Acceptable basking spot temperatures?

[unluckyseventeen]

I am setting up a new tank for my boa, and it's been a bit of a pain getting the basking spots to an acceptable temperature.

I have my UTH on a dimmer, running at less than half capacity. The pad (30-40 gallon UTH) takes up about 75% of the floor space on the warm side. I have two hides set up over there, and one with a toilet paper/cardboard tube sticking out the side that is NOT on the UTH. I've probed all 3, and getting the air temperature and basking spots to an acceptable temperature has been a PAIN!!!

From what I've seen, an acceptable basking spot is no higher than 95, right? As well as the warm side needing to be 86-88. I've never really known what an acceptable basking spot temperature was, so I guessed it was somewhere between 90 and 95. My previous tank is currently at 86 air temperature, 93 for a basking spot.

Here's what I've got now (150 watt CHE and 30-40 gal UTH running at "low" on my dimmer).

Hide 1 has a max basking spot of 94.5 to 95, and sometimes it gets up to 96 or so, but I lower the dimmer if that happens.
Hide 2 has a max basking spot of about 90 (I have another box below it so it's a bit cooler inside).
Hide 3 (tube) is at about 87, but it's not sitting over the UTH.

By the way, hides 4, 5 and 6 are at 78, 76 and 74 respectively. My cool side temperature is at 74.5-75, which I know is too low.

However, my air temperature is only at 84.5 at the highest. I know I have to put the CHE and UTH on separate dimmers now because no matter what I do I can't get a good balance.

So, after all of this crap, I have two questions for all ya'll.

1 - What's an acceptable temperature for a basking spot, using a UTH?
2 - If you do use a UTH, do you have it running on extra low, or am I the only person with this problem? Seems kinda silly to buy such a huge mat then run it on extra, extra low. Of course I would buy a smaller mat, but then that'd be even worse because I'd run it on low and have less surface area.

Any input is appreciated.

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[unluckyseventeen]

Nobody, eh?

[Yungair23]

i cant really answer much but i have a human heat mat on low and it works perfect it only has to penetrate the substrate not the bottom of the tank. I also have it folded in half b.c its about as long as my tank.

[Nexus]

With my tank I am only running CHE's with a 250w at one end and a 150w at the other they are both running through a pulse proportional thermo stat. As CHE are a radiant heat source they warm surfaces rather that directly warming the air UTH also have a similar effect, the air warms from the heat radiating back from these surfaces. Due to this air temperature can be lower than surface temperature. The other area that can effect the overall gradient in the tank is the setup of the ventilation if you change the position of the ventilation in the ends of the tank your cool end will probably increase. The disadvantage of a dimmer over a thermostat is that it will constantly output a set power which takes no account of ambient temperature or temperature change as the tank warms/cools.

On mine the arrangement gives 90 ish at the warm end and 80 ish at the cool end the tank is 6' long.

cheers
Nick

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[unluckyseventeen]

Hm.. I've always needed belly heat as he's had some problems digesting in the past... and he is a frequent hider, so the CHE's don't do much for when he's in his hdies. The UTH is a must, I was just wondering if anybody else had to run them that low, all the time.

Thanks for the reply.

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[Nexus]

I do get belly heat from the CHE's in mine due to the fibre glass and body filler my tank has a large mass which the heat soaks into. so even when she is in her hides she still gets heat. In the day at the hot end the temperture from the grounf in the hides is 85/87.


Cheers
Nick

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[Yorick]

i usually go with the general rule of a warm side around 88-90 and a cool side around 79-81. I use a human heat pad on low on the warm side and a lamp on the cool side.

[snakebitten69]

we have a 6ft glass enclose we keep tisiphoni in and we also use a big uth and a 150w che! i have them both on the same dimmer and it works out great inside her warm hide is 92deg day and 87night and cool side stay around 79-77 i use a day light bulb that dont put off heat on a timmer for her light cycle!
now my ? should we put the probe for the temp gage under the glass on top of the uth or inside the encloser on top of the bedding?

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[unluckyseventeen]

I'm talking about probing the actual floor for a temperature, and so far I've recieved no solid answer as to what's an acceptable temperature.

[unluckyseventeen]

Nobody knows?