Whats best for floppy

buck2003 · #1 (**permalink**) 05-13-2005, 02:17 PM

Hi,
I need advise about whats best for floppy. He's an unsexed bci approaching 1yr old and about 3ft ish.
I have built him another viv but after having difficulty with the temperature I decided to post this to see what you guys thought was best.
The viv I want to put him in is 4.5ft x 20" x 20" at the warm end there are two 100w infra red heat bulbs hooked up to a dimmer stat. The problem is that I can get the hot end up to temp no problem (ground temp taken with temp gun) however the cool ends still showing the ground temp at 72-74ish. I think thats too cool but was debating putting a large water bowl there, and strategicaly placing his hides in slighly warmer areas at the cool end as well as 1 at the warm end. He also has a great chunk of wood to climb on to bask and other furniture to go on/through ect. The only other option I see is to move one of the bulbs closer to the cool end? If anyone has a temp gun can you tell me what your ground temps are, and how to measure ambient temps? thanks buck

SoberGuy · #2 (**permalink**) 05-13-2005, 03:39 PM

Walmart has indoor/outdoor thermometer with a hygrometer included for about 15 bucks. Mount it to one side of the viv (includes screws or a sticky pad) and just run the probe to the other side, and keep both about one inch of the substrate. That's about what I do for ambient temps. As far as heating the cool end, put a vent in the warm side, down low, and a vent in the cool side up high. Hot air rises, so it will help pull some warm air over to the cool side, and it sounds like you can afford to pull some heat away from the hot, or at least the heat bulbs will be able to maintain the hot if you pull heat away.

My other two cents on the issue, should be a bigger viv. At one year, I'd just build one big enough for when she's full grown and include a few extra hides. A lot easier than having to go through the whole process again. Then again, when she needs a new viv you have one ready for another critter. :shrugs:

lethargiic · #3 (**permalink**) 05-13-2005, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoberGuy

Walmart has indoor/outdoor thermometer with a hygrometer included for about 15 bucks.

He's got a temp gun so all he really needs is a hydro meter..
if i remember you said that the humidity is like 65% which is good..

I've been tryin to help him out with this in PM's.. The hot side isnt the problem..it's just to cool side.. he's using newspaper and has a hide or 2 in there along with the water bowl..

I talked to Pathy about this i think yesterday and we both suggested the UHT pad for the cool side.

pathfinder36 · #4 (**permalink**) 05-13-2005, 04:22 PM

Yea. Some sort of uth like a human heat pad should work fine. Just hook it up to one of these: Click>>>

pathfinder36 · #5 (**permalink**) 05-13-2005, 04:27 PM

If heat won't transfer through the bottom of your enclosure, you could do something like this with flexwatt: Click

Just make sure to use a thermostat. The link in the post above is probably your best buy. Fairly cheap, reliable and accurate.

lethargiic · #6 (**permalink**) 05-13-2005, 04:39 PM

question: is that available for use in the UK?

buck2003 · #7 (**permalink**) 05-13-2005, 04:44 PM

I can't get..or have never seen flexiwat? heat mats are very common but I hate them as I've seen too many burn pictures of snakes with em, well enough to make me affraid of em. Hot end seems ok now but cool ends too low heres a few pics, vivs not got all its furniture sorted yet but I tried to take pics of it as best I could and also with temp gun. NOt fitted guards to bulbs yet cause I may have to move bulbs. Thanks

pathfinder36 · #8 (**permalink**) 05-13-2005, 04:49 PM

Well, you really need some sort of under tank heating device. Overhead heat is fine, but belly heat aids in digestion. This is especially crutial for captive animals. I would go buy a couple of human heat mats and some good thermostats.

SoberGuy · #9 (**permalink**) 05-13-2005, 04:49 PM

I still tend to think that ventilation will pull heat over... The bulbs should be capable of compensating for the loss on the hot end. You could also move one bulb over a few inches until the cool side heats up.

buck2003 · #10 (**permalink**) 05-13-2005, 05:43 PM

I have several good on/off stats I guess would be ok with a heat mat admitidly not as good as a mat stat though, but would heat get through the melamine and as the water bowls on the cool end wouldnt that get heated too? I just never thought about using two stats on one viv before! Luckily there is no rush to get him in there he's fine where he is for now. Its just I'd like to get him in a large viv asap so he can move about and explore more.

pathfinder36 · #11 (**permalink**) 05-13-2005, 07:53 PM

I had the same issue... especially with my 6'L cage. So now I use industrial thermos on the warm side of my cage and cheapos on the cool side with either flexwatt or a low power heat pad. It's worked flawlessly so far. Good luck.

lethargiic · #12 (**permalink**) 05-13-2005, 08:42 PM

we have a 6 x 2 x 2 enclosure and we just use a 100 watt IR heat buld for it and never had any problems with heating... temps stay at 88 on the hot and about 82 on the cool side.... and never had a regurges in that enclosure either

buck2003 · #13 (**permalink**) 05-13-2005, 09:56 PM

Thats what I cant understand, this is only 4.5ft x20x20 so even though its colder here in the UK than there surly you'd think 2x 100watt IR bulbs would be more than enough?
I'm gonna move one of the bulbs 12" toward cold end see what that does?

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