Maintaining proper ambient temps

With the cooler seasons setting in I’ve been struggling to maintain proper ambient temps for my snake and I was hoping to get some advice. I’ve only been able to get the ambient temp into the lower 70s when I need it to be in the high 70s / low 80s. My current setup is a 16qt tub with three heat pads, two on the sides and one on the bottom of the hot side. All three are connected to thermostats so they don’t cook the enclosure, but even with all the mats the temps drop off so quickly on the other side. I’m especially worried because I checked my snake’s actual body temp using a heat gun and they were only 73 degrees.

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The easiest way would be to use a ceramic heat emitter with a thermostat and you could use only the heat pads in the warmer months. If you don’t want to use a lamp then you could probably use tin foil on the top to cover the lid as long as enough ventilation is getting through, if you did that just monitor the temperature to make sure it’s not getting too hot.

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That’s actually not a bad idea. I have a big empty cage that I’m not using and I could stick the tub in there and heat that up to the proper temp. Thanks!

You need the tub insulated. Is this a tub that you have in a single slot rack? Or just a tub. If it is just a tub, wrapping the sides and top with an insulation (I like using bubble wrap insulation, such as reflectix) will help the temps stay higher inside the tub. When I’ve had just a tub or two sitting out I would apply the heat tape to a strip of reflectix and set the tub on that, and then as needed add more insulation. Good luck.

3 heat pads on a 16 quart tub? They must be tiny ones! What temperature do you keep the room they are in at? Could you keep that room a bit warmer or move them to a smaller room that would be easier to keep a couple degrees warmer? Is the room carpeted or tile, hardwood etc and is the tub sitting on the floor? If it’s directly on a hard floor surface try setting it on a cardboard box so it’s not touching a cold floor.
Ditch the 3 heat pads For winter and order a foot long strip of thicker heat tape like 6” and use that instead.

Based on the room info there are many possibilities for ways you can address this concern

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