A Question for Raze

nicolenadia · #1 (**permalink**) 03-31-2008, 04:18 PM

This is for Raze, or anyone who can answer.

I have my monitor in a large glass aquarium until his new enclosure finishes drying. Xiek told me to wait 2 weeks becuase of the polyurathane. I finally got his temps to reach the 120 mark on the basking side of his tank. I had to go to home depot, get a dome light, rewire a new fixture into it that can handle a high wattage, and then use a 250w heat bulb from the hardware store.
It was about 115 on his basking side when I woke up and since the room he is in, usually gets warmer into the afternoon, the temps wll rise.

What is a good himidity level, and should I cover the tank to achieve the desiered level?

Adrya · #2 (**permalink**) 03-31-2008, 04:26 PM

I think covering the tank may also help achieve the higher temps easier too as it will keep more heat in... using plexi or piece of plywoord or something.

As for humidity I can't quite put my finger on that... I was thinking along the lines of 50% but that may be too little or too high.

nicolenadia · #3 (**permalink**) 03-31-2008, 04:30 PM

Yeah I wasn't sure. Hes on a mix of peat/spagnum/sand/soil/coco fiber

So I mist in the morning hoping that it will increase the humidity and that the substarte will hold some of it in.

Since it is just temp untill his plywood enclosure dries, I was thinking of using tinfoil????? That way, I can cut a hole in it big enough for the heat lamp and there is not chance of anything burning.

jtmoney · #4 (**permalink**) 03-31-2008, 06:58 PM

50% for the humidity ... pretty darn sure

If your looking for a way to cover the top of the aquarium use plexiglass.

nicolenadia · #5 (**permalink**) 03-31-2008, 07:20 PM

I know plexi glass would be ideal, but hes only going to be in this tank for 2 more weeks. My local hardware store wont cut plexi, so by the time I am able to drive to my parents house(in another state), to use their jigsaw, he'll have about a week left. I'm just curious, would tin foil harm him? As I see it, the tin foil won't burn, it will bounce the light and heat back down into the tank and it cools down in seconds.

Adrya · #6 (**permalink**) 03-31-2008, 07:24 PM

Foil works great also, I use it for some of my smaller glass tanks.

razeraze · #7 (**permalink**) 03-31-2008, 08:31 PM

The best way to get a HOT basking spot is to elevate your basking spot. We do this with shelves but it can be achieved by a ramp or many creative methods. DZRIDER gave me permission to use his pick so here it is

That is the absolute best way I have seen to use an aquarium correctly.

ED, thanks again you rock!

nicolenadia · #8 (**permalink**) 03-31-2008, 11:35 PM

so concensous is, 50% humidity for a sav monitor?

DRZRider · #9 (**permalink**) 03-31-2008, 11:54 PM

Thanks Razeraze.
I wanted to add that a 250 watt light is way too much for any enclosure. Not only is the heat from that high wattage light escaping the aquarium, but it is drying the open top aquarium out way too much. You really need a 45 watt flood light, solid top, and a raised basking spot. You can adjust the height of the basking spot to get the temperature the monitor needs. Aluminum foil will work to keep heat and humidity in since the enclosure is temporary.
My aquarium is 5 feet long. The light over the stack is a 45 watt flood light. The top level of the stack is 165 degrees and each level down is a lower temperature. The ackies use every level. Since I have (sometimes) two monitors in the enclosure, I put in the second basking spot. The light over that spot is a 40 watt regular house bulb.
I have a 40 gallon breeder aquarium that I have put aluminum foil over. It works for a temporary enclosure.
I have 5 monitor enclosures ranging in size from a 40 gallon breeder to a 4X8X4 enclosure and none of them have a light over 45 watts.
I don't know how big your monitor is, but if it is fairly large, you can use two 45 watt flood lights. I use three 45 watt flood lights to make a basking spot large enough for my 40 inch argus.

I hope this helps.
Ed

DRZRider · #10 (**permalink**) 04-01-2008, 12:00 AM

Quote:

so concensous is, 50% humidity for a sav monitor?

Depending on how long the monitor has been dry, you could go faily high on the humidity to make sure it is hydrated enough. Twenty-four hour warm humid air over a number of days will not hurt and my help the monitor.

Ed

nicolenadia · #11 (**permalink**) 04-01-2008, 12:00 AM

That does help a lot. Thanks Ed! He has a raised spot under the lamp, made of a brick incline...but since its a narrow tank, its hard for me to make a few more heights. I will in his new enlcosure. I def hate the 250 bulb as i'm affraid of my house burning down. Does a 45 flood produce enough heat? I will probably go and return the 250 tomorrow.

nicolenadia · #12 (**permalink**) 04-01-2008, 12:01 AM

Would you reccomend a warm mist or a cool mist humidifier. Hes going right in the tub when I get home. Ekkk, I feel like I may have over heated him.

DRZRider · #13 (**permalink**) 04-01-2008, 12:32 AM

You probably don't need a humidifier. Just damp, not wet, substrate and a water dish. When you cover the top you will probably see the sides of the aquarium fog up. In a few days the basking spot side will be dry and the cool side will still be a little moist. After few days to a week, drop the humidity down to where you want to keep it.
The piece of equipment that I feel every monitor owner needs is a temp gun. I believe Razeraze will agree with me. For $25 you can be sure the temperatures are perfect. I use mine daily.

Ed

nicolenadia · #14 (**permalink**) 04-01-2008, 03:14 AM

Tempgun- this Friday(payday) I will order one.

moist substrate- check
top has been covered

I know you said to get a 40w flood. Are you sure that will produce the hot, hotness.....?

KyleZ · #15 (**permalink**) 04-01-2008, 03:31 AM

Coming in kinda late, as has been suggested above, I use aluminum foil neatly taped over about 75% of a screen top on a 40 Breeder size tank, and it stays about 65% humidity for a good few days on only one good misting (Cypress mulch). So I find the foil to work well in that regard. Although it is a snake cage, and I'm not using bulbs, which will definitely dry out the air a lot quicker...but you get the idea.

nicolenadia · #16 (**permalink**) 04-01-2008, 03:34 AM

Kyle, I have a fresh, new bag of cypress from the hardware store, in my garage with your name on it. I bought it for the monitor, but decided against it. Instead hes on a soil mix.

Big George · #17 (**permalink**) 04-01-2008, 03:38 AM

Thanks for posting the pic razor and nice pic as well DRZ rider. This picture helps me alot being a newbie in monitors.So dont mind of i ask a lot of questions to both of you.Take care and

man.....George

DRZRider · #18 (**permalink**) 04-01-2008, 03:57 AM

Lowes, Home Depot, Target, Wal-Mart all should sell the flood lights. Make sure you get an outdoor flood light and not a spot light. A spot light will burn your monitor. Floods will spread the heat to cover a large area. A spot will concentrate it in a very small area burning your monitor.
Get a flood light like this one. Note the textured lens.

Do not buy one with a clear lens. The clear lenses or the ones with clear octagons in the center will burn your monitor very quickly.

A 45 watt flood light will give off enough heat in a closed top enclosure. Oddly enough 100 watt floods don't heat a spot much more than a 45 watt.

Make sure the basking area is large enough for your monitors whole body to heat up or it may get burned. They don't feel heat like we do. They won't know they are burned until it is too late.
Ed

nicolenadia · #19 (**permalink**) 04-01-2008, 04:11 AM

DRZrider, Thank you so much!!! I checked out bulbs tonight at a hardware store, and saw different kinds of 45w floods. I didn't pick anything up because I was uncertain. You answered my question before I could ask it.

One last thing. The current bulb that I have now, which will be returned, spreads the light, but it radiates out side of the glass too, lighting up the area around the tank. Should I use some sort of material on the outside of the tank, just on the basking side, to keep the light in?

thanks so much to everyone for all the advice. I will get the right bulb tomorrow.

Thanks again DRZ

Your monitor enclosures look great!

DRZRider · #20 (**permalink**) 04-01-2008, 04:40 AM

Thank you for the kind words Nicolenadia. I wrapped 3 sides on my aquarium to make the monitors feel more secure. I don't see any harm to the monitor if the light shines outside the tank. I doubt you will have the issue with a smaller flood light.

Ed

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