Hello everyone my thermostat is set at 89 but my probe that is in the box with my ball python eggs is reading 83 . Do I set the temperature higher in order to get the probe in the egg box too around 87-88?
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The temperature you set your thermostat at is irrelevant. You only care about the temperature in the egg box(es). Adjust your thermostat to whatever it needs to be at to get your eggs to the target temperature.
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I need a bit of clarification here…
Is the probe in the egg box the one for the thermostat?
How is your incubator set up?
Be very careful adjusting the elements higher because if your egg box does eventually warm up as well (remember it can take longer because of the incubation media) you can overheat the eggs as well.
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Yes, just like @armiyana said, can you please provide the probe clarification
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The thermostat measures the temperature at the probe (which in your case is correctly in the egg box). If that reading is below the target temperature, the thermostat turns the heating element on. The thermostat will keep that heating element on until the temperature measured at the probe creeps up and then matches the target temperature. That’s basically how all thermostats work. Let me clarify, that’s how a correctly working thermostat works.
In your case the target temp your set on the thermostat is 89 and the temp the thermostat measures at the probe is 83. Therefore the thermostat should be turning the heat on until the probe temp measures 89. That’s going to take some time to stabilize, perhaps a few hours, perhaps more, depending on your setup.
If after 12 hours your probe temperature is not up to your target temperature, something is wrong. Perhaps your heating element is not powerful enough, maybe your incubator is leaking heat faster than the heating element can produce heat, maybe your thermostat is malfunctioning. This is why experienced keepers always fully setup and test their incubator weeks before they have eggs for it
Do you have a standalone thermometer in your egg box or at least a temp gun? What’s it measuring for the egg box temp? Is it measuring the same temp that the thermostat is reading at its probe? If the readings are close enough, the thermostat is calibrated good enough.
What are the make and model of your incubator? Or is it a DIY?