Hatchling tubs and regulating temps

[beatlloydy]

I have a setup of 8 hatchling tubs. At present there is only 2 hatchlings in 2 tubs (2 x blonde spotteds). I will be picking up the remaining 6 pyhtons in the next few weeks.
(1 x Darwin, 2 x Stimson, 3 x womas).

The tubs all sit on 2 lines of heat cord (a 60 watt cord) in a pattern similar to this diagram

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Each tub has the same furniture...1 x ceramic tile inside the tub (sitting over the cord) with 1 x small exo terra hide and 1 x ceramic rammiken for water bowl. Each tub has a dual probe thermometer connected with the probe going into the back and sitting in a hole in the hide to measure the inside hide temp. The heat cord is connected to a habistat thermostat with the probe going into the first enclosure.

The problem I have is that there is a variation in temperature from 29 degrees in the far left rear tub up to 32.3 degrees in the control tub (front right)...see pic below for setup. The thermometers are all the same brand...I have even tried a thermo gun but this gives inconsistent readings...think I need to invest in a quality one.

Questions I would like answered by experienced breeders who use a multiple tub setup for hatchies with heatcord.

I have tried swapping them around but cannot get them all to exactly the same temp. I was thinking perhaps to put the Darwin in the hottest tub, followed by the Womas, then the Antererias...Is this a good idea or not really worth the effort?

Do others who have similar setup see such a variation? Am I being too paranoid and so long as the temps are between 29 and 32.5 everything should be o.k?

All the snakes are/will be from Snakeranch so I have a level of confidence with the issue of Quarantine (hopefully).

Any tips etc appreciated?

Any special requirements for the Womas? (SA variety).

Cheers

Michael

 

[webcol]

maybe some substrate in the tubs, like some paper towel

 

[beatlloydy]

maybe some substrate in the tubs, like some paper towel

Yep...not a bad idea...I clean the 2 existing ones weekly with F10 but the towel may help a little with insulation and cleaning etc. Will get onto that tomorrow.

 

[Lonewolf]

maybe it might be the tiles swap them around and see how it gose or it could be the room id get some room temps as well if i was you eg front, back, left and right of the set up just so you can rule that out

 

[beatlloydy]

maybe it might be the tiles swap them around and see how it gose or it could be the room id get some room temps as well if i was you eg front, back, left and right of the set up just so you can rule that out

Thanks Lonewolf...but just checked as the thermometers are sitting on top and have the outside temps mostly as 26.1 ...there is one measuring 25.4 ...so the fluctuation between them all is no more than .5 degrees.

Also, all tiles are identical. (My theory in setup was to keep everything exactly the same so that the thermostat in the control tub would keep them all the same.) Actually the rear right tub is a little larger as Bunnings had run out or dont stock the ones I had...going to another one tomorrow to see if I can get same.

 

[Renagade]

i suggest next time buy a temperature gun, you could have bought 2 instead 8 twin probe temp gauges.

 

[GrumpyTheSnake]

Another thing to consider is your thermostat could be reading incorrectly. I have one of these, and I know a couple of others that own them too... all of us have had a problem with the temp readouts. The hydro readings have been fine, but the temps have varied from only a degree(ish) out, to about 6 degrees or more..

I had one for my incubator and couldn't seem to get my temps above 25.9... I used an exoterra probe thermo to check things out, and the temp was sitting at 33.8. It might pay to either buy yourself a gun, or see if you can borrow one of a friend, just to double check.

 

[Ramsayi]

Is the brick wall an external one? If so that could explain the temp difference.

 

[beatlloydy]

i suggest next time buy a temperature gun, you could have bought 2 instead 8 twin probe temp gauges.

I have a temp gun...but 8 twin probe thermometers make it far easier...to use the gun you have to open every tub and disturb the snakes...the thermometers only cost $12 each from Bunnings so I consider that a cheap investment.

 

[Serpentes]

Can you post up pics of your setup? I don't get more than 0.5 degrees variation with these hatchling tubs, but they are using heat tape, which is much better than heat cord. Heat cord tends to have a bit of variation in its output along its length, so that might be the cause of your issues. You can achieve even temperatures across multiple cages even on a large scale, with good components:

 

[beatlloydy]

Is the brick wall an external one? If so that could explain the temp difference.

The brick wall is external but holds no heat as it is South facing and below the fence level which is also close to the 2 storey house next door so gets no sun there.
However, valid question as I didnt put that in.

Can you post up pics of your setup? I don't get more than 0.5 degrees variation with these hatchling tubs, but they are using heat tape, which is much better than heat cord. Heat cord tends to have a bit of variation in its output along its length, so that might be the cause of your issues. You can achieve even temperatures across multiple cages even on a large scale, with good components:
View attachment 113487

There is a pic there...I really like your setup though..very professional looking.

Just checked this morning and temps are quite stable now...had the 2 spotteds stable about a month ago...only added the other 6 yesterday so I guess I was a little premature in posting this concern.

Anyway, got a lot of good pointers from this thread so it wasnt a waste of a post. Good to see how others do things as there are so many variations (or ways to skin a cat ..pardon the pun...I dont condone skinning cats ..unless they are feral...but lets not go there now).

Cheers

 

[Serpentes]

Cheers, I didn't see the picture, maybe due to residual effects of last night

With tubs that size you'll get a bit of variation, but it's OK so long as there is a good stable warm place with a suitable retreat site. Your tubs look nice and should be fine. Remember that young snakes are not good thermoregulators. In the wild they are constrained by their ecology, for example they get eaten if they move around trying to regulate their body temperature! So they opt for a trade-off, and find a nice warm spot and stay there for a while. The lucky ones find somewhere warm and find food there too. So in captivity we need to provide this "sweet spot" for baby snakes, but as they grow in size and confidence they will begin to use the thermal gradient throughout the cage more effectively.

As others have mentioned in this thread, be really careful wit the calibration of those cheap thermometers. Even expensive thermometers are variable, unless you spend a couple of hundred. I use the same type of digital thermometer that you have, but I use them as an indicator of temperature stability, rather than to measure the temperature, per se. I have one that reads 26C at 31C, and it reads 23C at 22C! Not quite accurate. The Raytek temperature guns are really worth a look, the really expensive ones do a whole bunch of things that are only necessary for industrial applications, like reading up to 2500 degrees accurately. The cheaper Raytek models are just as good, they simply offer accuracy within a narrower temperature range, like -40 to 500 degrees, which covers the range of most herps

 

[beatlloydy]

The Raytek temperature guns are really worth a look, the really expensive ones do a whole bunch of things that are only necessary for industrial applications, like reading up to 2500 degrees accurately.

Yep..thats the one I was looking at...$160 from the Herp shop which is a good price for them...but still cant justify it for the next few months....time to sell some more guitars :lol: