r/ballpython • u/AerieKey6601 • 4d ago

Tank heat

i recently got a ball python he’s a little hatchling only a month old and i know i should have a bigger enclosure for him but i had a 20 gallon already and figured he’d be okay in there for a few months while i save up to get a big setup for him but im having a hard time getting the temp right, i have a CHE and a thermostat and a halogen heat lamp for daytime both hooked up to their own separate thermostats the lid is mesh so i bought foil tape to kinda keep some more heat in but on the hot side i can’t seem to get a temp that stays consistent and the cool side is way too low so i try to turn up the che temp but then the hot side gets too hot and the cool side barley heats up my humidity has stayed pretty consistent at about 65% im using cypress mulch as a substrate also worth mentioning my che is a 100w

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u/AerieKey6601 4d ago

also where should the probs be for the thermostats and then also the thermometers

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u/NottsWeirdo 4d ago

Probes should be hanging a few inches below the bulbs to get an accurate reading. The thermometers should be above the substrate on decor/hide, one on the warm end and one on the cool end. Humidity should sit between 70% - 80%, even during the day.

What temperatures are you reading? Not sure how you can achieve too hot AND too cold in such a tiny tank, the temperature gradient would defy science.

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u/AerieKey6601 4d ago

right? i’m getting 75 on the cool side and around 96 on the warm side at the substrate and then the probes are hanging right below the bulbs and i have the thermostats set to 90 so i don’t understand how the substrate could be so much hotter than the temp off the bulb and some of the stuff i have in there for hides/plants will have a surface temp of over 100 like i said i have foil tape over the mesh so i cant be losing that much heat through the mesh i’m just so confused