temp gradient help

[bowdnboy]

Hi all. Ive just finished my triple wall enclosure, and have put the glass doors on.

Ive been playing around with the temps trying to get htem right using a couple of dual digi thermometers. Down the track Im planning on putting some BHP's in them.

The enclosure measures 1700 long 550 high 550 wide. I have two heat globes (75w) at warm end with vent on side of wall at cool end, and an IMIT thermostat approx in middle.

For the avo, ive been getting up to about 35 / 36 degrees at hot end and 25 / 26 at cool end before lights have been going off. They have then been coming back on at about 26 / 27 (hot) and 23 / 24(cool) The thermometer probes are situated directly under the heat spot of the globes at hot end and at base of far wall at cool end.

So I have a difference of 27-35 at hot end 23 - 26 at cool.

Is 35 too hot?
Is there too much of a hot end temp difference?
Should the cool end temps be higher?

The problem is b/c its a fairly long enclosure, can be dificult to get bothe ends right without the higher and lower extremes. Ive read plenty of times that a temp gradient of 27 - 32 is good. well im getting that but with a lot of variation.
Your advice is appreciated

Cheers
Colby

 

[MrBredli]

35 is a nice basking temp for BHP's, even a little higher would be good. The drop from 35 to 27 when the lights switch off is not ideal though, perhaps try reducing the number of, or wattage of, the globes so that the thermostat rarely needs to switch the power off. Try using 2x 60W globes or 1x 100W globe and see how that goes. As long as you have a constant hot spot of 35+ and the cool side is staying below 26 degrees, then you won't have a problem, even if the cool side drops well below 26 degrees (23 is absolutely fine).

 

[bowdnboy]

thanks Mr Bredli.

I 'll try that and see what happens. Ive wandered about changing from the normal IMIT thermostat on the back wall to a probe or alike. Even though Ive just put them in, i'm a bit paranoid now after my last dealings over the last few weeks involving my bhp's, and Ive thought about ripping them out, paying the xtra cash and rewiring the whole thing. Maybe even go to heat panels instead of globes??

Anyway, I'll try lesser wattage globe in the top one and keep the same in the middle and see as comparison. I'd rather use two light instead of one just in case one blew, at least I'd have the other as back up untill I could replace the blown globe

Cheers
Colby

 

[andyscott]

This is one of my BHP stacks,
My are 1550 long 800 wide and 550 high.
I have 3 x 60 watt heat globes at the hot end and a UV at the cool end.
Pythons dont need UV but I find it enhances their colouring.
Also think about putting in a basking shelf and a climbing branch (see pics)

In my enclosures the hot end is around 32 degrees ground level and 38 on the basking shelf (they do spend time on the shelf at 38 degrees).
At the cool end it sits around 25 degrees.
BHPs also like to climb as well which can be seen it pics.
Hope this gives you a few more Ideas.
Cheers Andy.

 

[bowdnboy]

Thanks andy,

When your lights turn off however and then turn back on, at what temps is it at the warm end when they turn back on. Is there much of a heat difference

 

[andyscott]

Thanks andy,

When your lights turn off however and then turn back on, at what temps is it at the warm end when they turn back on. Is there much of a heat difference

I get about a 2 degree drop, as the 3 globes seem to hold a bit more heat than 1 or 2, Plus the basking shelf being a bit higher never drops below 32.
I cant stress enough, Put Cages Around Your Globes.
Also have a hide at each end.

 

[bowdnboy]

Thanks mate, got the covers coming in the next day or so.

Out of curiosity, have you put some kind of covering on your logs. I've got some limbs here that i was thinking about coating a thin layer of PVC glue over (dries clear, non toxic) b4 i put them in.

From the photo, it looked like they were coated in something. It might have just been the photo making them look like that.

Only a 2 degree drop, thats pretty good. I noticed the globes were your normal blue light globes. The ones Ive got are the infrared type. I wander if thats going to make the difference. Maybe they spit out too much heat too quickly also????

Nice looking snakes I might add too. And well done on your BHP smuggling adventure into the hospital the other day. nice work. Hope shes doing well!

 

[andyscott]

The only thing I do to the branches is, heavily spray them with T.O.D. then soak them in a bath over night, rinse them off and let them dry.
I find the lower wattage globe distributes a more even heat slowly, which is more stable.

As for Thalia, the support a lot of poeple have given her from this site, has been fantastic.
She has a printed copie of the thread and cant thank everone enough for their support.

 

[daniel1234]

Bump. Love your set ups andyscott, and lots of good stuff here for my current endevour. I use the lowest wattage also to provide constant temps. Have just replaced a ceramic with an infared (prefer blues but they dont come in larger wattages). Infared with another blue gobe is doing the trick.

 

[antaresia_boy]

why do you prefer blues? just wondering for my next cage. I currently have a 100w ceramic, but there is a pretty big temp dif (bout 5 deg), but my childreni doesn't seem to mind.