enclosure heating help

[starr9]

So my enclosure for my stimmie is loosing heat over night going from 30 - 20 at the hot end (Is this hot enough?? have read some very different ideas on how hot it should be from any where btwn 30-35?!?!). Im all so thinking this is 2 big a drop in temp over night, am i right?!?!?! I have placed towels over the roof as its all mesh and over the front glass to try and keep the heat in over night but this is not working! i am running a 60wt infrared globe in the hot end with a 6w heat rock (im saving for heat cord and going to DIY tile) So im going to Bunnings today to get some stuff so I can make a better roof as this i think is the big problem.
What wood do i get? do i lien it with anything to help keep the heat in??

Iv had her 2- 3 weeks and she moves around and I see her in the hot and cold ends but she has not had a feed since I got her (Iv tryd 2 times a week apart). Shes 10mths old and was a "foodie". (I know 2-3 weeks is nothing and she can go longer and will be ok) Im not holding her (even tho I really want 2!!!) as I know she still may need to settle in etc. She did try and strike at me/food last night when I tryd to feed her, i left her food in with her over night but she didnt touch it. Could this be due to the massive temp drop (10deg) over night or she still may not want to eat yet due to settling in?!?!?!

Yes im a newbie and yes iv tryd searching so please dont flame me!
Any other ideas would be amazing!! Thank you!!

 

[Fantazmic]

hi you need to get those temps stable so pics of your setup would be helpful

 

[mysnakesau]

Its very normal for temperature drops like that overnight. It happens in the wild so its natural to mimick their environment as much as we can.

How big is the enclosure? Quite often putting little snakes in too big enclosures can upset them enough to go off their food. How long it takes for them to settle and start eating again varies but if she doesn't feel safe, or is getting too cold once she starts to move away from her warm end, will all cause her to go off her food.

If you haven't already, add some hide boxes near the warm spot, middle and cool end. Make them only just big enough for her so she can coil up into a tight ball. At night when the sun goes down, snakes can retain their heat they collected by finding a nice tight hide spot to coil up in.

 

[Bel03]

I agree with Kathy, in the wild temps drop overnight, so this is what we should also offer them. I cant say much about your stimmie, as i havent learnt to much about them, but for an example. My Bredli is about the same age, i use a 75w infrared light & a 15w heat cord, during the day her temps are hot end 31-33, cool end 25-27. I have now, except after a feed, started turning the light off & am only using the heat cord through the night, her warm hide drops to 23-25, & she is still eating & shedding fine, so i assume this is ok.

 

[starr9]

ok this is what it looks like! its a work in progress!!! she has a hide on the left side under all the fake leaves in a log. She loves the leaves over that side as she moves them there if i try to put anything over the other side! The enclosure is 56cm long x 46cm deep x 46cm high aprox. Thank you for your help!!!

Oh i did have a hide on the warm side but she moved it to the cold end and never used it. I am getting another hide for her today per ur advice!!

 

[Snowman]

I turn my heat off at night with timers. 12hrs heat 12hrs no heat on my stimi's. The obvious is that heat rises. So your enclosure is a really bad design for keeping heat in. You would be better to have a vent in the rear wall, solid top and a fitting fixed to the top of the enclosure rather than that lamp. That way the heat it trapped inside more effectively.

 

[Bel03]

My enclosure is basically the same as your Verity, it has the 3 solid walls glass front & open mesh top. I also have the same lamp. Now the weather is warming up again, i dont use anything to cover the top & the heat isnt escaping as quick as people say it will. While it was still cold though putting a towel or blanket over the top & front worked well for me.

 

[starr9]

ok so enclose the top, vent in on the side and change the light fitting from where it is! cool! thankx 4 that!!! I have the light on a timer its on from 6am-6pm. is that ok? Im angry at the person who sold this to me as "they" said it would be fine etc and as a newbie i trusted them! it was not cheep 2! oh well u live and u learn!

 

[Snowman]

Depends where you live. The open top design is VERY inefficient and wouldnt work in some states in the cold months. As a sparky I can tell you It's very dangerous to have a towel near a heat lamp!

 

[starr9]

ok thanks Bel! I think i have "new mum" worries! hahaha! But i think ill make a new top and see how we go!

I live on the Sunshine coast so it can get cold here in the morning (today it was 10 outside at 6am) and it will get to around 28 here today. I tryed the towels in different places to see if this helped but i had to cover most of it to keep the temp up over night.

 

[Snowman]

The standard melamine boxes most people use are popular because they are very efficient at trapping heat.

 

[Bel03]

Depends where you live. The open top design is VERY inefficient and wouldnt work in some states in the cold months. As a sparky I can tell you It's very dangerous to have a towel near a heat lamp!

I may not be a sparky.......but im not stupid! I dont use the lamp at night, & it was at night that i was covering the enclosure. As for the open top being VERY inefficient.......perhaps, but it is working for me. Thanks for your tips though.....

 

[mysnakesau]

You could put some more furniture in there so she can get closer to the light, but stimmy's aren't really climbers so make sure if you did that, to make nice, steady shelves? maybe? rather than branches.

How is starr meant to put a vent in the side? It is risky attempting to cut the glass? I would enclose the top, leaving some open for ventilation. Just putting a piece of carpet on top could help, too.

 

[starr9]

I only use the towels at night! I forgot to say that! when the light is off!!!

 

[Snowman]

Is it all glass? Even worse for keeping heat in. I thought it was a box with a glass front?

 

[Bel03]

I only use the towels at night! I forgot to say that! when the light is off!!!

& let me guess.....ur not a sparky either right? It just takes a bit of common sense really doesnt it?

Snowman, her enclosure is only glass fronted, you are right about that. & i understand you are just offering advice, but after just spending the money she has im sure she doesnt want to be having to do to much extra work to it. Partially covering the top as mentioned should be enough, at least just for the time being anyway, the weather is warming up again now anyway.

 

[starr9]

You could put some more furniture in there so she can get closer to the light, but stimmy's aren't really climbers so make sure if you did that, to make nice, steady shelves? maybe? rather than branches.

How is starr meant to put a vent in the side? It is risky attempting to cut the glass? I would enclose the top, leaving some open for ventilation. Just putting a piece of carpet on top could help, too.

Yer i think you are right! will try enclosing the top in a T kinda shape so the light will still be where it is and ill put an open area on the top right side and see how it goes! Got heaps of carpet so ill try that on the inside of the lid! As for the shelves and her climbing, she likes to get up high and try to go along the top so im thinking shes perhaps checking things out, trying to get warm or trying to see if she can get out!!! hahaha! Got a branch ill put in and see how that goes and ill get 2 more hides as well!!!

Thank you so much everyone! get info and help!!!!!

& let me guess.....ur not a sparky either right? It just takes a bit of common sense really doesnt it?

hahaha! no but my other half is!

 

[Snowman]

Bel you obviously have a complex. I dont care what you do my advice is for the original poster. If you care about the environment you would care about using efficient methods for heating as well as other electricity saving options around the house. I mention the towel because I had to rewire a house after a sheet was placed over a bed side table lamp. Great fire starter. Common sense would have resulted in you having a better enclosure than one that needs towels at all! I guess common sense isn't that common.

 

[Bel03]

hahaha! no but my other half is!

But you didnt need him to tell you not to use the towel at the same time as the light did u? That was my point really, just that sometimes people are too quick to tell you that you are 'stupid' when they dont even know all the facts.

 

[Snowman]

& let me guess.....ur not a sparky either right? It just takes a bit of common sense really doesnt it?

Snowman, her enclosure is only glass fronted, you are right about that. & i understand you are just offering advice, but after just spending the money she has im sure she doesnt want to be having to do to much extra work to it. Partially covering the top as mentioned should be enough, at least just for the time being anyway, the weather is warming up again now anyway.

Her other half is a sparky. It will cost her sweet fa to fix it up.
A bit of common sense would have had you realise that her enclosure was only glass fronted....
It sounds like you are one of those people who isn't willing to spend any extra money for the comfort of your animals. That makes me sad Do your snakes a favor Bel and get them a proper enclosure.