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Reddit mentions of AcuRite 00891A3 Indoor/Outdoor Digital Thermometer with Humidity
Sentiment score: 25
Reddit mentions: 28
We found 28 Reddit mentions of AcuRite 00891A3 Indoor/Outdoor Digital Thermometer with Humidity. Here are the top ones.
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- Displays indoor and outdoor temperature, indoor humidity
- Integrated 10-foot weather-resistant temperature wire and probe
- Stands on desktop, shelf, mantel or mounts to wall; momentary backlight for easy reading at night
- Records minimum and maximum humidity and temperature levels for each day
- NOTE: May not function properly with certain types of Duracell batteries
Features:
Specs:
| Color | Multicolor |
| Height | 5.5 Inches |
| Length | 1.75 Inches |
| Number of items | 1 |
| Size | 0.2 |
| Weight | 0.28 pounds |
| Width | 2.5 Inches |
i've been paged for my link dump, so here it is. the first three links are detailed care sheets, then a tub tutorial, and the rest are product recommendations. read everything thoroughly, come back with any questions. let me know if any of the links don't work.
glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. it's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.
FYI those stick on hygrometer/thermometers are very dangerous and sometimes even lethal - he is strong enough to accidentally pull it off the wall but not able to get it off himself if he gets stuck to it afterwards. Pet stores hawk them like candy and I wish they didn't, well intentioned snake parents buy them not knowing. Not only are they dangerous, they are also highly inaccurate. I'd suggest removing it ASAP and replacing it with something digital without adhesive. This is the one I use in my enclosures, the probe lets you get cool side and warm side in the same unit!
Sounds like you were getting outdated or flat-out incorrect information and those 'experienced snake owners' are likewise misinformed. There are very few snakes that legitimately have evolved to thrive on sand-based substrate (irony being the Sand Boa is not one of them; they live in sandy soil which is very different composition than straight sand). The Ball Python is native to the svannah/jungles of Sub-Saharan Africa. Its dirt, soil, and burrows. Not a majority or even significant amount of sand.
Additionally, if I extrapolate correctly from this singular picture, your BP is also in a glass enclosure and has a log-style hide. The former makes keeping humidity in the 55~80% range a difficult exercise, and the latter, is a stressor as BPs do best with a hide that has a single-entrance or is cave-like; the more points of contact, the better, and a single entrance means they can feel safer.
I'm going to steal _ataraxia's ball python dump and toss it below:
i'm going to dump a bunch of links to get you on the right track. the first three links are detailed care sheets, the rest are product recommendations. read everything thoroughly.
glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. it's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.
Red light isn't good, you'll want a heat mat (MAKE SURE you have a thermostat for it or it will get too hot) and possibly a ceramic heat emitter (also needs a thermostat) for air heat. What are the temps and humidity and how do you measure them? Glass tanks usually don't hold humidity well and often aren't good for bps. You need at least 2 good hides, one for each side. They should be snug and enclosed with only one opening, preferably identical, half logs don't work.
Someone should come by with a really good care sheet, read it, it has some great info. I know this might be a lot of information, but having a good setup is important and will save you headaches in the future.
Edit: I found the care sheet. Credit to u/_ataraxia.
Glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. It's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.
OK, some specific advice to your situation follows. However, I recommend you carefully read through _ataraxia's post (pay special attention to the caresheets). That should answer a lot of your questions, and give you good advice for keeping a BP in a tank.
---------------------------------
I've never heard of corn substrate before, how does it do under high humidity? Keep an eye out for mold issues.
Humidity: 80-90 is fine, but will be incredibly difficult in a glass tank with a mesh top. You can get away with ~60% humidity most of the time.
Hides: In the wild, BPs hide in tiny rat holes/rodent dens. They like to feel tight, snug, and secure in their hides. These log hides aren't great at replicating those natural conditions because they have large openings at two ends. Please consider switching both hides to something more secure (even cardboard boxes are fine in a pinch, and these are highly recommended).
Mesh Top: Use tin foil to block off everything except where the lamp sits. This will reflect heat and humidity back down into the tank.
Temps/Humidity: I don't seen a digital gauge in your enclosure. Analog temperature and humidity gauges are notoriously inaccurate (like... WAY off). Digital gauges are cheap and reliable ways to monitor snake-level conditions in the enclosure. You can usually find them at your local Wal-Mart, even.
Water Placement: Most people put their water dish under the lamp so the evaporation increases ambient humidity. However, real estate in your enclosure is limited, especially when you add that second hide. So putting the water dish in the middle might be your best bet. Especially because you do want hides on each of the warm and cool sides.
But yeah, read _ataraxia's caresheets and follow that advice.
Edit: Instead of getting a new tank as she grows up, please consider getting a PVC reptile enclosure instead. Many are designed and made for snakes (whereas tanks are designed for fish!), so they'll make it much easier to maintain heat and humidity and keep your snake comfy and happy. Right now your tank appears a bit small and sparse...
First of all. It's very good you recognize that you need help in learning how to care for the snake.
Second, here is a big link dump created by another regular user u/_ataraxia all credit for this goes to her.
the first three links are detailed care sheets, then a tub tutorial, and the rest are product recommendations. read everything thoroughly, come back with any questions.
glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. it's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.
Here's an info dump, courtesy of u/_ataraxia. It has pretty much everything you're asking about and more.
The first three links are detailed care sheets, then a tub tutorial, and the rest are product recommendations. Read everything thoroughly, come back with any questions.
Llet me know if any of the links don't work.
Glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. It's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.
u/ataraxia has amazing information for ball pythons. You should definitely read it through. Glass tanks are not ideal for Bps, so this should help. Here is her normal dump of information I took from another post.
i'm going to dump a bunch of helpful links on you. the first three links are detailed care sheets, then a tub tutorial, and the rest are product recommendations. read everything thoroughly, come back with any questions.
glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. it's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.
Picture of the setup
Im using a 20 gallon long glass tank with this surrounding the sides and back, its a perfect fit. A day night timer hooked to a non heated light. I dont use heating that sucks the humidity out of the air by using a heat pad for both hides regulated by thermostats one for each pad. Substrate I use is coconut husk, this one lasted me a whole year and people say it wont mold as easily compared to other non coconut fiber substrates. The tank itself uses a screened sliding locked lid. I cant speak for how to lock down other types of lids for tanks. The screen however I covered most of it with 3 layers of foil followed by tape around the edges of the foil to keep it attached and sealed better to the screen. A hole for the non heated light was made and I used a cut up piece of a zipblock bag along with tape to cover over the hole for humidity reasons. Finally the hides are medium sized from reptile basics, I remember when he could easily fit in the small one, was such a tiny noodle and of course a simple plastic water dish big enough to soak in and aid in humidity.
For times when he is in shed though, I lightly spray down the substrate and sides and back of the tank once a day. I think just spraying the glass walls and keeping that large surface area wet is good enough though.
Other items include thermometer, fake plants, gram scale, and one ball python
Home: For the heating pad, you need a thermostat, which will turn it on and off automatically around a specified heat range. Mine is set to 86 degrees with the probe placed between the heat mat and the bottom of the tank. This keeps the glass on top of the tank around 83-85, and the paper towel I have over the glass is around 81-83. You may need to have a different temperature setting, depending on your setup. You shouldn't turn the heat mat entirely off, unless you notice it is malfunctioning and overheating.
To make sure that your temperatures and humidity are decent, you will want a digital thermometer/hygrometer and a temperature gun. The cool side should be in the low-mid 70s and the warm side in the low-mid 80s. The humidity should be 30%-60%. If it isn't, you can make or buy a humid hide, block off some of the venting on the screen top with aluminum foil or acrylic panels, or switch substrates to something that can be misted. This last measure will likely not be necessary unless you live in a low-humidity area.
You should have two identical caves, one on the warm side over the heat mat and one on the cool side.
Diet: What you were told may be appropriate for an adult snake. If possible, weigh her and post pictures. Do a quick Google search on how much adult corns should be eating and how often. I only have a hatchling, and don't want to lead you astray with my lack of adult corn experience.
Handling: If you got her recently enough that you haven't fed her yet, you shouldn't be handling her yet. You should feed her at least once, preferably twice before handling her the first time, and wait 48 hours after feeding to handle her.
Depending on the snake, many can be held multiple times per week. Some are conservative and say only once a week for 15 minutes. Some people allow for more handling than this. But 3-4 times a week for 'extended periods' is almost definitely too much, and as she's new to you, you should be slowly working your way up to longer periods of handling. You also should never be handling her in the 48 hours after she eats.
Shedding: Their color will usually dull and their eyes will turn milky or blue. They might have some minor changes in behavior, like more resistance to handling or possibly even refusal to eat. Mine just shed, and hid for three days prior to that. Note that the shed should come off all in one piece -- if it doesn't, it may be a sign that your snake is dehydrated and doesn't have sufficient access to clean water or the humidity in the tank is too low.
Another quick note on water: You should be changing it at least twice a week, plus any time the snake soils it. I buy filtered spring water from the store, which doesn't have some of the chemicals in tap water that are fine for humans but not so good for snakes. It's kind of a pain in the butt, but it's only about $2 a month, so whatever.
I don't know if anyone has told you yet, but you really should remove that nasty stick on thermometer thing you have. Not only is it likely not very accurate, it could fall off completely and get stuck to your snake (not very fun).
I'd definitely recommend going with a nice digital hygrometer like this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BO8CUE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It's accurate enough for snakes, and it can take ambient temps on both sides of your enclosure and measure humidity.
Ok. he needs a basking spot of 85f in order to digest properly. His cool side temps should be between 70-75F. He should have two snug fitting hides, one on each end, and a decent sized water dish. Aspen is the best bedding for them. Amazon has a reallly good digital thermometer/hygrometer combo that I use in all my tanks, it's this one. does the tank have any sort of heating at all?
wait, your saying i can sniff for acurite things like this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BO8CUE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1?
this would be great, i could better monitor my snakes set up.
Ok I will give tips in the order you presented the info.
>40 gallon tank.
This could be a bit on the large side for your snake so I would start by blacking out the back and sides. You can do this with construction paper, foamcore board, or spray paint if you have someplace else for the snake to live for at least a few days. Pet stores usually sell a scenery backer meant for this. Doing this will make the snake feel less out in the open and thus safer.
>Aspen bedding
I get my aspen bedding from tractor supply in a big bail. You might consider trying coco husk which will help with keeping humidity up.
> 1 hide
I would have 2 identical tight fitting hides (This is how tight they should be)so that your snake can thermo regulate without prioritizing safety.
> 2 branches
Make sure these are secure and won't fall over.
> and a sugar skull for design
Cool.
>Have a UTH because ive heard those are best forglass tanks.
These are great for many setups but you should have temperature controlled. I recommend a thermostat. Here is a cheap one. You should place the probe on the inside against the glass or you can place it under the UTH if you have an infared thermometer to check your glass temp. remember to point the these thermometer directly at the glass from the top straight down. You must shoot perpendicular to the surface you are measuring.
> Havent fed him yet because he was fed before I bought him.
That's good. I would give him a week and offer a rat that is 10% of the snakes weight. If the snake will eat frozen thawed I recommend that. I would feed every 7 to 10 days at that size. I would thaw the rodent in hot (not boiling) water in a ziplock bag until you are sure the rodent is thawed in the center. The ziplock bag is to keep the rodent dry so you can feed in your snakes enclosure. You don't want substrate to stick to the rodent and it will be fine if its dry and you supervise the feeding.
> Whats a good way to control humidity?? Having a hard time keeping it steady.
Try covering most of the screen top. You don't need that much ventilation as your snake won't be soiling its bedding regularly. You will spot clean any problems and so you can get away with much less airflow then with rodents. Here is a tutorial if you want to do it up nice. Adjust how much ventilation you have until you get the right humidity. On that note I like this for a thermostat/hygrometer.
>And should I have a heat lamp ?
I would not use a heat lamp unless you need it to keep a warm side of 90F under the hide and an ambient temp of 80F. A heat lamp will suck humidity out of the air.
Reposting the famous u/ _ataraxia info:
Glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. It's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.
Acurite brand thermometers are a good option, especially this one. I would also advise getting an IR temp gun for spot checking. I take it you decided not to go with belly heat for now, so probe placement is going to be: probe attached directly to the basking spot (whatever that may be), body of the thermometer on the cool side. That's how my boa is setup as well.
u/_ataraxia has a lot of good information. I've stolen their list of links and information for you to go through, but all the credit for this belongs to them. (Also I don't know how to embed links into the comments since I'm a reddit noob so please excuse the messiness)
the first three links are detailed care sheets, the rest are product recommendations in case you need to get any supplies yourself.
http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-the-basics-and-then-some
http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-common-problems
http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-feeding
spyder robotics (http://www.spyderrobotics.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1) makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. https://www.amazon.com/MTPRTC-ETL-Certified-Thermostat-Germination-Reptiles/dp/B000NZZG3S/ is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat.
heat tape (http://www.reptilebasics.com/heat-tape) or ultratherm heat pads (http://www.reptilebasics.com/ultratherm-heat-pads) are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options.
a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer (https://www.amazon.com/AcuRite-00891A3-Outdoor-Thermometer-Humidity/dp/B001BO8CUE/) allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
an infrared thermometer (https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergrip-774-Non-contact-Thermometer/dp/B00837ZGRY/) allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
these hide boxes (http://www.reptilebasics.com/hide-boxes) are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.
edit: Just fixed some formatting to make it easier to read.
Personally I use these generic branded CX201 - A units. (be aware the link I provided is shipping from China, and will take a while). I have half a dozen and while they are cheap they have been relatively uniform and accurate throughout all the examples I have.
[The AcuRite](AcuRite 00891A3 Indoor/Outdoor Digital Thermometer with Humidity https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001BO8CUE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_LIiRAbCEG2W80) indoor outdoor plus humidity units are very popular and come highly recommended.
Great! That should also serve as an example too: if it was that easy for you to take off and expose the adhesive, imagine how easy it would have been for a snake!
This is the digital one that Ataraxia has in her link dump. I was concerned because of the reviews, but actually looking through them it seems to be a lot of people who don't know what they are doing/buying. I did an ice-bath test for the probe, a salt test for the hydrometer, and compared the "Inside" temp with a known source and it was fine. While that's a sample size of one unit, you can also return to Amazon for a fair period if something does go wrong.
The hardest part ill be fixing the main unit to the tank since you have glass walls instead of plastic (Plastic you can just pop a hole and slip a bolt through).
Here's u/ataraxia's classic link dump I found on a other post. Although the informstion is written for bps (most common snake people have trouble with it seems- mostly due to the humedity) but the suggestions could definitely help you for the humedity aspect needed for your boa.
You should definitely read it through.
i'm going to dump a bunch of helpful links on you. the first three links are detailed care sheets, then a tub tutorial, and the rest are product recommendations. read everything thoroughly, come back with any questions.
glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. it's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.
Oh those little round plastic ones? If so, there are a couple different problems here I think -
Those plastic dial thermometer/hygrometers are pretty much just garbage. If you want to get a better reading of what ambient temps are, I would look into digital ones like Acurite. This is the one I use which comes with a probe that can stick on to the side of the tank. There's also one that's like $11-$12 but it just sits on the bottom.
Another problem is UTH are designed to only heat the direct surface above where they're positioned, so they don't have much of an impact on the ambient temp. The best way to measure a UTH's heat is with a temperature gun, which takes a reading directly from the surface. They're about $20 on Amazon. If you used a temp gun on that UTH's surface you'd likely be surprised by how hot it is; actually, a UTH unregulated by a thermostat can get dangerously hot for an animal to touch.
What you might want to look into is a ceramic heat emitter; it's an unlighted bulb that screws into a heat lamp and it'll heat the air temperatures below the lamp. You'd probably have to experiment with different wattages or get a dimmer for it to get temps around what you'd want
Hey! Thanks for all the great info you've posted in this thread and all others. One thing I've noticed however is that your resources recommend this therm/hygrometer, but the product description indicates that it measures indoor humidity at the unit itself, not at the probe location. Assuming you use a unit similar to this one, do you have the unit mounted inside the enclosure somehow? If not, how do you get an accurate humidity reading from inside?
EDIT this link you provided below shows the same thermo/hygro unit attached to the inside of the tub with adhesive velcro strips - something I've been very thoroughly warned against by your link to that poor injured corn that ended up dying.
> Also, can anyone possibly point me to any cheaper alternatives to a thermometer/hygrometer? eg something more generic, not specific for reptiles.. my local pet store wants $35 a pop for them
this is the go to hygro/thermometer. As a note, the probe reads temp only, and the display reads both temp and humidity, most put the display on cool side and probe on warm
I use this guy: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BO8CUE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I did the salt test and it's only 4% too high. I thought it was busted at first when I put it into my humid enclosure, but it turns out the humidity was just 96% or higher (it was just displaying "HIGH"). It does update pretty well though. I let the enclosure dry out a little bit over a few days due to oversaturating the substrate and the percentage dropped to display an actual number.
That makes sense! I'm using this thermometer in the corner of the cold side to measure the cold temp: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001BO8CUE/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
Is that good to measure the cold temps?
I have the UTH on a jumpstart thermostat, with the probe between the UTH and the bottom of the tank. I don't have the lamp on a thermostat, but I'll get another one to put it on. Where should the probe for that thermostat be?
[Thermometer/Hygrometer] (http://www.amazon.com/Chaney-Instruments-Acu-Rite-Thermometer-Humidity/dp/B001BO8CUE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=LHQMMUNJTCBO&coliid=IX3DGDHB4PBM8)
[Thermostat] (http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPRTC-Digital-Thermostat-Heat/dp/B000NZZG3S/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=LHQMMUNJTCBO&coliid=I11WG4736K1KJI)
I am a bot programmed to automatically provide the following content by /u/_Ataraxia when summoned. Link to the most recent version of this content here
The first three links are detailed care sheets, then a tub tutorial, and the rest are product recommendations. read everything thoroughly, come back with any questions. Let /u/_Ataraxia know if any of the links don't work.
Glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. it's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.
Ball Python Care Guides
Set-up Recommendations
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For less messy amazon links you can extract the part after "/dp/" in
https://www.amazon.com/AcuRite-00891A3-Outdoor-Thermometer-Humidity/dp/B001BO8CUE/]
and make it:
https://amzn.com/B001BO8CUE
Or via smile link:
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B001BO8CUE
BEEP BOP
Plz send any recommendations via PM