How and where do you mount your temperture probe?

[ncbeast]

I am having trouble getting my floor temp higher than 84 during the day. I just replaced a Zoo Med 8 watt UTH with another one just like it because I got my whole set up and everything on craigslist and was not sure it was working correctly. Also added 1/4" of sand and 1/4" slate tile to try to hold the heat in but still not working.

I have my probe mounted on the side of the hide pointing staight down and the tip touching the slate. I thought I would get an acurate reading this way but not sure.

Please post pictures of your probe so i can get some more ideas.

Thanks,
Greg

 

[roger]

I am having trouble getting my floor temp higher than 84 during the day. I just replaced a Zoo Med 8 watt UTH with another one just like it because I got my whole set up and everything on craigslist and was not sure it was working correctly. Also added 1/4" of sand and 1/4" slate tile to try to hold the heat in but still not working.

I have my probe mounted on the side of the hide pointing staight down and the tip touching the slate. I thought I would get an acurate reading this way but not sure.

Please post pictures of your probe so i can get some more ideas.

Thanks,
Greg

I havnt got a pic of my probe.You only have the tip on the surface.Try taping the entire probe not just the tip on the warm surface.try using an infrared bulb with a clamp ,it'll increase the temps or get rid of the sand and just put slate down

 

[gothra]

Oh, I replied to your other thread. Here it is again:

 

[ncbeast]

Oh, I replied to your other thread. Here it is again:

What do you have over the probe? I was told not to put anything over it because it would trap the heat and give a false reading?

 

[tlbowling]

I have mine taped down flat (not just the tip) to the tile inside the warm hide.

 

[Dog Shrink]

Been thru this, even posted a thread at length about how I had my hot side set up and maintaining heat. Hoenstly I think your substrait is too thick/deep for only an 8 watt heat mat. Also you need to feel the floor and place the probe on the hottest spot you can find. Off even by a few inches either direction off the edge of the mat and you won't get proper readings. I had mine on teh back edge of the mat and couldn't get above 75, then I placed it properly as per the advice of my breeder and then all was fine. Human error, not equipment fault. The entire tip of the probe from that collar forward is all heat sensing device to putting anything on that side of the collar to hold it down could impede proper readings.

Again, here is a pic of how my probe is secured to the floor directly over the UTH...

 

[ncbeast]

Been thru this, even posted a thread at length about how I had my hot side set up and maintaining heat. Hoenstly I think your substrait is too thick/deep for only an 8 watt heat mat. Also you need to feel the floor and place the probe on the hottest spot you can find. Off even by a few inches either direction off the edge of the mat and you won't get proper readings. I had mine on teh back edge of the mat and couldn't get above 75, then I placed it properly as per the advice of my breeder and then all was fine. Human error, not equipment fault. The entire tip of the probe from that collar forward is all heat sensing device to putting anything on that side of the collar to hold it down could impede proper readings.

Again, here is a pic of how my probe is secured to the floor directly over the UTH...

Thanks again Dog Shrink, I am not thinking the 1/2" substrate is too thick because I am getting about the same readings as when I was using just brown paper...I think the ZooMeds are just crappy or at least the 8 watt one is. What kind of mat are you using? When looking at your pictures and reading other post you have done on tile and slate, I need to switch mine. I have the big piece over the heat and the smaller one on the cool side. Since the slate holds the heat and disperses it across the tile I may be losing some heat to the cool side. With the smaller piece on the heat side just over the mat I may get some of that back. I will rearange it tonight and see if I can feel for a hot spot and if I cannot tell I will just place it about in the middle and tape it down again like you have yours. Thanks again, you have been a ton of help and we are learning a lot which is really going to help when we build the divided 40 gallon.

 

[Dog Shrink]

You're welcome and it could be the UTH but mine is a cobra brand 6x11 7 watt so... I have no problems making temps in my tank with a vinyl simulated tile floor but then again the base of my tank is barely a half inch thick between the tank glass and the tile so... I'm not sure what else to tell ya honestly. I know the cobra (even the T-Rex brand cobra) heats consistantly at 100 degrees and use all cooper wire so maybe that's the difference between cobra and zoomed. I hate my son's zoomed as it barely gets to 85 onhis ball python's tank.

In all this you gotta remember the laws of thermodynamics... natural sand and rock will dissipate the heat thru out the entire surface you're heating so if you have sand and rock it's gotta go thru ALL that before it can even start to reach temps over the UTH, and at that you may never see teh temps you need with using natural rock. Like I said before it makes a hot area rather than a hot spot like the vinyl does. Honestly I think you need a substrait that isn't such a good heat conductor. Using the natural rock as hides and tank decor will help keep the ambient temps higher but I think it's just failing you as a substrait with the zoomed uth.

 

[ncbeast]

You're welcome and it could be the UTH but mine is a cobra brand 6x11 7 watt so... I have no problems making temps in my tank with a vinyl simulated tile floor but then again the base of my tank is barely a half inch thick between the tank glass and the tile so... I'm not sure what else to tell ya honestly. I know the cobra (even the T-Rex brand cobra) heats consistantly at 100 degrees and use all cooper wire so maybe that's the difference between cobra and zoomed. I hate my son's zoomed as it barely gets to 85 onhis ball python's tank.

In all this you gotta remember the laws of thermodynamics... natural sand and rock will dissipate the heat thru out the entire surface you're heating so if you have sand and rock it's gotta go thru ALL that before it can even start to reach temps over the UTH, and at that you may never see teh temps you need with using natural rock. Like I said before it makes a hot area rather than a hot spot like the vinyl does. Honestly I think you need a substrait that isn't such a good heat conductor. Using the natural rock as hides and tank decor will help keep the ambient temps higher but I think it's just failing you as a substrait with the zoomed uth.

Yeah, looking at yours I thought you had real slate tile...the vinyl looks real. Since this is vinyl is there a reason you have the one piece cut smaller and looks like it might be right over the UTH. I never thoght of using the vinyl stuff, did you actually peal the back and stick it on the bottom or did you not remove the backing and just lay it in there?

Since we added the real slate to ours Skippy has really come out of his shell. He has ate twice as much as he has been and he seems to always be out now, looking around and climbing everywhere even though the highest I can get the temp is 85 with everything the way it is now. Not sure if he just like the way the slate feels or what. I hate to go out and get another substrate so I think I am going to remove some of the sand and just leave a little to level and set the slate and rearange the slate where the smaller price is over the UTH and move the probe back in the middle of the UTH. I may tape a small rock under the back of the probe so the tip will actually touch the slate (sorry I still belive the tip needs to touch the slate to get an acurate reading of what Skippy is feeling)

I think my son will be getting the 40 gallon next week and I was already thinking about getting some of the 18" X 18" slate and get it cut to fit. I have also been leaning towards the Exo-Terra heat mat since it is 25 watts and 11" X 17". I guess it would be best to set up the tank and add the heat mat and a thermometer and see what it does with no substrate. This is for a 50 -60 gallon so I am hoping it gets pretty hot and I can adjust it with the thermostate I will be getting as well. If it heats up really well I would rather use real slate. If not I may need to go with the vinyl.

Again thank you so much for you responces and knowledge.

Greg & AJ

 

[Dog Shrink]

I cut the vinyl tiles so that they fit the tank exactly and yes I peeled the backing off and stuck them to the glass to make a waterproof seal between the tank and the tile. You can always go large but what you'll pay for the exoterra it might just be cheaper to go with the cobra and get the higher wattage with out the added price plus teh guarantee of all copper wiring for consistant accurate heating and teh 100 degree constant range.

 

[ncbeast]

I cut the vinyl tiles so that they fit the tank exactly and yes I peeled the backing off and stuck them to the glass to make a waterproof seal between the tank and the tile. You can always go large but what you'll pay for the exoterra it might just be cheaper to go with the cobra and get the higher wattage with out the added price plus teh guarantee of all copper wiring for consistant accurate heating and teh 100 degree constant range.

The higher wattage is the reason I was looking at the Exo-Terra because it is 25watts where as the Cobra is only 20watts? I do wish I could find out about the warranty for both.