be warm but I bet it is warmer than 2 months ago.
The other possibility is faulty equipment but I doubt that would be the case.

 

[pinefamily]

Thanks. I guess I will continue to monitor both temps and the snake itself. Its behaviour will be as good a guide as any thermometer.

 

[junglepython2]

I'd still be cranking up the thermostat dial to compensate and give yourself a hotter hotspot.

 

[pinefamily]

Sorry, that's something I neglected to mention: the thermostat is at its max of 30 degrees.

 

[junglepython2]

Is this one of the IMIT type thermostats? You used to be able to take them apart and recalibrate them if you really had to. Mind you that is probably "illegal" these days. If its at its max I would first be double checking the hot spot with a second thermometer.

 

[Riffherper]

Sounds like you may need another thermostat. It's hard to beat a probe thermostat. Even those cheap 'jet' types do the job.

 

[slide]

Yeah better thermo would help. To get higher temps from same thermo place it further from heat source not closer.

 

[pinefamily]

Thanks people for the advice. I had been leaning towards the thermostat myself.

 

[Trimeresurus]

Buy a habistat