Best reptiles & amphibian supplies according to redditors
We found 1,729 Reddit comments discussing the best reptiles & amphibian supplies. We ranked the 444 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 1,729 Reddit comments discussing the best reptiles & amphibian supplies. We ranked the 444 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
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.
I find these to work great for the price, you just need to keep them close, 1-3" away.
strip lights
or bulbs in reflector clamp lamps or in a desk lamp
We were told to use Eco-Earth or other pet friendly soils. I hoping that was good information because, fun fact: rats like to eat dirt lol
For a good prank you can do crickets instead of bees: http://www.amazon.com/1000-Live-Crickets-Large-1/dp/B007RH8E8Y
Read the first review
Sounds like you were getting outdated or flat-out incorrect information and those 'experienced snake owners' are likewise misinformed.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.
i definitely feel you; they caught my heart when i got my first frog at age 10 🌝 (she was an african clawed frog though. RIP Lily, i miss her)
so white’s need an enclosure with more vertical space than horizontal, since they’re arboreal. like i said i’ve got my adults in an 18x18x24 but i’ve been planning for a while to upgrade them to an 18x18x36, which i might get at the next expo.
they’re not super demanding as far as humidity and temperature goes, which makes them a great beginner frog. even so, i have a ZooMed HygroTherm hooked up to a fogger and heat mat so their humidity doesn’t drop below 50% and so their temp doesn’t drop below 75F. i got the fogger on amazon... and the HygroTherm too. together they’re pretty expensive but it really is worth it to get these frogs set up correctly. plus my HygroTherm has worked consistently and without fail for almost 8 continuous years now. really is among the best $70 i’ve spent. and for the fogger i should mention i’ve had to sort of cut a small hole in the top mesh of the cage to avoid the metal mesh of the lid rusting. i can take a picture to show you what i mean if you’d like. the frogs don’t mind; they can’t even climb onto the mesh and they never try to either. their safety and comfort is #1 so i found a way that works, lol.
as far as substrate goes, most people use Eco Earth coconut fiber. that’s what i used for years until i found josh’s frogs, and i switched to a piece of their frog foam. that shizz is a game changer. no more messy frogs, no more dumping coconut fiber out every cleaning, no more searching for frog poop. the stuff is great, and is reusable for a long time as long as you keep it clean. so that’s what i recommend for substrate.
for lighting, my guys have a dual light fixture on a timer that switches from a 23-watt UVB bulb during the day to one of these at night. the UVB turns on at 9am and it switches to the night light at 9pm.
beyond that, they just need things to climb on and hide in, and a water bowl to soak in clean (bottled) spring water that isn’t so deep that they risk drowning. it’s inevitable that they’ll often use the water bowl as a toilet, so be prepared to clean it every time you see poop in it. in addition to the water bowl my guys have a magnetic ledge, some fake bamboo, a fake vine with suction cups, a piece of driftwood, a reptile hammock, and a small hollow log in their cage. i can take a picture of the entire setup if you’d like. my female spends most of her time in the big piece of bamboo and my smaller male spends most of his time inside the log. my big male Burp is the one who’s all over the place and often sleeps on the magnetic ledge, lol.
when it comes to feeding, they eat every other day, 3 dubia roaches each. and every other feeding, one of their roaches gets dusted with a vitamin supplement, and one gets dusted with a calcium + d3 supplement. roaches that are 1/2” to 5/8” in size are best; any larger may be a choking hazard. if you’re not sure, the general rule is to not give them an insect that’s wider than the space between the eyes of the animal. sub-adult and adult roaches are an absolute no-no for these frogs as they’re wayyyy too big.
i’ll also occasionally give them a wax worm or a couple of phoenix worms to change things up. wax worms should not be given more than a couple of times a month, though, since they’re pretty high in fat and low in nutritious value. like froggy junk food, lol. i tong-feed all of my animals (except my dwarf frogs haha) so there’s never any loose insects in the cage and i always know exactly how much they’ve eaten. white’s take to tong-feeding quite well.
and that’s their basic care! like i said, they’re kinda expensive to set up properly but it’s so worth doing. once you have that out of the way they are pretty dang easy to care for. they don’t really require UVB lighting during the day since they’re a nocturnal species that hides and sleeps during the day; i just have that kind of light for them because they have a live pothos plant in their cage. as long as they’re on a consistent 12-hour day/night cycle, that’s what matters. they do soooo well on a consistent routine.
if you have any questions about their care or if i’ve missed anything, don’t ever hesitate to ask. i love these frogs dearly and am quite happy to help anyone out who’s thinking of getting some of their own. 🌝
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.
Joke's on you.
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.
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.
I've actually done what you're asking for with a chest freezer. I bought a PID thermostat, like this.
Then I replaced the thermostat in the fridge with the PID thermostat, that thermostat had a chiller output and a heater output (and heater could be configured to use the internal relay so I didn't need to use a second SSR). I connected the chiller to the compressor and the heater relay to an outlet box. The heater was just a reptile heating pad I plugged into the box and threw into the fridge, but that was a little on the low power end, I'd probably use a ceramic heater if I had to do it again. Also, all the PID controllers seem to be sold with a K-probe, those are no good, they don't measure below 0C, and the thermostat needs swing, so I needed to keep the set point over 2C to get it to work (which is not terrible). I ended up buying a PT100 probe which works well.
They need airflow, so they need a screen cage.
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.
I use a reptile lamp for this exact reason. More then enough to get the fridge super warm.
I suggest you to fuck up with her life in a not-too-harmful way.
I'd give you some examples if I'd known more about you guys, so you'll have to be creative and come up with your own mind games.
Some very general and innocent examples like putting salt n' pepper in her coffee, filling the shampoo bottles at her house with yogurt, or even just hiding her cellphone away from her and make her panic.
Ofc you could join the dark side and use stuff like spilling coyote urine on her bed(the smell is SUPER GROSS and lasts for days), sending her a pack of living insects as a gift, or just renting a couple of goats and letting them loose in her house.
Since you can't get rid of the problem(your MIL), you might as well just enjoy trolling her.
Thank you for being a caring individual who has wholehearted intentions for this turtle. However, I really want you to understand what you're getting yourself into.
I fully understand your desire to keep this super cool animal as a pet, but before you commit let me arm you with as much knowledge as I can. I was once in your shoes when I came across a hatchling in 1998 I named Georgie. Georgie is a Common musk AKA stinkpot and I started out woefully ignorant to the cost and maintenance involved in owning a turtle.
Now, for a slider the males tend to get around 7"-9" varying where the females can get a whopping 10"-12". Remember that every inch of turtle's SCL (length of shell from behind head to tail) requires about 10g water. If you've got a female there is the potential of needing a 120 gallon aquarium. This is not a terribly unreasonable price range for what you would need to house a larger full grown female slider. On top of that you will need to rig an out of water nesting box for your turtle to lay her eggs. If she does not have a place to lay her eggs it is extremely unlikely she will lay them in the water and she will possibly become "egg bound". This can absolutely be painfully fatal.
If you are lucky and working with a male he will be smaller, the cost of an appropriate enclosure will be reduced by a little, and you won't have to worry about nesting boxes. He will still need an area he can climb out of the water to dry completely while basking. For basking areas this is the ideal bulb for most any turtle. These need to be replaced every 9-12 months but no later than 12 months. They may still shine light but they will not function in a capacity acceptable for a reptile any longer.
As far as a filter you will be looking at a minimum of $150 upfront investment, but the filter replacement material can be managed at reasonable prices over time. Another option is creating your own. If you're interested in learning how let me know. I have some good resources. They may not be pretty but holy cow are they cost effective and efficient.
Now. The big thing here I really want to press is that this is an adult wild animal. You wouldn't bring a bear or a cougar home. You probably wouldn't bring an adult skunk or porcupine home. Unfortunately for turtles they are cool, cute, and appear weak/defenseless to many people and we end up in situations like this. A caring, wonderful individual trying to do right by an awesome animal but in the long run you're really not helping him/her.
You could set things up to be a decent home for this animal but you cannot replace the natural habitat it deserves to be in.
If you are interested in owning a turtle I have some awesome species suggestions that are much smaller and more manageable for indoor living. There is an amazing turtle subreddit called /r/turtle that is overflowing with advice and assistance to new turtle owners or those who are interested in becoming one.
I know how easy, better than many, it is to get attached and just want to keep the turtle. To this day I try to give my turtle the best life I can to make up for taking him from the beautiful and fantastic San Marcos river home he once had. Perhaps he wouldn't have survived and may have been eaten but as Americans I'm pretty sure our motto is to live free or die trying.
Your best option is to return him/her to EXACTLY the location (not with in a few miles but like a few yards if possible) they were at when you found it. It's best for the turtle, it's fair to the environment, and it gives you the opportunity to devote a bit of time and interest into looking into turtle care and finding a species that works for you!
Another male? Aspen is ok though carefresh or better yet (and certainly cheaper in the long run) fleece. You can just go to a Joann's or walmart or any hobby/sewing store and buy some fleece. Toss it in the wash as needed with an extra set in reserve. Cat food is what you should transition him to, high quality. I do blue buffalo cat food personally. It will last you a VERY long time. Hedgehog food is never as good for them as it should be. I will provide some amazon links for things you should probably get, the main one that you should but not quite have to if you have a room in the proper temp range is 72-80 degrees. Please come over to Hedgehogs Anonymous on Facebook request to join, then once you are in simply go to the files and take a look at them. I am a college student myself so I do my best to keep costs low though obviously start up costs will be high but after that its really quite cheap mostly (aside from possible vet visits).
Modular shelving can be the cage and gives him plenty of open room to roam and play around. This is the shelving I personally use and can vouch for. I have a 3x3 grid so 9 sq ft. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LGZOR6A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Here is the food I get for my Sophie. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KU55KD2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Heating set up, again this is only if you need it and can keep the temp in the right range naturally. I dont know where you live so I do not know what your winters are like but if you get temps in the 50s or lower I do recommend it. Another preventative measure is to put the cage a foot or so off the ground, will actually keep your temps a few degrees higher than on the ground.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002DHO6S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Ceramic Heat Emitter - Use this and NOT a heat light or something for reptiles, they need to have a period of darkness to be naturally awake 12/12 light on/off schedule All that the CHE does is emit heat, no light.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002CZ0J3E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Thermostat with a temp probe. Plug the CHE lamp into this and it automatically turns the CHE on and off to keep the temp in the right range.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003H200QC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 The lamp part to plug the CHE bulb into.
Hide - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00068K132/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Mint Stick (it seems all hedgies love these things lol)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O8Q5JTO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
food dishes
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0040B9NOY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
These are all the bare essentials aside from a wheel. I and most other people will recommend the Volcano View Hedgehogs bucket wheel or Carolina Storm bucket wheel.
I was just trying to be a thorough as possible without really leaving out anything. Again please join us over at Hedgehogs Anonymous on facebook. Everyone in the group absolutely loves helping everyone with a hedge. Any question that you may have can and will be answered fairly quickly. Most if not all members would recommend getting from a USDA certified breeder just so you know the full medical history of your baby and his parents. Its also generally cheaper as the cost from a breeder is generally around $200 though that depends on the coloring. I am by no means saying do not get him from your pet store you played with him at. I dont like pet stores having hedgehogs just because they are a more sensitive exotic animal that doesnt do well in a retail setting when you have to take care of hundreds of animals at once with high overhead. But if he is behaves well with you now then absolutely get him from there. He looks on the smaller side so hes pretty young.
Again please join us over at Hedgehogs Anonymous. Cant wait to see you and your baby on there. You could potentially take him home today with a cheap bin, simple fleece bolts and food and water dishs from what you have in your house and thatll last until the rest of your supplies are acquired.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/382631271838164/
sure!
the usual method if you dont have a lamp handy is to just buy one of these. can be repositioned all over the place!
for powerful bulbs, 2-4 feet depending on plant size and fragility.
for other kinds of setups, you could look into T5 fixtures, that's like the standard florescent tube you've seen anywhere. these can be kind of ugly though...
There's been lots of topics about small lights such as decent clamp lights etc. I myself have posted a topic here. Make sure to use the search bar!
Quick answer:
I know a lot of people have commented, but if you're not using supplementation, start using ReptiCalcium w/D3 and w/out D3 by dusting his food each meal. If you are, please take him in for a checkup, he looks very underweight and could have something like parasites. Action sooner rather than later could extend the life of your pet :)
I would ditch those pellets as substrate and get yourself some slate tile. You can find it at almost any hardware store. You may have to cut some pieces with a tile cutter or wet saw to get them to fit the whole enclosure. You could also just use newspaper or paper tiles if you don't care about asethics.
I would say the most important things is to make sure he has the correct diet, temps and UVB lighting.For a baby you want the basking spot to be at least 105°f and cool side to be around 80°f. Reptisun 10.0 t5 for the UVB source is highly recommended but you can go with a quality mercury vapor bulb that also doubles as a basking bulb. Make sure to use a quality calcium/vitamin dust for the feeders and don't forget to gut load your feeders too.
The poo looks like normal poo to me. You can always find a herp vet that is close and do an initial checkup, they are usually pretty cheap for a wellness check ($40-$80).
Oh and some other important things:
I included those links just so that you can see how inexpensive these things are, and they are things you actually need, unlike the expensive gravel. UVB is genuinely a must. Your turtle will be much safer with a screen and much happier with a higher water level.
I’m just gonna go off, this will be long as hell. It’s currently really early in the morning so sorry for any formatting/spelling.
BE WARNED: crickets stink af and even in their little bug home you can smell it from afar. Not to mention their food stinks and they die easy. Buy the smaller ones if you can, I’ve noticed they smell a lot better and don’t die as quickly.
I hope this helps! If I think of anything else I’ll add it here. Also if you have any questions don’t be afraid to ask.
ZooMed coconut fiber substrate
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00167VVP4/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_U9P4CbFK61SSA
I bought this for my 7 cu ft chest freezer, and an inkbird itc-308 and it seemed to work well. (Maybe a little underpowered)
I now use a mini fridge as a ferm chamber, and it seems just right.
I've kept chameleons for almost 10 years, and I think I can give you at least a jumping off point to get started.
In my opinion, the biggest thing to put time and money into is the setup for the little guy. Having the proper enclosure, UVB lighting, heating, hydration, and positioning (in your home) is the single most important thing to have in place before you even start looking for the chameleon you want to buy. Panthers, in my experience, are somewhat more environmentally demanding than other generally "beginner friendly" chameleons like Veileds.
This shouldn't scare you at all. I want to make that clear. This is not a reply that is meant to discourage you from getting a chameleon, but rather to make sure that you have thought your way through the commitment you want to make. These are fairly demanding pets, and the last thing I want to happen is for you to spend 200+$ on a living work of art and then get into a losing battle trying to keep it healthy. I just went through that battle with a rescued veiled chameleon, and believe me it's not fun.
So long as you have prepared your chameleon's environment, you should have a nice and easy time keeping it hale and hearty.
A brief overview of what to expect when owning a panther can be found here
More in-depth details about setting yourself up can be found here
To give you a better idea about what I think you should look into, I'll give you a rundown of my personal setup for my female veiled chameleon. I've gone a bit above and beyond what the minimum is, but I cobbled all of this stuff together over about 3 years so that I could have a really nice enclosure and setup I can reuse over and over. I'll give you costs for my final setup and a few options you can use to save some money at the end here.
My personal setup for my current chameleon, a female veiled, is a screen-walled cage that is 2ftx2ftx5ft. It's difficult to find large cages that are at all economical to buy, so I built mine myself. I placed wooden dowels throughout the cage to provide a basic vertical structure, and a hanging ivy plant provides cover and extra structure as it grows throughout the enclosure.
I've placed the enclosure near a window that gets sun all morning, so I open the window to let the natural sun provide a nice basking area and plenty of ventilation during the day and close it at night when it gets cold.
On top of the cage, I have two halogen basking bulbs (incandescent filament bulbs die on me constantly, so this works better). One weaker bulb provides a concentrated basking spot at about 90^o on a dedicated basking "branch", and a stronger bulb provides a cage-wide gradient from about 78-85^o at the top down to about 65^o at the bottom. In addition to those, I have an Arcadia 12% UVB High Output T5 bulb and hood to give her the UVB she can't get past the morning.
I invested in a rainfall system by Exo-Terra to make sure hydration wasn't an issue.
With those points hit, I think my cage is a very solid environment for Pasquale to wander about in.
Here's the price breakdown on everything I have put into the enclosure:
Cage itself
Heating
Hydration
UVB - MOST IMPORTANT
Total price for above and beyond cage setup ~ 320$
You can save quite a bit of money on the lighting and hydration. Use 2$ 100W food heating bulbs ( USE CAUTION IF YOU DECIDE TO DO THIS make sure you cant catch anything on fire and make damn well sure that your chameleon has plenty of room to get out of the heat) or 8$ incandescent (non-reflector type are cheaper, reflected spotlight-type are usually 12-15$) pet basking bulbs, buy a 2$ spray bottle from walmart to hand-mist your enclosure or set up a drip system that constantly drips water through the screen onto your plant.
The one thing I would say you MUST have above all else named above is a good UVB source. UVB lets reptiles synthesize vitamin D3. D3 is marginally responsible for mood stability and neurological health, but more importantly it enables the absorption of calcium into their bones. Chameleons cannot easily make use of ingested D3 from supplements or gut-loaded insects, so they must make their own using the UVB they are exposed to. Without a good source of UVB, they will develop what is essentially rickets. Their bones will become brittle and malleable, bending, fracturing, and then eventually freezing that way when they begin to get what they need. It's an awful condition that is very simple to avoid.
The generally available/recommended Reptisun 5.0 or 10.0 bulbs are beyond awful. I make it a habit to get my lights tested by my vet before I install them to make sure they're outputting useful UVB, and without fail every Reptisun bulb I've tried has produced about as much UVB at 3" as standing in the middle of a dense forest on a very overcast day. The Arcadia bulbs are wonderful, often producing more UVB than a bright summer day at about 12-18" and are very much worth the 10$ (+shipping) higher price tag. They're quite difficult to find, and not available in any pet shop I have yet visited, so you'll have to get them online. I sourced my bulbs and my T5HO hood from here. Make sure you match your bulb to the hood size. I believe that reptile basics' 24" hood fits only the 22" bulbs, not the 24" ones.
OK. So. There's your enclosure setup needs explained. Everything from here on is easy as pie.
You will need to keep 3 basic things on hand at pretty much all times: food, supplements, and gut-load. All of them cost less than 10$ each.
Choose a couple kinds of feeder insects (crickets, calciworms, mealworms, superworms, wax worms, butterworms etc) and keep a supply of them on hand at all times.
All in all, expect to spend about 10$ on food a month.
Supplements are important to have around because they make up for the deficiencies of the food you'll bee giving your chameleon. They'll have calcium, phosphorus, vitamins, proteins, and other minerals your chameleon needs that it may or may not get from its food. If you're a master of gut-loading, you may eventually decide to just formulate a diet that covers everything they contain, but it's almost universally a good idea for a beginner to have supplements around. I currently use Zoo Med's Reptivite as my dusting supplement, and I quite like it. Be aware that it has a very very high phosphorus content and can be somewhat hazardous to overuse.
When I had only one turtle using the basking area, this turtle dock worked really, really well.
After I got a tank mate for my first RES, that dock no longer worked. It's just big enough for a full-size female to bask comfortably, but way too small for two turtles. I made my own basking platform for them instead. I went through a few different constructions, but the most recent one I built out of egg crate and cork board is working perfectly.
Edit: I just thought of another platform that worked quite nicely for my Western Painted, but you can't guarantee that it will stay under your lights. Also, here's a video of my DIY platform if anyone is interested.
Find out where she lives and mail her a box of crickets lol! http://www.amazon.com/1000-Live-Crickets-Large-1/dp/B007RH8E8Y
I've been told that heating pads aren't good because they don't heat the air well enough and a failure could burn your hedgie, so I stick with a lamp.
And that's it!
pet stores are actually known to NOT (or rarely) carry thermostats, which is one of the reasons why a lot of people don't know you need them.
you can buy them on amazon, pay for fast shipping (this one is widely used)
same for the gun, any cheap one is fine (i use this one)
if you can only get one, definitely get the thermostat as it's one of the most important things
so at petsmart just pick up hides and the aspen bedding. ideally both hides should be the same. get a hide that looks pretty small! you would be surprised at how small my hides are compared to how big my snake is. they can really squeeze in there and feel secure. if the hide is too big, it won't make them feel safe.
i would recommend joining this forum, there are a ton of people there who have been keeping snakes 10+ years who can better answer your questions.
CHEs must be attached to ceramic sockets.
This is an example
https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Repta-Clamp-Lamp-Switch-Reptiles/dp/B0002DHODG
or this
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Spotted-Terrariums-Reptiles-Amphibians/dp/B00OHRAOFS
you do not need more than a 100 watt CHE
So this
https://www.amazon.com/BYB-Ceramic-Infrared-Emitter-Brooder/dp/B00IOBZT80
this of course must be attached to a dimmer or a thermostat so this
https://www.amazon.com/MTPRTC-Controller-Thermostat-Germination-Reptiles/dp/B000NZZG3S
or this with a thermometer
https://www.amazon.com/Lutron-TT-300H-WH-Electronics-Plug-Dimmer/dp/B0000BYEF6
Hi!
I can point you to the CHE setup I am using for my hog.
I use a Zoo Med clamp lamp ($20)
with a 100W CHE bulb ($11)
I have tried a couple of different thermostats. I currently use and recommend the Zilla reptile thermostat ($26). I like this one because (1) it has clear lights indicating when the lamp is on, and (2) the dial has clearly labeled temperatures so you can set it to something like 74 degrees and be happy. My previous themostat didn't have any temperatures labeled on the dial which was incredibly irritating.
Finally, and this is absolutely not necessary, I also use a Zoo Med reptile lamp stand ($20). My hog lives in a plastic sterilite bin and, after reorganizing my living room, I no longer have a good place to clamp the lamp to. The lamp stand allows me to clamp the lamp to the stand where I can easily slide the cage in and out to better access the hog.
Note: I don't know if its only my area, but for some reason Amazon's prices for all of these components are significantly less than all the nearby pet stores (e.g. a CHE bulbs at the two closest brick-and-mortar stores cost $30-$40 vs $11 at amazon)
My wife and I don't use heating pads. We have a dedicated enclosure for our hedgie and use central heat and air coupled with a heater and window unit to keep his temp at around 75°F. That being said, there are passive things you can do to help keep the room warmer. Blackout curtains help keep the room at a more constant temperature. Depending on the size of the room, a heater like this one can help stabilize it too. Heating pads can be useful, but if at all possible, it'll be safer to try and keep the ambient air temperature in the proper range.
​
Also, depending on what kind of enclosure you're using, you might want to use a ceramic heat emitter with a temperature sensor on it and use a battery operated thermometer to measure temp near hedgie level. We used to have this set up and kept the thermometer on top of Odin's hut so we could get a reading from somewhat higher than where he'd be. Once it's dialed in, the CHE with the temp sensor will keep your hedgie comfy and warm.
Yeah it exist! https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-PowerSun-Mercury-Vapor/dp/B0002AQDJK
I’ve always used the powersuns.
Zoo Med PowerSun UV UVB (100 watt) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002AQDJK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_7XVPDb7AXHAD5
They may be a bit expensive but I’ve never had an issue with them.
It's okay! Take a deep breath. :) The plastic concern is about the socket that the bulb screws into, inside of the dome. If the socket is plastic, you'd need a different dome fixture, not a different tank.
I suggested a chick brooding fixture because I figured you probably have access or Tractor Supply or a feed store, but if not that's no problem. They sell them at hardware stores too. Here is an example from Home Depot. It doesn't specifically have to be this.
Here's an example of a ceramic bulb
If the tank lid / screen is plastic, I do not know if you can put the dome directly on the lid, sorry. I would clip or hang the fixture so it isn't sitting directly on the tank if you can. This will also make it easier to open the lid.
I have ball pythons not sand boas, but what I use for ambient heat is a CHE (ceramic heat emitter). You would need a dome with a ceramic base because they can get very hot. I use this one , and the CHE can also be found on Amazon like this one . I also have mine on a dimming thermostat, since on/off thermostats can wear out the bulbs, but those can be pricey. I know some people will just use the dimmer knob for the dome, but you will need an infrared heat gun to check surface temps and adjust to make sure it’s not too hot, and check it regularly as it won’t adjust itself if your ambient temperature in your room fluctuates.
I use like three of these suction cupped to the tallest part of the glass. My gecko loves to hide in them during the day.
https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Repta-Vines-Pothos-Reptiles-Amphibians/dp/B0009YEB70/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1510986161&sr=1-1&keywords=reptile+foliage
These are really great to drape around branches and whatnot. The leaves are big so they produce a lot of cover. Just be careful because sometimes the wire will poke through the plastic coating if your snake is the trampling type and it’s fking sharp so check for that regularly if you get them! I just trim the wire off and wrap some HVAC tape around the spot.
Fluker's Repta Vines-Pothos for Reptiles and Amphibians https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009YEB70/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_2QZ2CbV3W8ETM
Welcome to the reptile community!
Personally for me if you aren't gonna use a heatpad/thermostat combo I would go with say a 60-75 watt ceramic heat emitter/thermostat combo. The ceramic heat emitter will push out heat but no light so you can use it in conjunction with a thermostat and it never has to be turned off.
You're gonna want your temps near your heat source to be around 83-86 F or so (if it's off a 1 or 2 degrees don't worry about it) the rest of the tank can hover in the low to mid 70's.
You are gonna want some more stuff going on in the tank. Probably another hide on the other side of the tank. I prefer to provide as many hides as possible, however in a tank this size you're probably gonna be limited to 2 which will work. However a way to sort of clutter it up and make the snake more comfortable is to get some fake vines that you can either suction cup around the edges or just leave in a loose pile in the terrarium.
https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Repta-Vines-Pothos-Reptiles-Amphibians/dp/B0009YEB70/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1496131286&sr=8-2&keywords=reptile+vines
Something like this, it's 6 ft long so you can have some hanging, some laying on the ground of the terrarium. It's just extra clutter to make the snake feel more secure.
Unlike some of the other users I think that size of hide is fine. The way it's constructed allows the snake to get tight in it under the lip of the opening, you can stuff it with some sphagnum moss or bedding to make it a little more secure if you want to.
Other than that, with corn snakes just make sure your lid is secure and you make sure your humidity is alright, usually ambient house humidity (40-65%) is fine for these guys but when it get ready to shed (eyes will turn blue) you're gonna want to mist it with water to up the humidity a little bit until the shed is over.
You're gonna have fun with your snake and once again welcome to the community.
I just get Repto/Zoo Med two light housing amazon
I get a random UVB light bulb (they also provide UVA) link
For your light bulb for heat, just use any 1000 watt bulb and you will be fine.
edit: My bad it is indeed a 100 watt bulb.
Direct sunlight won't get the basking area hot enough, and glass filters out UVB so it won't get any UVB if the tank was near a window or something. It's not too expensive to get a heat lamp for them, you just need one of those reptile clamp lamps with a ceramic top (you could technically use any other fixture, but the ceramic ones dissipate heat better) and put a regular incandescent light bulb in there. I use a 55w flood light a few inches from my basking platform and it measure 94F at the hottest spot. Depending on the distance from the basking area you might want to go with a higher wattage bulb. I use just a regular floating aquarium thermometer to check the temperature on the basking platform. Turtles are cold blooded so they need to be able to warm up and cool down as they please, and drying off helps them avoid shell rot. They need UVB as it helps a lot with calcium production/intake.
As far as UVB bulbs go, I use these.
If it's 10 years old and 5-6" it's most likely a male.
Oh then check out this channel for direct Leopard Gecko care, and this channel for gold nuggets of care tips. I recommend going with reptile carpet or eco earth. Good luck!
I use a reptile heating cable 25W. I was able to get my 5 cubic ft freezer up to 82 F with an ambient temp around 50F in my garage. They have higher wattage if you need more heat. Just taped it around the side of my chest freezer at the bottom.
http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Reptile-Cable-14-75-Feet/dp/B001OVBEEK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420824232&sr=8-1&keywords=Reptile+Heat+Cable
I use this reptile heater in my chamber. I've been really surprised at how well it works. It's not going to get you to 90 degrees, but inside the ferm chamber inside a closed garage, it can keep a 5gal batch in the 50-60F range when it's below freezing outside. Seasonally, I'll move to lagers when the temps drop, but this keeps things from getting too cold or having temp swings.
Also because it's all sealed, you've got a much lower fire risk than some of the alternatives I've seen.
I have one of these and taped it to the lid with some electical tape. I have it hooked up to one of these dual temp regulators and it works great.
EDIT: Sorry, actually I have the 50w version - here's the link to that length
YES! It does work. And very well, I might add. For my setup, though, I used my fermentation chamber (small refrigerator) and reptile wrap. Wrapping the cable around the mash tun, I duct taped as I went (you don't want to overlap the tape). From there I plugged it into and set my temp controller. The heating cable never got so warm as to interfere with the duct tape and it is still holding after 3 batches like this.
After checking the thermometer about every 6 hours the first time I did this process, I know that it holds 110 without issue. If you don't have a fermentation chamber, I'd use a ski jacket or a sleeping bag for insulation. Happy souring!
I have a small ferm chamber (wine fridge) but this has worked wonderfully so far http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001OVBEEK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Use this:
Zoo Med Reptile Heat Cable 25 Watts, 14.75-Feet by Zoo Med
Link: http://amzn.com/B001OVBEEK
Keeping my saison a warm 86 degrees (ferm chamber) in 38 degree garage.
got something like this
http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-RT10-ReptiTemp-Rheostat/dp/B001OVD7Q8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407301334&sr=8-1&keywords=reptile+rheostat
It's an off the shelf potentiometer basically, designed for a heat lamp. On full it makes the car lighter red hot (and I think blows the fuse).
plugged a wall wart into it, then cut the end off and connected it up to the car lighter (I just realized after about 10 years where my lighter went in my truck). It's essentially the same thing as you're trying to make, but with off the shelf parts. You can put the herb on the coil, then put a two liter bottle with the bottom cut off over the whole thing. It's a ghetto volcano. Should translate well to dabs.
This is all probably a bad idea.
It's the smaller version of this one, which works well except the suction cups kinda suck, I usually have to stick it back on once in a while. https://www.amazon.ca/Zoo-Med-Turtle-Dock-Medium/dp/B00BUFU8RO/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmrnull_4?keywords=turtle+dock+zoo+med&qid=1550783278&s=gateway&sr=8-4-fkmrnull the one I have for him is 5"x11"
But, I just bought him one of these today, it's 16"x11' and it'll be way sturdier! I bought it used off a guy for only $10 https://www.amazon.ca/Penn-Plax-Decorative-Floating-Basking-Platform/dp/B004PBCFG2/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=turtle+pier&qid=1550783419&s=gateway&sr=8-3
You may have to get a different type of dock. I use this Turtle pier. Works great and they can’t eat it.
I use this calcium 5x a week for a single feeding:
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Calcium-Vitamin-Reptile/dp/B005FTMHFC/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_199_bs_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=49KCZE8NNZY8RZNW9K61
I use this vitamin powder 2x a week for a single feeding:
https://www.amazon.com/HERPTIVITE-Multivitamin-reptiles-amphibians-Bottle/dp/B00076HT3S
He looks overall pretty health besides his nub tail. Check out this sub often and you'll see lots of posts about geckos with bad depth perception, etc that will be comforting to know is fairly normal.
In addition to heat, Bearded Dragons (and many other reptiles) need a bulb which simulates certain different types of sunlight (basically, they need access to the full spectrum of light they'd get from the sun in their natural environment). Ultra-violet B (UVB) is one of these important types of light. Without it, your bearded dragon cannot metabolize calcium in order to grow.
Have you ever heard about how people need sunlight for their bones (namely, to create Vitamin D)? Bearded Dragons are the same way; they need this special type of light in order to create the vitamin which carries calcium into their bones and allows them to grow. Without it, their bodies will eventually start leeching their bones of calcium, and their bones will hollow-out and become porous, a condition known as Metabolic Bone Disease.
At the bare minimum, if price is an issue, I would buy a second lamp hood (~$15 USD) and put in one of these bulbs:
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiSun-Compact-Fluorescent/dp/B00A8RHTYU/ref=sr_1_7?crid=1N3OJ3JLSUEJT&keywords=reptile+uvb+bulb&qid=1572426404&sprefix=reptile+uv%2Caps%2C183&sr=8-7
Notice the bulb says 10.0 UVB; this means that about 10% of the light it puts off is going to be the useful kind for your dragon. You don't want to go any less than this.
In addition, you want to make sure that the Bearded Dragon's basking spot is at least 105-110F (41-43 C). You can get infrared temperature guns, or thermometers with probes that you can set in the basking spot. And buy a powdered supplement which contains both calcium and vitamin D3, like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Reptile-Calcium-Vitamin/dp/B000UJSUO4/ref=sr_1_4?crid=N0PJWYXNDPKZ&keywords=reptile+calcium+with+d3&qid=1572426942&sprefix=reptile+calcium%2Caps%2C175&sr=8-4
At this stage, about 80% of your bearded dragon's diet should be insects, powdered liberally with the calcium+D3 supplement at every meal (3 times/day). If you keep things going the way you are, your animal could very easily die from lack of nutrients/exposure to the correct spectrum of light.
Keep in mind, Bearded Dragons are adapted to live in the hot Australian Outback, very near to the equator. If you don't live in a similar environment, you need to do your best to recreate it in your home--that means high temperatures (with your basking bulb), and the correct ultraviolet light (UVB 10.0).
Let me know if you have any more questions.
If she's lived on it for 40 years, I can't exactly protest. However, variety is important!
Here's the kind of bulb you're looking for. You can find these at any pet store that sells reptiles (PetCo or PetSmart will have them). Read on the box and see how far the UVB penetrates--it's usually around 8 to 16 inches. Try to get one that's good for at least a foot--that's about how tall your enclosure is, and you want to place the bulb above that.
Also, as a side note, box turtles tend to live about 50 years in the wild. Captivity usually shortens the lifespan due to poor husbandry, but apparently she's been well cared-for.
At night time, you want it to be night time. Namely, as dark as you can make it in the cage. We are keeping ours facing away from lights that might get turned on late at night, which should hopefully keep things dark for our dragon.
As others have said, your concern at night isn't giving them light, it's keeping them 'warm'. Not at hot as daytime, but not letting things fall below 18C (65F). If your house does get that cold, you need a non-light emitting heat element for your vivarium.
You have a few choices there. Personally I've gone with a ceramic heat emitter. Here is an example of one off Amazon. Don't let their cheesy graphics fool you, these emit zero visible light. Make sure your dome fixture is up to the task! The one i linked is a 150W device. You will want to be sure that your dome light/housing and vivarium are able to deal with that heat!
Another alternative is to use an under cage heating element. Something like a flex-watt or the like just to give a gentle radiant heat over the whole cage. I'm not as familiar with this solution, so I cannot comment much on it's use. Just make sure your cage can take the heat, and that you aren't cooking things on the inside!
Awesome on you for reaching out to learn more and give your lizard better care! I wish you all the best as you upgrade your vivarium!
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.
I am planning on upgrading to this to monitor/control my ambient temp and humidity.
http://www.ink-bird.com/products-humidity-controller-ihc230.html
Currently I am using the Ink-bird ITC-1000F to control my UTH for my hot side. I have a CHE for the cool side, spaced a little above to tank. Mine stays in the low to mid 80's all the time already. I use this to get my humidity where it needs to be.
Reptile Humidifier / Reptile Fogger - 2 Liter Tank - Ideal for a Variety of Reptiles / Amphibians / Herps https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CO9582Y?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf
I did have to modify it to insert fog all across my tank vs in one place. I have it set up on a timer and through months of trial and error, I have it dialed in really well. I did modify my tank lid to make it all work.
I used the foam board insulation from Home Depot and cut out a place for the CHE and the fogger. I used 1/2" PVC to distribute the fog evenly. I did seal the space between CHE and foam to prevent it from getting hot enough to melt and to help hold in the humidity.
I appreciate it! I'd be happy to. So the three main components used are These lights, these lights and this fogger the puck lights are great because they're really bright (and can be adjusted with a remote) they change color and can be easily hidden. So, on my kitchen table, I turned off all the lights surrounding, turned on the puck lights, the two lights I showed you and another light just for fill. I shot it at 1/25 shutter speed at an f4 and a 400 ISO. So basically only the subjects were lit and everything else was dark. The green lights did a great job turning the fog green. Everything you see here was shot as is.
This. I think this will do nicely, if I decide to do it.
I’ve been pretty happy with it so far! https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01CO9582Y/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550059981&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=reptile+humidifier&psc=1
Thanks dude!
Yes, the bulb can be a bit heavy. I had good luck with this socket: https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Deluxe-Aluminum-Reflector-Included/dp/B01E9IY6US/ref=mp_s_a_1_12?keywords=light+bulb+socket&qid=1562912646&s=gateway&sprefix=light+bulb+&sr=8-12
It has a clip and it can be used to sort of prop the bulb up. Just have to take the big shade off.
Also, I’ve taken the clip off and just propped its back end up on a pillow.
Okay well I have a few different options for you.
The setup I went with that works really well is to buy two softboxes ($65). This will get you really good lighting and you can add a rear or hair light to do 3 point lighting very easily later if you want to make it slightly better.
Before that I had 2-3 clip lamps ($8 each) which worked alright, but definitely not nearly as good as the softboxes. You will want to put some daylight bulbs in them and then cover the front with some paper to diffuse the light. This is probably your cheapest setup, but the quality difference is worth the extra price for softboxes IMO.
You can also go with LED camera lights ($37 each) but for the price you might as well get the softboxes and be done with it.
Amazon! A small clamp light and a light bulb that hopefully matches the best specs for a good grow light! It took me a couple tries to find one small enough to not blind everyone around my desk too, and I went off of suggestions to get one with 30W+, 6500K, and 2000+ lumens.
I'm gonna quote what I wrote about my set-up in another thread. Small, cheap, and can clamp anywhere. Good luck!
> Very, very basic. I only got into succulents about two months ago, so keep in mind I'm very much a beginner.
>
> Right now, I have three clamp lamps with these bulbs, clipped onto a leaning desk. It's pretty cheap and seems to be working out for me so far, judging by the compact new growth on my light-hungry Echeverias. But I'm running out of grow-light room! I've been debating upgrading to one of these or simply just buying another clamp lamp to cover more surface area (since I know my addiction will eventually lead to me buying more babies).
Get some 100W LED daylight bulbs.
And one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Deluxe-Aluminum-Reflector-Included/dp/B01E9IY6US/
And also one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Toplimit-Standard-Splitter-Heat-resistant-86V-240V/dp/B00T5JD2P2
That's if you want super ghetto and super cheap. And/or super easy to say "oh it is not for growing weed, mom and dad. It is for my photography studio. which is a much more expensive hobby than growing weed."
If you have the money for it, getting each of you a mic like the Samson Q2U or Audio-Technica ATR2100 will go a long way in making the sound better. Another thing is to do some basic acoustic treatment. If you string up a heavy blanket behind each of you, and another on the wall that's in frame, it will cut out a lot of the echos and make you sound a lot better (no matter what mic you're using).
For video, I'm not sure there is much that can be done to the recording quality without spending a bunch of money on a camera, but there are a couple of things you can still do to make it look nicer. First of all, improve your lighting. Everything is well lit, but if you focus the lights more on your faces and have less light in the background, it will add a nice contrast to the scene (clamp style work lights are a cheap solution if you need more lights). The other thing is more audio based, but record the video and audio separately. Audacity is a free software for audio recording/editing, and if you can record it there as well as in OBS, you can have the audio only for a more 'traditional' podcast.
​
I know it sounded like a lot of critique there, but overall what you have isn't bad. There's room for improvement, but the only thing I would consider as needed would be some acoustic treatment. I hope this all helped!
They need to be relatively close to be effective as far as I've read but it's worth it. It doesn't have to be elaborate just a bulb like this (you want it to be 6500k) and a desk lamp or clamp light .
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01E9IY6US/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511774078&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=clip+on+shop+lights&dpPl=1&dpID=410mNADp05L&ref=plSrch
you can get away with one of these and a plant led or cfl bulb and they will do fine...put on a timer if you want as well
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I15S6OM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Lo-oDbPBMW1A8
Check this out. Plug your heater into it, and set the thermostat of the device to your maximum allowable temperature. Let's say, the heater is set to 78°, and the thermostat controller is set to 82°. The heater will function independently to keep the water at 78° because the controller is providing power. If the heater malfunctions and starts cooking, at 82°, the controller will turn off power to the heater, rendering it unable to boil your tank.
Slow money is better than no money! :)
​
Sorry for the delayed response. Here's some of my recommendations:
Jumpstart/Century Pulse Thermostat - $17 - Super reliable and cheap!
Slightly cheaper 'Repti Zoo' Pulse Thermostat - $16 I've had this one previously, the brand was different but it's the same model. I'd only choose this over the jumpstart if you are forced to - due to stocking issues etc.
- I can't seem to find many of the ones that we have in the UK on the Amazon US site, but Id' 100% recommend the jumpstart.
​
Also, you're gonna need two of them. I've heard of people using this product here ($36) to control two at once. Might be worth looking in to :-)
I have two heating pads on the bottom of Renault’s tank, a high wattage (~17W) at the hot end and a low wattage (~10W?)in the middle. Both are thermostatically controlled though, with sensors inside the tank under the carpet and on the glass, so they kick on and off at preset temperatures to maintain the temperature gradient, and don’t let the carpeting get above a very safe temperature.
With that said, I think that might be overkill; the low wattage one simply cant get the floor too hot, and the bigger one even running full time during the day might not either. Possibly better safe than sorry.
This was the thermostat I chose; Century Digital Heat Mat... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I15S6OM?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf
I don’t know if they’re well respected or not; one of mine arrived dead, the other was fine. I popped the case off the dead one and re-soldered the resistor that wasn’t done right at the factory (I was in a hurry and didn’t want to faff about with a return) which fixed it. I will say they seemed well designed (very simple, but nice component choice) and that one resistor notwithstanding, well put together.
Hello everyone,
Earlier this week I got my first snake, which was a female western hognose. Unfortunately, the previous owners seem to have provided lackluster care (here was the tank, bedding etc she came in).
I have since purchased a 40 gallon tank, got new bedding, purchased 2 hides, added a larger heating pad, light lamp, and have a thermometer I'll be installing on the heat lamp...
...but 24 hours after transferring the snake to her new tank, she hadn't shown herself at all.
At first she explored her new, larger surroundings. But then she buried and I didn't see her. Worried, I just found her on the cooler non-lit/non-heated side still not moving much (and generally not happy with my bothering her).
Concerns:
Here is a picture of the new setup. I used this ReptiChip substrate (coconut husk), which I'm a bit anxious about because it specifically mentions pythons and boas, not a hognose. I followed their instructions using water to expand the chips and add some moisture, but the moisture is collecting in the tank (picture at the base here).
When I tried to find her in the substrate, I noticed a small flying insect similar to a gnat. Not sure if this is relevant or this is just something I should watch out for.
Many thanks for all y'alls help. I apologize for my ignorance. In posting this (and quickly purchasing more/better products), I am doing my best to care for the animal.
I have the Evergreen brand reptile fogger: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CO9582Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_hjGLAb9RGHT9H
The humidity hasn't gone up to 100% probably because I'm pumping it in through the top-- since it's on a low setting it might not even penetrate to the bottom, now that you mention it.
Edit: hyperlink for clarity. Thanks for your advice!
I have a very simple growth space, since most of my orchids are generic NOID. My husband and I share the greenhouse, where he has carnivores plants on the top shelf and I get the bottom shelf for my orchids. We lined our greenhouse with foil to help retain some of the heat and light. We also have the greenhouse set up on an 9(?) hour automatic timer with a monitor that automatically turns on the humidifier if it drops below 60%.
Overall, all the den set up in the back and oncidium, Miltoniopsis & Zygo in the front.The fan is set to the left side of the greenhouse and blowing diagonally across due to a temporary overcrowded greenhouse. I hadn’t figure out where to put my Maui lollipop yet, since it’s so small compare to the other ones
The overall condition is intermediate, humidity 70-80%, temp between 55-80F for night and day difference. The light is about medium shades?
All of my phals are grown on windowsill!
I would love some suggestions! So far everything has worked out, except one den’s leaves is turning yellow at the tips right now
Best humidity tips off the top of my head:
Definitely a solid enclosure—little to no screen. Screen lets humidity out. If you have a screen top, cover the portion of it that doesn’t have lights directly over it with tin foil to trap the humidity in.
Spritz bottles are your friend! I hit the enclosure with it in the morning, and again in the evening.
Your substrate is important. I like EcoEarth for holding moisture, but even better is a mix of soil, sand, etc in a bioactive setup (I’ll be doing this with mine’s adult enclosure). You can also add things like terrarium moss that will hold additional moisture.
Live plants help with humidity!
Mist systems and humidifiers (COOL mist, not hot!) are a a godsend. I use this one: Evergreen Pet Supplies Reptile... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CO9582Y?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share. You can adjust the amount of mist it puts out, and where I have it set, I just have to refill it once a day and it pumps a continuous stream of mist into my enclosure.
I use this thing: https://www.amazon.com/Evergreen-Pet-Supplies-Reptile-Humidifier/dp/B01CO9582Y
It's a little pricey but works really well. I also wet the substrate with a spray bottle once a day, and keep about half of the screen top covered with plastic.
I aim to keep humidity between 60% and 90%, ideally about 75-80%; I don't think I've heard a recommendation below 60%, but if the skink isn't shedding I doubt it'd hurt them much to be at a lower level for a little while.
Im in a college dorm with limited space, so here's my set up for my D. Capensis and VFT.
Clamp light
Light bulb
It's been working for me so far. I turn it on when I wake up and turn it off when the sun goes down. (Or if I wake up three hours after the sun goes up, I'll turn it off 3 hours after the sun goes down). My VFT went dormant as planned and my sundew is healthy. I have not been feeding them anything else yet.
Recipe:
Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.
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Light box was constructed using .25" PVC pipes and appropriate joints to create a basic box, then I stretched some plain white tshirt knit fitted sheets over it for diffusion. I'm currently using 3 basic white philips hue LED in clamp/scoop light housings.
They are pretty handy because you can adjust their dim level via your phone and then save scenes.
The set dressing is just a yard of tapa print fabric draped over a sheet of foam core and some fake leaves. Here's a pic I took when I was testing it out with a mug. It looks less impressive than the final product.
If you have access to a power outlet, a simple clamp lamp can work.
Yeah, it's clipped on to an old mop handle which I cut down to size and stuck in a box full of stones to hold it steady. I'm getting something along the same lines as this.
You could always grab some clamp lamps amd stick em on the side of your tank. You could spray pain them too if you want them to match your decor. You can even put grow lights in if you want to upgrade to a more heavily planted tank.
This is gonna be your absolutely cheapest option.
My recommendation is to buy a cheap reflector lamp and a high wattage grow bulb. If you want to go nicer (and more expensive) spring for a nice T5 bulb setup. As a first step, I would just do something like what I post below. It is effective and cheap. I really recommend not getting one of those tiny LED ones because they usually are super low power and help your plant less for your money.
https://www.amazon.com/Full-Spectrum-Hydroponic-Light-60W32/dp/B01L0GV2ZY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1493998601&sr=8-3&keywords=grow+bulbs+60+watt
https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Deluxe-HIWKLTCLAMPLIGHTM-8-5-Inch-Reflector/dp/B01E9IY6US/ref=sr_1_2?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1493998736&sr=1-2&keywords=reflector+lamp
OPULENT SYSTEMS 24"x24"x48"... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JNQXMRT?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
AmazonBasics 3-Shelf Shelving... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LZAV8KH?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
BaoGuai Reptile Mister... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PLFC8X4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
BYB - 150W 110V Ceramic Infrared... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HFNZ59Q?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Simple Deluxe Clamp Lamp Light... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E9IY6US?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Inkbird Digital Pre-Wired Outlet... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FQKXRXA?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
If you are really trying to keep the budget tight this is what I use
https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Deluxe-HIWKLTCLAMPLIGHTM-8-5-Inch-Reflector/dp/B01E9IY6US/ref=sr_1_4?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1502802377&sr=1-4&keywords=utility+lamp
Add a true white bulb and either bounce it off the wall or cover it with nylon material to diffuse the light a bit and you are good to go.
I’m pretty sure you can use any 100W LED bulb!
With maybe one of these
I used to do professional lighting, and here is my best trick in a pinch:
Also heat sources should be regulated, just thought of that. I use these: Century Digital Heat Mat Thermostat Controller for Seed Germination, Reptiles and Brewing, 40-108°F https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I15S6OM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_CmqhDb9DC0KDT
If it's a heat mat, place the probe on the glass above the mat. If it is a heat light, place the probe inside their warm side hide. You can also use a light dimmer for lamps.
Sounds like my ball python when I got her. :) She was pretty tame from day one, I love her <3
https://www.amazon.com/Century-Thermostat-Controller-Germination-40-108%C3%82%C2%B0F/dp/B01I15S6OM/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?keywords=heat+mat&amp;qid=1567709698&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-2-spons&amp;psc=1&amp;spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyT1RKTEFWSk1MUkdYJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMDU3ODgwMUlJSzBRSklUMDlRRiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODg2NjE0MTE0OFdDOU9XQklROSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX3Bob25lX3NlYXJjaF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl
I suggest at least this ^ for your heat pad. You have to be very careful with them. Mine would get up to 120 degrees if it wasnt regulated with this. You set the temp for their warm side and put one of their hides over it. My girl doesnt go in there often cuz she prefers her cool hide. I keep warm side at 90 cuz she wouldnt even go in there with anything warmer. Her gradient is 79 to 90. Ambient temp is usually around 80. She has eaten every week I've had her (2 months).
It is possible. Reading through the comments in this post, I see that you just got your noodle. Congrats!
But that as well will play a huge factor. Little friend is stressed out. Just give it a solid week of no touching and no feeding attempts. After that give it another go.
As for the temp. I’ll give you some basic:
-Coconut shedding substrate (replace after a week so that your snake gets comfortable to its surroundings first)
-Thermometers/hygrometer at the bottom of the tank
-Plug the headpad into a thermostat
After your new friend has eaten;
-moisten the new coconut substrate by mixing water into it and mixing it all up with your hands. Leaving dry substrate under its hides. This will be great to help with humidity, which you will see if your house humidity isn’t high, will be a struggle.
My house has an average of about 44, so I have to mix my substrate about every 2 days. I’m going to be looking into other options down the road, as I have done all the home remedies and mixing is my best option.
Hope all of this helps!
Short answer: yes temp and humidity will affect your snakes feeding 🐍 🐁 lol
Edit: replace substrate after a week from today I meant. Not once a week.
Edit two: a chill mod in here once told me to cover the top screen with tin foil while mixing the substrate. Best tip ever. Plus if you do it right, it looks nifty. Just make holes for your heat lamp and ventilation. It’ll take some time to perfect. But not long. Kay I’m done now
They require 88f minimum on the cool side, ideally 90f for proper digestion. Since they're cold blooded they rely on the temperatures in their environment to do basic metabolic functions such as digest. So I'd recommend grabbing an under tank heater, a thermostat to control it, and maybe a decent little thermometer, sounds like you're using a wall dial that can be tough to read and are always inaccurate. Getting the temperatures right is really important for keeping reptiles, otherwise they can get sick or worse quickly, but luckily once you have those temps set they're easy to maintain. Woudl recommend just double checking the link under "basic care" down on our side bar, it can fill you in on a bit more like the calcium supplements they need as well. If you have any questions let me know! I'm going to add a few links to the items I'm mentioning
https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/comments/9qig1m/gecko_belly_ive_had_my_gecko_about_two_weeks_and/
https://www.amazon.com/Century-T7-FBA_BNQ-T7H-Thermostat-Germination/dp/B01I15S6OM/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1540265142&amp;sr=8-1-spons&amp;keywords=reptile+thermostat&amp;psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Digital-Terrarium-Thermometer/dp/B000MD3MFA/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1540265132&amp;sr=8-6&amp;keywords=reptile+thermometer
You might look into heating mats or submersible heaters commonly used for reptile terrariums and aquariums. The submersible ones need to be in water, but that could even just be a jar of water or a small tray, at the low wattage being discussed.
This heating pad controller for reptile enclosures (not endorsed, it was just the first one to come up for my search) has a temp sensor and thermostat: https://www.amazon.com/Century-Thermostat-Controller-Germination-40-108°F/dp/B01I15S6OM/
At low wattages, you can even use something like a 40W incandescent bulb on a dimmer switch.
For mini-fridge size enclosure, even 40W will get things very hot - I think even 5-10W, with a thermostat, will get you a lot of heat in an enclosed space.
Century Digital Heat Mat Thermostat Controller for Seed Germination, Reptiles and Brewing, 40-108°F https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I15S6OM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_-j6ZCbDTX6S1R
Oh that’s what I meant, I have this one on its way
that's what thermostats are for! you can get one here for a decent price. and here's how to set it up. (-:
Most people recommend ball pythons, cornsnakes and kingsnakes (and those all are good choices), however it's ultimately up to you! For example, I got a red tail boa constrictor as my first snake and I've only seen one person recommend them as beginner snakes. And honestly, I was glad I got my boa, he's such a sweetheart and his care is very similar to a ball pythons, just on a bigger scale! Plus he's a reptilian garbage disposal, so I don't have to worry about him skipping meals.
I've also seen breeders recommend ratsnakes and gopher/bullsnakes because their husbandry is very easy and they're typically very good eaters. While they're known to be a little temperamental, regular handling will calm them down pretty quickly. I've also seen Kenyan sand boas and children's pythons reccomended, plus they usually don't get too big, and all the snakes I've mentioned come in various morphs so it would be fairly easy to find one thats to your liking!
Snake Discovery, Clint's Reptiles and Josser's Jungle are a very good start! They upload educational videos and they're extremely helpful with information and helping you decide what snake is good for you.
As for getting the actual snake, never buy from large chain pet stores. Always try to get them from a reliable breeder, and the best way to do that is reptile expos! You'll be able to find a bunch of different morphs of various species and you can get supplies and food for pretty cheap.
Another thing to keep in mind is the lifespan and the supplies they need. Bigger snakes need bigger terrariums which cost more, need bigger meals, etc. You will also need a heat mat or heat tape that's connected to a thermostat regardless of species. snakes are kinda dumb and will continue to sit on a warm spot even if it burns them, so thermostats are a must! I use this thermostat for all 3 of my snakes and it works great!
And don't forget to do lot's of research! Look into the snake species itself, it's temperature and humidity requirements, the tank/tub size, and whether or not there are any breeders or expos nearby! Anyway, I hope this helped in some way, and good luck!!
You could try giving him a bath! That might help. Also please avoid lights. They can eventually hurt your baby’s eyes! Only use heating pads. The pinned post on this sub goes into detail about thermostats, (https://www.amazon.com/Century-Thermostat-Controller-Germination-40-108°F/dp/B01I15S6OM this is the one I use) and you need one to regulate the temperature your heat pad gets to so your Leo doesn’t get too hot or cold.
(the pinned post is full of info and absolutely everything you’ll need to know/purchase to give your guy a happy and healthy life 😊)
Edit if you knew all of this already I’m super not trying to sound condescending, just trying to throw out some tips!!
The heat mat is preferred, since leopard geckos absorb heat for digestion thru their tummies only. For all my tanks i use the zoo med reptitherm heat pads. You will want one that takes up between 1/4 and 1/3 of the bottom of the tank. I hook all mine up to one of these... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I15S6OM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_s9TUCb1WZ3HE7 i suggest also buying the heat pad off amazon as well, you will pay AT LEAST double if you buy at a brick and mortar store. As for the liner i just go to walmart and buy my liner there in the kitchen section.
The nice folks at this reptile shop made the heat wrap. They installed the connectors for an extra buck. My wrap is 12 inches wide and 4 feet long. Here is a link. https://www.pangeareptile.com/store/thg-heat-tape-3.html
I have it plugged into a temp controller. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I15S6OM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
Thank you for responding! I really want to know what I can do to help my snake, as I've been worried something is wrong..... I made a list with the exact things that I have bought!
I have this terrarium
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008N9LRCK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
and this heating mat on one half (covers around 40% of the tank)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07X8WLYD8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
with this thermometer that controls the heat (max is 93 F) and cool side is 75-80
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I15S6OM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
and i made a humidity box (as shown by Youtube account SnakeEncounters) with this moss that I spray to make humid- I have seen my snake in there twice now, she likes to sleep there for a couple hours and leave.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CX5QB82/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
and I use this hide (one on cool side, one on warm side)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MVKJ3B1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
and this bedding
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009KJ0A2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
and I use these vines to make the enclosure feel more covered and less "open"
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009YEB70/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
i'd say too cold. you can also get an inexpensive seed mat for about $13 USD & Temp controller For $19 to help keep the heat up. Cooling require a fridge/mini fridge (withoutf freezer) and a cooling controller which costs a lot more.
I tend to ferment in 2 places. 1. my laundry room in the winter (because it's usually cold due to dryer vent / begin on exterior wall), and 2. My bathroom in the summer which has AC and is generally kept cool.
That being said.. As other have mentioned, warm yeast make off flavors, cold yeast just stop working and may go dormant. You're better off going cold and re-pitching / warming up than getting bad flavor where you toss your product because it's not good.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00HFNZ59Q/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1521244990&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=che+bulb+150+watt&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=51CtCt4oNLL&amp;ref=plSrch
Amazon has them sale also! But yes yours will work :)
Try forest floor for humidity issues. It's great bc when humidity falls you can mix a cup of water in it
These are terrible. For snakes, you want to ditch the coloured bulbs & go for ceramic emitters (http://www.amazon.com/BYB-Ceramic-Infrared-Emitter-Brooder/dp/B00HFNZ59Q) in a porcelain clamp lamp such as http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Deluxe-Porcelain-8-5-Inch/dp/B0002AQCXM/ attached to a stand such as http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Reptile-Stand-Economy/dp/B000HG76B8 (highly recommended as ceramic emitters are a large fire hazard, reaching over 700f) . Exo terra terraniums such as http://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Short-Terrarium-12-Inch/dp/B008N9LYJ6 are great for beginner snakes which don't have unusually high humidity requirements (mesh tops found on glass tanks let out lots of humidity compared to e.g. plastic tubs with air holes melted via soldering iron). While the ceramic emitter will raise the ambient temperature, your snake will also want a very warm spot to go to for belly heat to aid digestion, so a heat mat such as http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiTherm®-Heater-Medium/dp/B0002AQCL4/ attached to a thermostat such as http://www.amazon.com/MTPRTC-ETL-Certified-Thermostat-Germination-Reptiles/dp/B000NZZG3S/ is highly recommended. The thermostat is not optional as heat mat's reach over 105f which can be fatal. As for supplementary light in e.g. winter, snakes have no special requirements as compared to other reptiles for uva/uvb, so any desk lamp or room lighting would suffice. As for decoration, snakes don't care. Hides can be made out of cereal boxes, butter containers etc, substrate can be newspapers, shredded tissue paper (not shredded paper as it causes cuts), or you can research more professional substrate for your specific snake (beware the earthy substrate which can cause impactation/death if ingested, also wood chips can harbour mites - simple paper is often better!). As for monitoring humidity/temperature within the tank, the analogue ones suck. I would recommend a digital one such as http://www.amazon.com/Avianweb-Digital-Thermo-Hygrometer-Black/dp/B00U2S6JSC/ - even if 10% out as per reviews, they are better than analogues which are 20-30%+ out and get more inaccurate over time. Finally, not required, but useful is an ir gun such as http://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergrip-774-Non-contact-Thermometer/dp/B00837ZGRY/ so that you can get a sense of the surface temperatures around the tank that your snake is crawling across, and to ensure your hot hide is within parameters and not lethally exceeding 105f.
Your ball python is nocturnal, you don't need to light it up. Light will not only stress your snake out but eat away at your humidity. There is ZERO reason to add lights to your enclosure. Check out Ceramic Heat Emitters. They produce heat, but do not produce humidity eating stress inducing light. I have CHE's on both my enclosures. The day light that fills my office is enough "day and night cycle" as some people seem to think it's needed.
Check out CHEs. They produce heat, but no light. http://www.amazon.com/BYB-Ceramic-Infrared-Emitter-Brooder/dp/B00IOBZT80/ref=sr_1_4?s=pet-supplies&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1462043496&amp;sr=1-4&amp;keywords=ceramic+heat+emitter
You'll want to plug this into a lamp dimmer, cheap but very important. The dimmer will allow you to control the temp of your CHE. http://www.amazon.com/Lutron-TT-300H-WH-Electronics-Plug--Dimmer/dp/B0000BYEF6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1462043561&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=lamp+dimmer
This is a much much better alternative to a heat bulb, the red and the black lights are also not needed. Your CHE can stay on all the time, just make sure you have accurate digital humidity and temp gauges so you can keep things steady.
Your humidity should be at 55-65%, cool side 80-82, ambient 84-86, and warm side 88-90. If you're using a tank, blocking out three sides with black poster board or anything like that will help make your snake feel more secure and help insulate it a little. If you have a screen lid, using aluminum tape on top of the lid spare where the CHE in it's hood sits will help insulate heat and humidity inside the tank a bit.
If you're keen on doing some work to save money and have some tools lying around, you could build your own enclosure for much cheaper than premade ones. There's plenty of tutorials and the materials (usually wood or acrylic) are fairly affordable. The long term costs of owning a snake are pretty negligible, it's the initial cost that's going to be pretty high.
Aside from the enclosure, you also need; a heat mat (ex), a thermostat (ex1 ex2), thermometer and hygrometer (ex), substrate (ex1 ex2), 2 hides (ex), water dish (ex), ceramic heat emitter (ex), cleaning supplies (ex), and a mist bottle (ex).
Those are all just examples and some of them might not work for you, but it should give you an idea of what to look for. Things that aren't "technically" a requirement but are highly recommended are plants/decor and a light (UVB if you want to spoil them) to provide a day/night cycle. If you're wanting a Ball Python, options are practically endless on MorphMarket. Just make sure you do your research on a breeder before buying.
Also what I use, except the Amazon one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IOBZT80/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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It works great. Make sure you have a fan in there to distribute the heat.
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Edit: Just wanted to add that I've also used small space heaters and even a hair dryer in the past with good results, although those most definitely have a higher possibility of bad things happening.
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.
Turtles generally won't crawl out onto a basking area unless it's nice and sunny and warm. I use this $40 lamp for my turtle because it emits both UVB and heat, but it might be cheaper in the long run if you get separate UVB and heat lamps. I think the UVB-only lamp is ~$20.
This shell issue most likely started while he was in the store and not getting any UVB or heat, btw. :( It sucks, but it's awesome that you are asking for help and putting in the research time.
I highly recommend reading this sticky from /r/turtle, if you haven't already done so, and the section about shell rot on Austin's Turtle Page. My first turtle was a rescue with shell rot, and already had bone showing. She ended up losing some bits of shell, but was otherwise healthy after weeks of dry docking (forced basking), good diet, and iodine/silvadene.
Definitely get your little herp to a vet asap, and make sure you get everything a good turtle habitat needs. I hope he'll be okay!
I like the Fluker's ceramic IR bulbs. I've got one that's probably 7 or 8 years old and no signs of crapping out. (I'm pretty sure that's the brand I have, anyway. The packaging looks right.)
http://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Ceramic-Heat-Emitter-Reptiles/dp/B0002DHO6S/ref=pd_sim_199_6?ie=UTF8&amp;dpID=41%2B2atqosfL&amp;dpSrc=sims&amp;preST=_AC_UL160_SR145%2C160_&amp;refRID=1N2AFZKQN9DVQG6VNBC9
I have it screwed in to a simple light socket with clamps attached to it to hold it in place.
It is hooked up to my STC-1000 in a side-by-side frankenfridge.
Oooh, so something like this guy?
We have her lights automated, wouldn't be too hard to automate one of these on when the light goes off!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002DHO6S/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B0002DHO6S&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=bdlife-20
Looks pretty good, I'd even leave the hides, because despite what someone else said, sometimes cresties will use them, you'll just have to see what yours prefers. The only negative thing is the open space. I would get a set of leaves (something like https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-51015-Repta-Vines-Pothos/dp/B0009YEB70) to fill in the open space. I would also recommend a magnetic ledge for food and water, it keeps the substrate out of it and the geckos can sit higher to eat - but that's not a necessary change, just a recommendation.
Here are the links to the two I got off amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Repta-Vines-Pothos-Reptiles-Amphibians/dp/B0009YEB70/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?keywords=terrarium+plants+reptile&amp;qid=1569816888&amp;sprefix=terrarium+pl&amp;sr=8-7
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001B57KZ6?psc=1&amp;ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
(with your current tank, make sure this is maintained)
Air Temperature: 75° - 83°
Basking Temperature: Mid 80's to low 90's
Water Temperature: Mid to High 70's
-these numbers are specific to your musk turtle
You may buy an infrared heater to help keep these temperatures optimal.
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Your turtle also needs a basking area (provided links to some nice and cheep bulbs and mount
Exo Terra Repti-Glo 5.0 Compact... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00101JI2Y?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf
REPTIZOO Dual Lamp Fixture for... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CWKXYPP?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf
Keep in mind these turtles are very infrequent baskers but need to do so sometimes, so keep the basking area to a large rock he can climb up on.
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I cant stress this enough, you need a strong filter for musk turtles. They are messy eaters and will end up compromising their own safety if the water isn't cleaned and filtered well. They will spend most of their time in the water so make sure they have ample area to swim. Razorback musk turtles are also very shy, so give him some areas to feel safe in the water.
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Besides from that google some caresheets about razorback musk turtles and adjust my recommendations accordingly. If you have anymore questions please let me know :D
Both myself and my boyfriend use the 26-watt Exo Terra Repti-Glo UVB bulbs. Because the UVB light should be positioned over the basking area, I don't think the size of the tank is relevant when it comes to wattage (if I'm incorrect, someone please feel free to correct me).
Make sure your turtles also have a heat bulb! I use a 100 watt Exo Terra Basking Bulb for my little guy. It's splash resistant, which is important with aquatic turtles, so you aren't replacing bulbs every time one gets wet.
Both types of bulbs need replaced approximately every 6 months, because they start losing their efficacy.
You want fiber not husk.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00167VVP4
That stuff in either the bag or they have it in bricks that you mix with water as well.
It works. I use it to proof dough and grow mushroom mycelium. Now I just throw my carboy in an insulated box and wrap it in something like this. Both work though.
I use a reptile heating cord. Works really well and it's cheap.
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Reptile-Cable-14-75-Feet/dp/B001OVBEEK
I have an inkbird and a 5cu feet freezer too! My fermentation chamber is in my garage and I need a way to warm it up if the ambient garage temp go to cold for the fermenting beer (live in Colorado). It tried small ceramic heaters but they were cycling way too much and turning off.
After some trial and error A great way I had found to keep my fermenter in the temp sweet spot was actually this reptile heater lined on the inside of the freezer! It works really well and it’s only $20ish!
Zoo Med Reptile Heat Cable 25... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001OVBEEK?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I have a decent sized wine fridge, and I use a lizard cage heating cable to line the inside of the chamber: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001OVBEEK
By far the easiest thing I have ever used was reptile heat cable.
It seems to last forever, no clips or electrical engineering required. Just plug it in and configure it underneath the cage wherever you want it. You can even tape it up the sides or use the extra cable to heat a second, third, or fourth cage. The number of loops you use is directly proportional to how large the cage is and how large of a warm spot you want: example
example
I made a foam insulation box and have a Heat Cable and a stc-1000 temperature controller and my fermantation chamber stays withing 1-2 ° of set temps.
They have old heating pads in them that were originally bought who-knows-where. The pads are fake lambswool, so they're soft, and they don't get particularly warm; just enough to keep the chill away. They may have originally been from a drugstore.
My Dad also once built a large aviary with a heated nesting box inside, and he used heating cable in that -- something like this. You could put cable down and cover it with an old towel or sleeping pad.
Here's Sadie again, by the way.
Exo Terra sells a heat lamp and mount
7 inch lamp housing
bracket
The lamp housing supports up to a 150w bulb
And you might want to regulate it with a rheostat
Checking temps regularly with a temp gun
Or you can use a thermostat with the probe on the hot side to regulate the CHE, but I've heard of snakes moving them causing temps to drop or climb, depending.
keep your feet out of the covers and it'll help cool you down. put a fan on them and it'll cool even more.
You can also try a vent fan with dryer vent tube to blow air under the covers.
The also have watercooled mats for hot sleepers. Expensive and some are prone to leaking.
Forgot to mention- if you use a vent fan you should get a rheostat for it to control the air flow. I use a lizard climate controller for it https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-RT10-ReptiTemp-Rheostat/dp/B001OVD7Q8/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=rheostat&amp;qid=1556565965&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-4 since i can keep the controller nearby if it gets too hot or cold.
I can't see the animal clearly but I suspect it's not healthy. I would be leery.
Edit: Oh and those lights aren't the best for the cham's health. The tube bulbs are honestly the way to go. The cage looks to be a proper size for a veiled, they only really use the top 1/3 of the cage.
As to the value of the offer. Reptibreeze cage 24" x 24" x 48" is only $95 USD on Amazon. Proper lighting is about $30-40 from a hardware store and the T8 5.0 UVB bulbs are about $20.
I see, the one you were likely looking at was the led deluxe. Zoo Med ReptiBreeze Open Air Screen Cage, Extra Large, 24 x 24 x 48-Inches https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001PHABI8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_7RScBb7XZY2HD
That ones $100, pretty much the cheapest you'll find unless you build one
Well the CHE screws into the fixture. A CHE is basically just another kind of bulb that doesn't give off light so you need a fixture to screw it into and then the fixture gets plugged into the thermostat and the thermostat gets plugged into the outlet.
There are two basic kinds of fixtures for this. This type is what you want if you have a metal mesh lid on a glass tank. It will be on top of the lid aimed down into the cage. This type is used for wood or pvc cages with solid ceilings. The fixture will be mounted inside the cage on the ceiling and then have a metal safety cage installed around the fixture/bulb.
It sounds like 73F is your AIR temp, which is indeed too low for the hot side. We should address the FLOOR temp too but I'll get to that.
If you'd like something to provide heat but not visible light you could get a ceramic bulb. They JUST make heat, but you'll want to get something dimmable because you won't want your cage actually getting too hot. When I was doing my research before I bought my leo I remember 85F being the maximum air temp you want your hot side to be, so I keep mine at or under that. I personally keep my red heat bulb on at all times at the same level, so it naturally dips at night and during the day reaches peak air temps around 83 or so.
This is a ceramic heat bulb that might work: http://www.joshsfrogs.com/zilla-ceramic-heat-emitter-50-watt.html
Pair it with a dimmable fixture like flukers, here: http://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Repta-Clamp-8-5-Inch-Ceramic-Dimmable/dp/B003H200QC
It's extremely convenient to be able to control the temperatures with that dimmer :) So you can use a bulb like that (ceramic) to heat your leo without the light. If you'd like a light for studying you can just use a lamp of any kind (a house lamp). It won't mess up your leos schedule, I don't believe. Especially since you'll turn it off and go to sleep for 5+ hours (sometimes less, I'm in college too) and let the room be in total darkness. I talked to someone who owned multiple crested geckos (which are nocturnal, not crepsecular, but still applies) and had them all in his dining room where he did work from home, sometimes until 1 or 2AM, and had his room lights on. it didn't bother them and he's been doing that for a long time. So based off of that I don't think you should worry. From my own experience with my leo, Noodles really loves when the room light is OFF (and it's completely dark in here excluding our computer screens and his incandescent heat bulb's red glow) but only when it's mealtime or playtime. He's not always in the mood. We keep our room lights on most nights and it's not that different from when we keep them off, which is nice.
Anyway tldr for your air heating problem I suggest a ceramic heat emitter bulb paired with some kind of dimmable lamp fixture like the Flukers I linked to provide the correct hot-side air temps while also not letting off any light.
For your lighting problem I think using a lamp in the room over your study area will be fine, or even just keeping the room light on. I don't think it's a huge deal based on others experiences as well as my own.
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Now onto the floor temp/air temp problem. It sounds like you don't have anything to actually monitor the floor temp, which is more important than advertised on care sheets. You really need a temperature gun. You can get one easily for $20 on amazon, like where we got ours. http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiTemp-Infrared-Thermometer/dp/B0053Y6IPE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1459399701&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=temperature+gun+reptile
The temperature gun will probably tell you that your hot side's floor temperatures are WAY higher than they need to be. This is what happened to us. Somehow I didn't know that the heat mat would reach temps higher than I wanted, why would it right (??)? Got the radar gun just because, (not believing I'd actually need it) and woopdeedoo 105+F floor temps on the hot side. 13F higher than what it was supposed to be! So we rushed and bought a thermostat immediately (on amazon they're half the price than at petco). If I were in your position I'd buy a thermostat as soon as I could, paired with a temp gun. http://www.amazon.com/MTPRTC-ETL-Certified-Thermostat-Germination-Reptiles/dp/B000NZZG3S/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1459399998&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=thermostat+reptile
That's a really highly rated thermostat on there :) What you do with it is this: you'll plug the thermostat into your heat mat (or the heat mat into the thermostat, I can't remember which), then place the probe that comes with it (a long cable with a little doodad at the end) in the cage as close as you can to the dry hide. Here's a pic of how I did mine: http://i.imgur.com/o1vyB0g.jpg Set the temperature on your thermostat to maybe 85F or something and in an hour or so measure the floor temperature with your radar gun. 92F is the optimal floor temperature right underneath the dry hide, so aim for that. Play around with it and get it just right. Be sure to check on the floor temps every once in a while to make sure everything's still working.
My apologies for this coming out as such a novel, and all the links (some don't like getting spammed but I like them for reference). If you already know all about the thermostat/temp gun stuff then I'm sorry haha! it's an easy fix, probably easier than replacing that heat mat (if it really is only producing 73F floor temps). P.S. regarding your gecko's eating situation- they're probably stressed and won't eat for a little bit. It's okay! They'll get hungry soon and will eat normally. My leo has been doing this stupid thing where he'll eat half of his normal dinner and then act like he's not interested anymore (just licking the worms and turning away), so I wait a halfhour and try again. Usually he'll eat some more after that, but then again he hasn't just changed locations and such. :) Good luck!
Ceramic heater bulb (type into amazon, produce no light and only heat) and get an 8.5” dome that’s dimmable (I ordered the flukers brand for $12 on amazon). This will allow you to use a 75 or 100w bulb and adjust it just right for him. It keeps my cage ~85 degrees. I had the issue with my baby beardie and that helps him stay cozy!
Edit: the products that I ordered for my set up!
Bulbs:
Wuhostam 100W 2 Pack Infrared Ceramic Heat Lamp,Black Reptile Emitter Bulb for Pet Coop Heater Chicken Lizard Turtle Brooder Aquarium Snake No Harm No Light ETL Listed https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MXD4SMW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_mb3ADbCNAP3EB
Fixture:
Fluker's Repta-Clamp Lamp 8.5-Inch Ceramic with Dimmable Switch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003H200QC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_jc3ADbT4HGZ0A
Flukers brand sells a 5.5 and 8.5 inch dome that have a built in dimmer that I like for use with my CHEs. I find it really convenient not to spend a ton on both parts, a dome AND a dimmer or thermostat.
On Amazon or Chewy.com, usually one of the sizes is around $10, it seems to swap around a bit over time which is cheaper, the other is usually around $20, so I have 2 of each now.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003H200QC/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1550070434&amp;sr=8-5&amp;keywords=flukers&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=51yIKsky5IL&amp;ref=plSrch
https://www.amazon.com/Decorative-Turtle-Floating-Basking-Platform/dp/B004PBCFG2/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1486893662&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=turtle+basking+dock
Probably one of the best basking docks you can buy honestly. You can adjust the height with the included materials. I also have it.
Not sure which platform so I'll give two answers. The toy chest (platform for the tank) was built and bought well before I was born.
The basking platform is by Penn Plax. In Paffie's newer 150 gallon stock tank the dock isn't tall enough so I had to zip-tie some metal grids together to elevate it.
Penn Plax in large
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004PBCFG2/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
You can feed an exclusive diet of live mealworms (many breeders do). They're relatively easy to keep if you put them in the fridge and throw in a slice of potato or carrot once a week (before you feed your gecko -- I just put mine in a dish for my Leo to eat whenever he is hungry). Make sure you supplement with a multivitamin... I use www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00167S5GC and leave a small dish of calcium http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FTMHFC out.
You can get damn near anything online
Crickets seem to be super easy to cultivate a regular supply of; you can find cases hopping with them at any pet supply store. You can even buy boxes of 1,000 live crickets on Amazon.
This.
Tipsy Gifting!
Thanks for the contest!
I think these are worse :P
I'm not sure, because there isn't much information on the internet about it, but I bought this guy, well actually three of them.
I put them in a standing lamp that takes three bulbs and spend about 15 minutes a day in front of them.
I did a little research and the UVB wavelength, that the bulb emits the most of, is right in the sweet spot for psoriasis from what I have read.
I've been using it for a few months and I feel like it helps somewhat.
If anyone has any evidence that this is a terrible idea I'd love to hear it.
If it's like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Reptisun-10-0-Mini-Compact-Fluorescent/dp/B00A8RHTYU/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1468244666&amp;sr=8-2-fkmr1&amp;keywords=reptisun+10.0+uvb+coil
I would swap it out for this instead:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009YJ3BE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
You can grab a cheap fixture for it at walmart or lowes and mount it inside the tank with command strips. The problem with what you have now is that the uv rays are getting filtered by the screen top. Mounting a tube fixture inside will allow you little guy to get more uvb rays.
Hey, great choice on turtle, I have a central american/ornate wood turtle too :) I'm a little concerned about your light though- turtles need UVB and heat lights. UVB lights need to be replaced about once a year, they are either mercury vapor bulb (which produces UVB+heat) and require a ceramic fixture, or they are flourescent (compact or straight and long, don't produce heat). If you use a flourescent UVB bulb you need a heat light too, like incandescent or halogen. Based on your post, it sounds like maybe you didn't have a UVB bulb? Or you originally bought a UVB bulb, but used it for years? The element in light bulbs that produces UVB stops producing it after about a year of use, which is why they need to be replaced even if they haven't burned out and are still giving off visible light.
This bulb produces UVB and visible light only (no heat)
This is an MVB bulb that produces UVB+heat
And if you use MVB you'll need a fixture like this
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What kind of light are you using now? Are you monitoring the temperatures? It might not be hot enough if it's too far away.
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Are you in the US? Is it cold where you are? I've been having a bit of a hard time keeping my wood turtle active in the winter when it gets cold. The species doesn't hibernate/brumate so they shouldn't get cold in the winter. I use a ceramic heat emitter to give him a bit of extra warmth, especially at night.
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You probably should take him to an exotic vet for a checkup since he hasn't been eating or drinking. Turtles are usually voracious eaters, so not eating is a worry. Are his eyes clear? Does he have a runny nose or anything else physically that might be worrying?
Thank you so much for the detailed response!
This is the current bulb I was "recommended" in the kit:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00A8RHTYU/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1525505485&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=reptisun+uvb+bulb&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=518wkzx8rrL&amp;ref=plSrch
Kind of bummed it is basically useless.
I am am absolutely anticipating the cost of feeding the youngin, this just hit me particularly hard because of how expensive everything else was to begin with.
Thank you very much for the light recommendation! I think I may actually have to go smaller, as I think that light may actually hang over the sides of the 20 gallon enclosure I have right now. It may not be the prettiest, but would it be an issue detrimental to the health of my dragon if it did actually overlap the entire thing?
My experience comes from a YBS. Map turtles appear to be a bit smaller, but in general look like they need the same kind of care (aquatic environment with room/heat to sun, UVB, etc.).
You can start with a small tank and upgrade, but I wouldn't recommend too many steps in here. In other words, it's a waste of money to start with a 10 gallon, upgrade to a 20, then a 50, then a 75, etc. The general rule of thumb seems to be 10 gallons per inch of shell. So a two inch turtle needs a 20 gallon tank, a fully grown female will need a 100 gallon tank. Petco has regular $1/gallon sales, up to X gallons. You could find a good deal on a 40 gallon breeder tank this way that would last you a good amount of time, and upgrade to a larger tank once you determined male/female and saved up some money. Or go smaller, but then you'll need to upgrade sooner. Don't forget, when you upgrade the tank, you'll likely need to upgrade the filter, lighting, etc.
Shopping List Not shopping around at all, so some prices may be high, but if I were setting things up like new for a 20 gallon long tank:
Add to this any aquarium decorations you might want, timers really help out for controlling lights. I also have an air pump on timers ($15, plus tubing and stones), mostly to help agitate the surface of the water. You'll probably want something like this or a surface skimmer to help keep the surface clear. Most of that stuff can wait, it's just extras, but hopefully it helps give you an idea. All total, you're looking at $200, rounded out on the high end. You can shave a lot off by shopping around though. When looking at filters, remember that turtles are dirtier than fish. I'd aim for one that's rated at 3x the size of the tank you have. So if you have a 20 gallon tank, even if it's only filled up half way, look at filters rated for 60 gallons or more. Edit: IIRC local pet stores sell starter kits with most of this included that would probably cut down on the price as well.
Honestly never had a problem with my turtle that would rate a vet visit.
Mine has nibbled at me before, but he's too small to do any damage. The only reason he has is when I'm feeding him treats or something, he's never bitten me to be aggressive. With the exception of snappers, I wouldn't call them an aggressive species, but like any animal, they'll each have a different personality.
Alright! So that fixture itself isn't bad, but the UVB bulb that is in there probably isn't great. There is a bunch of research that suggests those coil style UVB bulbs aren't great for our beardies and don't cover the tank in enough UV. This hood is what we use along with this bulb. This light should be on during the day and turned off at night. General consensus is at least 12 hours on. That hood may come with a bulb already, but if it does, it's probably the 5.0 which isn't strong enough for bearded dragons. That why I gave the link to the 10.0 version. This bulb should be replaced once a year even if still illuminates, as the capacity to produce UV diminishes after about a year.
The other thing in the fixture may be a CHE (ceramic heat emitter). If it just generates heat but no light, then that is what that is. You really only need that if the tank temperature drops below 75-70 degrees F. Make sure not to use any red or any lights at night as bearded dragons can see color and it will disrupt their sleeping.
Finally, it sounds like you don't have a basking light. Even though your house stays pretty warm, beardies still need a basking spot of around 105 degrees F. In the now empty spot where your old UVB bulb was, you can use one of these. Some people just use flood lights from Home Depot or elsewhere, just make sure it's not an LED one. You can use this light dimmer to control the light output to get the basking spot to the correct temperature. I would recommend this infrared temperature gun to check for the correct temperatures during the day and at night.
Lighting is one of the biggest things for bearded dragons and can take some time to get set up correctly. It's good to ask questions and research! I still learn new things about beardies all the time. I'll get pictures of our setup tomorrow and show you. I would tonight, but our babies are already sleeping!
One last thought, as some others have said, if you have an exotic vet nearby, it certainly wouldn't hurt to have Ember checked over. They can check for parasites or other issues before they become a problem.
Zoo Med OS524 26061 Reptisun 10.0 T5-Ho Uvb 24W Fluorescent Lamp, 22" https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00AQU8HAO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_myf5BbG2Y8SAB
2 ft.T5 High 1-Bulb Output Fluorescent Grow Light Fixture https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00IPUHEXS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_RAf5BbPV0M27N
The fixture was a bit trickier for me to find and I had to get one on Amazon and not just my local department store because I was told that since my bulb was a HO (high output), I needed a HO light fixture.
Read about the CHE on the sub's sidebar. So will be checking out a store today or simply ordering off of amazon. No colored lights in the tank.
The big thing i see with the Reptisun 10.0 is that most people hang them inside the tank so I'm guessing I should get a fixture that will fit under the mesh tank top.
These two will work? Or will any terrarium hood work?
Zoo Med 26061 Reptisun 10.0 T5-Ho Uvb 24W Fluorescent Lamp, 22" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AQU8HAO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_v89PAbDYCJZME
Zoo Med 26053 Reptisun T5-Ho Terrarium Hood, 24" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AQU8F2O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_k99PAbVNJ0Q7Y
CHE I'm looking at.
Ceramic Heat Emitter - Reptile Lamp 100 Watt Reptile Heat Bulb No Light Emitting Brooder Coop Heater 2 PACK,Black (2 Pack=100W) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079254FFP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_a-9PAbRD583H1
Excuse the formatting I'm on mobile.
Are the green plants real or fake? If they're real, make sure it's something safe for them to eat in case he's been nibbling on it. Otherwise that's not a bad looking setup. The water dish is probably unnecessary but not likely to hurt anything. You probably want to move the UVB bulb over closer to the basking bulb so he's getting the UVB while basking, at least until you have a chance to replace it with the longer UVB bulb. As for the CHE at night, you really only need that if it's getting below 65 in the room at night.
What's his hotspot temps? It looks like you've provided him a basking area pretty close to the basking lamp so 150 watt might be a bit high. If you don't have one, I recommend getting a gun-style IR thermometer that you can use to take direct readings of his basking spot. If it's too hot or too cold it could also be impacting his appetite.
As for the UVB, you can't go wrong with a Reptisun 10.0. For that size tank you want to get the 22" long tube and an appropriate lamp for it. If you get the T5 instead of the T8 (this refers to the width of the tube) it will be strong enough that you can set it on top of the mesh like you've got the other lights, a T8 you'll have to mount inside the tank. https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-26061-Reptisun-Fluorescent/dp/B00AQU8HAO/ on Amazon or you can usually find at local shops.
How old is the beardie? It's quite possible that relocation stress is to blame for his lack of appetite, though 7 days seems a little excessive. Good that you aren't handling him yet. Keep on offering him food, hopefully he'll come around and start eating! If you've verified temps are where they should be, may want to consider a vet visit soon to rule out health issues if he doesn't start eating soon.
here for your uvb:
buy this https://www.amazon.ca/Zoo-Med-26061-Reptisun-Fluorescent/dp/B00AQU8HAO/ref=sr_1_1?crid=21JSZM2WO8M3N&keywords=reptisun+t5+10.0&qid=1572226790&sprefix=reptisun+t5+1%2Caps%2C190&sr=8-1
put it in this https://www.amazon.ca/Zoo-Med-26054-Reptisun-Terrarium/dp/B00AQU8FR4/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=reptisun+t5+hood&qid=1572226798&sr=8-1
put the hood on screen, 9-10 inches from your basking spot
Zoo Med 26061 Reptisun 10.0 T5-Ho Uvb 24W Fluorescent Lamp, 22" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AQU8HAO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Y3sQCb1SPVYGA
That's the bulb you want
Carolina Custom Cages Reptile 22" T5HO UVB Standard Light Fixture https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K2AY8EW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_84sQCb5VM0G0F
That's a good fixture for it, or you could go with a Reptisun brand fixture. Be aware that the free bulb included with the reptisun fixture is a 5.0 and you need a 10.0 bulb, so either way you'll be purchasing the bulb itself. T5 it's the way to go in my opinion because it could be mounted inside the enclosure or on top of a screen top. T8 sized bulbs need to be mounted inside.
Since the other person couldn't give you approx prices for beardies, I can do that!
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I'll repeat this at the beginning, but do not buy starter kits. It's tempting. Do not buy starter kits. They will have items that are dangerous to beardies.
Setup:
Terrarium - Very basic setup. I've seen this brand up to $190 locally, but of course it's cheaper online. ***Note: It's not suggested you get this size enclosure immediately, unless you're rescuing or purchasing a young adult or adult. Hatchlings can live happily in a 20gal glass tank for their first 9mo or so, but they grow quickly!
Substrate - Paper towels, newspaper, or ceramic or stone tile. I spent $8 on slate tile and broke it to fit my terrarium. All other options are dangerous to beardies in some way or another. No sand. No repticarpet. No gravel.
Light fixture - $37, but if you look around you can find something non-branded for much cheaper than this. Must be a bare bulb visible, no cover to diffuse light. I used to have a 4ft shop light fixture, but went down to an 18" fixture just for the cheaper price of the bulbs. Which comes to...
UVB bulb - $20, replaced every 6 months. Very important to replace regularly.
Heat lamp dome - $12
Ceramic heat emitter - $12.
Reptile calcium - $2-5
Food dish - $5 max?
Plus whatever decor you want. Most people go for hammocks, a hide, fake plants. Real plants aren't suggested and will either be destroyed or eaten, and many are poisonous. Beardies do not need a water dish (too much humidity is actually bad for them) and do not frequently drink from standing water, so owners usually bathe them weekly to give them opportunity to drink their fill.
Baby bearded dragons eat about 80% live food and 20% plants. By the time they're adults (about 18-24mo) they transition to 80% plants and 20% live food. How much you spend on food will vary depending on what you're buying for their staple, but I would buy a butternut squash for probably $2 or so, dice it up, and freeze it. My guy loved it. I'd supplement with other foods on the safe food list, a mixture of fruit and veggies.
Say about $5 per 2 weeks for live food for a baby and however much for veggies. Thankfully for the veggies, anything your beardie doesn't want to eat, you can, so I don't count it as much haha
While beardies DO have an expensive setup (like most reptiles), their actual maintinence costs are fairly low and their adorable derpiness is absolutely worth the initial cost! They can live up to 15 years or so - my boy, Warra, was 12 when I had to put him down due to an inoperable tumor in his mouth. It's been close to two years since I've had one, and I miss having beardie compansionship every day! I'm slowly succumbing to the urge to get a new baby...
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Edit: I wrote all of this, and forgot the price of the beardie...... Beardies can range anywhere from $60 to $500, depending on whether you're looking for a normal beardie, or a morph!
Is this the bulb you are talking about? Link I found the powersun here but it looks like it has less UVB that then above lamp.
This is the exact light I got 1, just noticed its not the PowerSun 2
Do I need to switch to the powersun one or are they basically the same thing?
Thank you, didn't think about having a secondary feeding area I will see how he likes that.
About the food, The snack has 39% Crude protein, 4.5% Crude Fat, 2% crude fiber, 1.2% phosphorus, 3% Calcium. mean while the Aquatic Turtle food for hatchlings has 43% protein. So I am thinking I just just switch to the adult stuff that has like ~23% protein. and when he is bigger look into live worms. crickets are out as the wife wont have those in the house. but when she is gone I will sneak my bro a few :D.
Edit: I think I answered my own question about the bulbs. Need to get the better one listed on sticky the power sun. They are different. Stupid petco had limited types of bulbs. Better than nothing and I think he will be okay until the amazon one comes in.
Right now I'm using a Powersun 100watts. http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-PowerSun-Mercury-Vapor/dp/B0002AQDJK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1419821539&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=powersun
But I'm thinking about buying a Mega Ray 100 Watt on the recommendation from other turtle owners.
http://www.reptileuv.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&amp;cPath=65_67&amp;products_id=181
Edit: Large Riverstones work great still.
Thanks, the visual aid helped confirm I was understanding this right. It's also good to hear there's not much different prices in brands, since some are much more expensive than others.
Zoo Med - $64
Exo Terra - $28
Fluker's - $28
SunForce - $30
[Blue Spotted - $36] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PQ2HUJ6)
I chose the 100w bulb prices for comparison, with the exception of the Blue Spotted which I only found in 160W. The Exo Terra is 125W, but also available in 160W.
It might help to get a longer tube one that would go almost the entire length of the tank, that way he is able to still get uvb light on the cool side.
It might also be worth looking into a Mercury Vapor bulb, they put out a lot of UVB light and I have heard they can help with MBD, don't get one from a pet store though, they are super expensive.
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-PowerSun-Mercury-Vapor/dp/B0002AQDJK/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1494350837&amp;sr=8-4&amp;keywords=mercury+vapor+bulb
$100 in a pet store versus $40 on amazon, they are robbers.
I have a RES and I recently bought a bunch of Zoo Med 100W bulbs as they are on sale. They provide UVB and heat all in one bulb to reduce the amount of fixtures I need on my tank. To light the other end of my tank I just use a simple desk lamp.
http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-PowerSun-Mercury-Vapor/dp/B0002AQDJK
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002AQDJK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;smid=A2YKHLMXRLPQLV
I would use a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) or a DHP (deep heat projector.) these both go into tile/slate and keep it warm very well.
They make ceramic heat emitters that cost ~$6 and are rated to last at least 10-15x longer than an incandescent bulb so cheaper per hour. They're compatible with existing sockets, they don't disrupt sleep cycles, and they're commonly waterproof and shatter resistant. Infrared is also more effective at warming animals as it penetrates the skin more rather than just warming the air.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002DHO6S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_CpBCDb00BYAY5
A 'thermostat' is not the same thing as a 'thermometer'. A thermostat is a machine that controls the power of a heating element based on the temperature read by an attached sensor. If the temperature sensor detects above a certain 'target' temperature, it lowers the power to the heating element. If the temperature sensor detects below that temperature, it increases power to the heating element. The Herpstat thermostats I linked also include a clock that can keep track of time and change the 'target' temperature at certain times.
If your 'infrared bulb' emits light of any color, it's not good for night-time use. Even red light is visible to reptiles. Use a ceramic heat emitter / ceramic heating element instead, like this one.
Ceramic heat bulbs (no visible light, IR however is the main output) for decoys, in front of a fan that has a net attached to the back. just empty the net every now and then.
https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Ceramic-Heat-Emitter-Reptiles/dp/B0002DHO6S
Fluker's Ceramic Heat Emitter 100 Watt https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002DHO6S/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_AVjbvb0AP9PCN
Zeus and hades each have one of these
They work very well. :)
Corns are the best beginner snake (in my opinion) and these are just my experiences with my own baby Roseanne.
My corn LOVES to climb. I installed these vines in her enclosure: http://www.amazon.com/Flukers-51015-Repta-Vines-Pothos/dp/B0009YEB70/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1464291118&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=reptiles+vines.
It's extremely rare I don't see her resting on one of these vines.
When you pick her up, go from the side. When you reach down from the top to scoop them up, it reminds their reptile brain of how birds or other reptiles attack. So go slowly from the side and gently lift him out of the tank - he'll naturally constrict around your fingers for stability. Snakes NEED to be supported, otherwise they feel unsafe and may musk, or defecate, on you.
Use both hands to support him. I tend to move my hands in a "climbing" pattern so the snake can basically climb continuously. I just move them down and start the process over!
In my experience, snakes that sit still are generally comfortable. So if he just lays on your hand and isn't defecating or anything else, that's fine! He may just be absorbing the new environment. I just moved and the first time I took my corn out was the first time she'd been outside my living room! So it took her a couple minutes to adjust to the smells and sights and sounds!
Corns also move a little faster than some snakes like ball pythons. You have to pay attention to them, but you'll soon be able to watch TV and hold your corn with little to no problem! :)
Edit: a word.
Here are the pics https://imgur.com/a/c82oDhl
Before the barrage of hate like I got from my vet. Please read the below.
I moved him from the cage due to him falling since he was growing weak.
He like to drink water from the medicine cup. I still do mist but I noticed when he was young the misting systems and the dripper bothered him.
I do have lights but they are over him in the plastic tube as you can see that it is lit. I use the following light for sun and a 40 watt for warmth. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000255OSG/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_6?smid=A2A02U6YIW6LGE&psc=1
I usually have more branches and leaves but I moved them to a smaller enclosure when he started to appear ready to fall so that if he did it would be a shorter fall and I threw in t shirts at the bottom so that would help too. After awhile he wouldn't even try to climb on branches so I moved him to the tupperware container he is now in and I have a water dish in there for him. I still spray him lightly but I do watch him drink.
The branches and leaves are
https://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Jungle-Vine-Large/dp/B003PAY0B2/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=exo+terra+vine&qid=1567192478&s=gateway&sr=8-1
https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Repta-Vines-Pothos-Reptiles-Amphibians/dp/B0009YEB70/ref=pd_sim_199_1/134-6895899-2549434?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0009YEB70&pd_rd_r=a6bf8eaf-e407-48fa-884e-3e58b35e5c38&pd_rd_w=5ivkF&pd_rd_wg=ohIaT&pf_rd_p=5c130f77-a5ef-4ffd-9db1-c29a354f52f9&pf_rd_r=FTR0ZJFA7S1MNKNTNNJK&psc=1&refRID=FTR0ZJFA7S1MNKNTNNJK
&#x200B;
I have used the Zoo Med Reptibreeze Open Air Screen Cage since I got him first starting out with small when I received him then moving up to Medium then Large. As get got older I moved him down to the Medium as he wasn't exploring as much.
When moving in the past I have not noticed him to get stressed.
Also let me be more clear. I moved and I noticed that he didn't eat many crickets the first two weeks. Then I got him a new batch and he usually eats a few when they hit the cage. He didn't go after a single one. I know they can be picky eaters so I didn't panic. I order some Green Horn Worms and waited but he did not eat those either. By this time he started to show that he was losing weight rather fast. I called the vet the said they could see me the next week. I went they cave me calcium drops and carnivore care. I tried it for 2 weeks and now not sure what to do. I know Panther Chameleons grow to be 6 to 8 years old in captivity but that's usually just a best guess from my understanding.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009YEB70?psc=1&amp;ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_product_details
They don’t need to climb. Fake plant clutter will suffice such as: https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Repta-Vines-Pothos-Reptiles-Amphibians/dp/B0009YEB70/ref=pd_aw_lpo_199_bs_img_2/135-1281385-5658846?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=70621ERCNKSXRWRDQC9C
Geckos need time to adjust to new surroundings, and might not eat right away. Just go ahead and leave him alone for a week or two. You can put food in to see if he'll take any while you're not watching but make sure to keep count of what you leave in so you actually know if he's eating.
Unfortunately no pet is as cheap as sellers can sometimes make them out to be. Heat setup is probably the most expensive immediate requirement for leopard geckos generally. You can get away with cheap tubs for housing, but you absolutely need a heat source with thermostat to regulate. Getting a heating pad is a good start but without the thermostat, you risk giving your pet burns or other health issues from overheating.
If you have a few bucks to spare, get one of these fake plants. It's just a long strand of leafy vine with a malleable core so you can shape it to your needs. I shaped it into some arches and have it across half of my tank so that my gecko would feel less exposed while moving from hide to hide. It works as a hide over the hide. Think of it as a bush I guess.
It's actually two vines that have been twisted together the first one is this : EONMIR 8-Foot Reptile Vines,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CKJNMWH?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
And then this: Fluker's Repta Vines-Pothos for... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009YEB70?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
these are great vines to add clutter for not too much money, just be careful with the wire ends (I pushed and secured the wire ends through to the outside of the tub).
Sure! The bulb I use 13 W Exo Terra Repti-Glo 5.0 Compact Fluorescent: https://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Repti-Glo-Fluorescent-Terrarium/dp/B00101JI2Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1472851211&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=exo+terra+uvb+100
And a 5.5 inch dome lamp, the brand doesn't matter. This fluker's one is nice though cause it has a dimmable switch! https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Repta-Clamp-8-5-Inch-Ceramic-Dimmable/dp/B003H200QC/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1472855742&amp;sr=8-18&amp;keywords=reptile+lamp
Still alive !!! lol
> Just don't really like the idea of having to rely on a bunch of substances/supplements to function.
Think of it like this: A drug you used made you anxious, so you might have to use a drug to become normal again.
All of the supplements I recommended are sustainable long-term, and will actually enhance your brain and cognition, along with destroying anxiety.
Right now your brain is in an abnormal state, brought on by drugs, so you might have to use drugs again to bring it back.
The supplements I recommend are mainly to help you escape the anxiety, give you a buffer so you can function, give you rest.
The supplements are merely a way for your anxious brain to escape it's nasty thought patterns. After you feel normal you can reduce and remove supplements as you like.
> Currently use dipping tobacco
It should be fine. However, you should quit tobacco to see if it helps relieve the anxiety. If you can't quit however, that's fine. Dipping tobacco is pretty harmless, so don't stress about it and keep on dipping.
I will list the supplements and explain why they can help you.
Memantine: Sent you an article about it
L-theanine: Weak anxiolytic, but a nootropic as well. Increase BDNF, NGF, GABA, Dopamine, Glycine, NMDA antagonist. If you didn't feel good effects, up your dose. If you still don't feel good, trash it. If it doesn't work don't use it.
Gotu Kola: Mitochondrial enhancer, potent antioxidant, nootropic, actually grows GABA receptors/neurons, so it's actually better long-term than short term. Really good herb, love it.
Magnesium: NMDA antagonist, good for sleep. Good to prevent deficiency. Magnesium is hugely important to health.
Glycine: Hits the Glycine receptor, which is inhibitory. Good for joints and general health as well. Good for sleep.
UV: Increases Vitamin D, which you are worried about. Vitamin D from UV light is different than supplemental Vitamin D3, they have different absorption properties.
Lions Mane: Nootropic, anecdotally known as an anxiolytic. Potent.
Lemon Balm: Increases GABA by inhibiting it's degradation, inhibits acetylcholinesterase. Increases superoxide-dismutase, glutathione. Potent nootropic, antioxidant, health panacea.
Broccoli sprouts/broccoli: Loads of benefits, amazing detoxification abilities, nootropic, strong antioxidant, HDAC inhibitor.
Eat fish too. Sardines and salmon are a good start. Add oysters if you can.
Also, imagine that you might be like this forever, that you might be anxious for the rest of your life. I don't think you actually will, but accepting your current state will help you so much in the long-run.
Meditate for as long as you need to. It might not help at first but give it a chance, it'll help more than anything I've recommended. I was able to cure myself of many anxieties and neuroses through meditation and acceptance.
This should help with your music career as well. Hope you succeed and hope you can heal yourself! Good luck and stop worrying, it's gonna be okay.
I don't have much experience with the use of heat lamps with birds (but they use them with chicks and ducklings, so I can't imagine there's a real negative to them), but I have some knowledge of heat lamps in general (from reptile ownership).
An infrared heat lamp is a ceramic heat bulb, which works just like an incandescent but is a ceramic bulb that puts off no light and only emits heat. They last quite a long time, but are pretty expensive.
You can also go down the incandescent route, using a bulb that's of a low light spectrum that provides heat, but doesn't really put off a lot of light or, rather, light that the animal can see. These can also be called "infrared". These are usually red or purple/black incandescent bulbs. They aren't the most efficient of heat sources, but are relatively cheap and accessible. If you go this route, I highly recommend going for the purple/black bulbs. They put off far less light and only emit a moonlight-esque glow. The red bulbs are just that, a glaring red light in the room, which can be annoying.
Both the infrared and incandescent act just like any other bulb, and can be put into a metal dome fixture (that can handle the wattage of the bulb) that can be hung over the cage. I would recommend against having it clamped onto the cage itself. Of course, you never want him to actually have any way to make physical contact with the bulb either. Keep that in mind when determining wattage. Further away from the cage will need a higher wattage bulb.
UVA/UVB bulbs are fluorescent bulbs. Usually you find them for reptiles, and they are long tubes that go into a fishtank-esque strip fixture. However, you can also find them as compact fluorescent bulbs that you can use in other lighting fixtures. These aren't meant to put off heat, but rather to simulate sunlight to prevent deficiencies.
If you're looking for both heat and UVA/UVB lighting, then you'll have to go the mercury vapor bulb route. These can be quite expensive, but will provide the best of both worlds.
TL;DR:
infrared ceramic heat bulb = heat, no light. Perfect for keeping on all the time.
infrared incandescent heat bulb = heat, some light. Can be kept on all the time.
UVA/UVB fluorescent bulb = no heat, sunlight replacement. Should only be kept on during the day.
mercury vapor UVB bulb = heat and sunlight replacement. Should only be kept on during the day.
hope this helps!
Would this be a good option? (I dont want to buy another light fixture)
Exo Terra Repti-Glo 5.0 Compact Fluorescent Tropical Terrarium Lamp, 26-Watt https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00101JI2Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Tti5BbAF75YM2
Zilla Reptile Terrarium Covers... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QFQ30K?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf
Exo Terra Repti-Glo 5.0 Compact... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00101JI2Y?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf
BYB - 150W 110V Ceramic Infrared... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HFNZ59Q?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf
REPTIZOO Dual Lamp Fixture for... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CWKXYPP?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf
MUST Swap the UVB bulb every 6 months.
I also have a UVB light bulb in a clamp light attached to the cage, that's plugged into an outlet timer from 8am to 5pm. Windows filter out uvb light and it affects birds in a few ways. It impedes their ability to absorb calcium/vitamin D, and it also affects their vision. Birds have ultraviolet sensitivity (they can see things in the ultraviolet spectrum that humans cannot see), and in the absence of natural light (which contains uv rays), they can't see those things they would normally see because uv rays illuminate them to birds (such as patterns on other birds feathers). Their world is much duller visually, in the absence of unfiltered natural light (or artificial uvb light made for animals).
I use this bulb in this lamp. Mine clamps on the outside of the cage, with the bulb close to the cage so my birds, when they are sitting on their preferred perches, theyre less than 12 inches from the bulb.
http://www.amazon.com/Repti-Glo-Compact-Fluorescent-Tropical-Terrarium/dp/B00101JI2Y/ref=pd_bxgy_petsupplies_text_y
Boom. Sorry can't link properly on my phone. Yeah I buy the heat bulbs for $10 for 8 so they're super cheap at the local hardware store. The UVB lasts me so long bit I change it every year even if not burnt out because the rays can weaken over time. There was a sale a while back on them and I bought 10.
Edit: also they don't need UVA as much.
I would like to point out that placing the tank near a window does not count for UVB light as it can not pass through glass. Also be careful how close you place the UVB light: http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&amp;t=11796
Edit: I have used the same double dome that DannySeel linked to on a stand along with Zoo Med Spot Lamp for heat and Exo Terra Repti-Glo 5.0 for UVB. You only NEED the lights over the basking area, however some light over the rest of the tank wouldn't hurt (such as the T5 lights).
> Also, humidity is still low. Low 50's, about 52. How can I raise that? His water dish can't get much bigger so I don't know the next step.
Better substrate. I recommend the coconut fiber substrate that's fairly common. Also, if you're using a glass aquarium, I recommend covering most of the screen top with aluminum foil or something similar. This will help keep the humidity you generate in the tank.
> It looks like he began shedding before I got him. Now the skin is peeling off in somewhat random spots. Head and neck seem fine but the body is scattered. Could this have to do with the humidity? What should I do about it?
Yeah. This is a bad shed and is very much due to low humidity while shedding. Humidity needs to be around 60% during a shed. In the meantime, you can soak him. Get a small tub with lid. Poke some holes in the lid and fill it halfway or so with water. Then put the snake in and put the lid on. You can leave him in for 15 minutes or so (checking on him every couple min). After that, take him out and put him in a towel. Hold the towel and let him crawl through it on his own while you loosely grip him using said towel. The stuck shed should come off very easily this way.
I use this terrarium once they're larger but I invested because I raise mantids as pets quite often.
For a twig, I use this
And for foliage I use this with the suction cup plonked near the top and the leaves hanging down that I found in the reptile section.
The fish and reptile sections at your local pet store are going to be your favorite aisles from now on.
For substrate a lot of people here prefer dirt (NEVER from outside, there are all kinds of parasites and mites in outside dirt!) But I prefer coconut fiber as my substrate because it's naturally antibiotic and will hinder fungal and bacterial growth, and smell nicer too.
You'll really come to love these little guys, and here's why. Mantids, unlike most "bugs" hunt via sight, not vibration. This means they move and act much more mammalian than other insects. They don't skitter, they don't make sudden scary movements or bite or attack on sight (well some do, they all have their own distinct personalities), and they're VERY smart.
Mantids have been known to be receptive to operant conditioning, AKA they can be trained like a dog would. You should try to handle them (gently and with clean hands) as they grow up, every couple of days, and by the time they're adults they'll readily calmly hang out with you whenever you want. You can plop them on your arm as you do computer stuff or whatever. They're very docile creatures most of the time and make great pets. Just be careful because they're fragile.
As others said, keep humidity around 50% and if they're Tenodera Sinesis then temperature should hover around 70F at night and 80F during the day, which means you'll want a dome reptile lamp and you'll need to figure our the appropriate distance from the top of the cage to place it. Don't place it right on top, the mantids love to hang out on top upside down and a lamp right there would fry them. Make sure there's at least 1 cool spot for them to cool off.
As for food and water, once they're a little bigger the crickets at the pet store should work fine. If they're super picky there are lots of online mantis stores that sell larger flies. and whet a sponge or paper towel in there to help with the humidity.
Here's a link for it on amazon so you can read the other reviews if you like http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Coconut-Substrate-Quarts/dp/B00167VVP4
Would this work?
http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Coconut-Substrate-Quarts/dp/B00167VVP4/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1414967795&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=eco+earth
And this is what I cant use?
http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Laboratories-SZMEE10-1-Brick/dp/B007C8580K/ref=sr_1_5?s=pet-supplies&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1414967880&amp;sr=1-5&amp;keywords=eco+earth
Also thanks for the link, it was very helpful. Also the spawn to sub ration is 1:2?
I have some Mojave Sand already for it. the only two things I'd need to buy would be this. Is this a good start?
https://smile.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Excavator-Burrowing-Substrate/dp/B000N5OM8S/ref=sr_1_2?crid=16MWUGEQOVNWL&keywords=excavator+clay&qid=1570129542&s=gateway&sprefix=excavator+clay%2Caps%2C212&sr=8-2
https://smile.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Coconut-Substrate-Quarts/dp/B00167VVP4/ref=sr_1_4?crid=11MUDK3PQLGV5&keywords=coco+fiber+substrate&qid=1570129565&s=gateway&sprefix=Cocofiber+%2Caps%2C212&sr=8-4
I use ZooMed Reptile Heat Cable
Keeps my chamber within range with no issue.
Use heat cables or mats on one side of their enclosure so as to make a hot/cool zones for them to regulate body temperature.
https://www.amazon.ca/Zoo-Med-Reptile-Cable-Meters/dp/B001OVBEEK
Something like this, just make sure it doesn't get too hot, as this can kill your critters.
I recommend a heating cable. Just place it under the old tube, but make sure it is only a single strand because when the cable is close together it gets pretty hot.
Dude, get a STC1000 Temperature Controller eire it up and get a Heat Cable I set it to say 60 f and forget about it. All for about $30 and if your not good with electronics get a Inkbird Temperature Controller. Put the cider someplace cool and that's it oh and get a mini fridge. And if it's just a 1 gallon batch I got this crock pot plugged into my stc 1000.
I use this heat cable in mine. I have it running on the roof and in a zig zag pattern on the front of the chamber.
I have a heat pad on the side of a large plastic bin. I have a zoomed brand pad, and have it plugged into a refugee to stop it from over heating. No issues for at least the year I’ve had this set up.
Zoo Med ReptiTemp Rheostat https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001OVD7Q8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_C2IzCPwsBXIy1
Hmm maybe this would work. Those reviews though...
Edit: this has better reviews. Temperature controlled Oo
You can buy a rheostat for around 15 dollars on amazon :): Zoo Med ReptiTemp Rheostat https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001OVD7Q8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_UL6SybVCMDQ6V
I have some of the hydrofarm ones, but I primarily use these in conjunction with an IR temp gun to monitor the temps. The basic rule with heat mats is that they will raise the temp in their area of effect by 15 degrees F above the room's current temp.
I wanted to add that you can get something called a rheostat. It neasures tempuratures and regulates the heater for you. That way you can set your heater to 78F for your new fishie
http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-RT10-ReptiTemp-Rheostat/dp/B001OVD7Q8
Think this will work? Right now im just gonna leave the pad on under the rock. IM assuming the little guy will move over if hes getting too hot. I added another hide as you can see here. Just a tupperware. http://i.imgur.com/IuuVqGz.jpg
You don't have to spend a lot on a separate enclosure.
Shopping list:
Final product will look something like THIS.
Put a couple small holes in the side of the plastic tub for air flow using a drill or solder iron or something.
She needs a humid environment right now, moisten the paper towels and make sure she has fresh water.
If you need to, put her somewhere dark or throw a towel over her tub. She sounds stressed.
As others have mentioned, do not house multiple ball pythons together. They are competing for resources and she is showing signs of obvious stress (not eating, lethargic, etc). Humidity requirements are not on point since she doesn't seem to be shedding well and she looks dehydrated. I would recommend a tub for your other snake, too, but our main focus is her right now.
Get her to an exotics vet and see what they say. The main thing is to get her stress down so she will get back on food. If she is sick with a respiratory infection or something, she will need to be treated by a vet.
Best of luck with her, let me know if you have any questions or need any clarification on anything.
Lots of good stuff has been said already. Let me just give a few pointers of my own.
75F is the minimum ambient tiemp. Cools side should be closer to 80 and warm side 90. You should have 2 identical hides. Your snake will use the one that it feels the safest in. If they are both the same then it will use the one that is the best temp. Your snake will not move from a safe spot unless it gets way to hot or way to cold. Snakes don't respond quickly so they can get burned if something gets over 100 degrees. You are correct, your hides are too big. A good rule is that two of your snakes should not fit in the hide. The snugger the better.
I would not get this. Its a rheostat not a thermostat. You can make it work if your room temp does not change but I don't recommend them. http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-RT10-ReptiTemp-Rheostat/dp/B001OVD7Q8
For a little more you can get a thermostat. This is a cheap one. You get what you pay for but this is better than nothing. http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPRTC-Digital-Thermostat-Heat/dp/B000NZZG3S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1358780717&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=hydrofarm
Unless you live in a very humid place you are going to have low humidity and that can lead to a bad shed. To fix that consider covering some of the screen top and misting as needed. http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?90187-Tank-Screen-Top-Foil-Treatment-Tutorial
You can use one of these to measure temp and humidity. http://www.amazon.com/Chaney-Instruments-Acu-Rite-Thermometer-Humidity/dp/B001BO8CUE/ref=sr_1_6?s=lawn-garden&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1358776385&amp;sr=1-6&amp;keywords=acurite+thermometer
Here you are.
The pricing is dependant on the size you choose.
For the love Pete.
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiBreeze-Screen-48-Inches/dp/B001PHABI8/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=reptibreeze&amp;qid=1564186636&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-2
Im not entirely sure but i believe it was dehydration. My mother thinks its her fault because she hasn't been spraying down her cage while im at school. As for what I use-
I just changed her heat bulb to a 75 watt reptile heat one
Humidity has been hard for the past few days, but i manage to get it past 60 atleast, and when im home i make sure to spray her enclosure down a lot.
As for the cage, its the X-large reptile screen cage from zoomed, https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiBreeze-Screen-48-Inches/dp/B001PHABI8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541196742&sr=8-1&keywords=extra+large+reptile+screen+cage
She eats both dubias and crickets, she refuses to eat vegetables or fruit that i try to give her.
Her food is dusted with Repti-calcium WITH D3 from zoomed.
I currently cannot take her to a vet since its 6 pm for me right now, my mother and I don't believe she'll make it until tomorrow. Ill see if i can get to an emergency one. She's also slightly moving around more and more and has opened her right eye a few times.
Will post pics soon.
I really need a new enclosure for my chameleon. He is getting big very quickly and is outgrowing his current enclosure. I don't have a job, otherwise I would have gotten this a while ago. Poor little guy paces his cage all day.
If that is a mesh cage they are hard to see through and cleaning them are a pain. I'd suggest:
http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiBreeze-Screen-48-Inches/dp/B001PHABI8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1373590853&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=reptibreeze+24x24x48
Amazon sells reptibreeze. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001PHABI8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_2FcaBbD2VJHJ2
Thanks for all the advice so far. It's been difficult not knowing where to look for guidance as newbies. However, my girlfriend and I are really committed to giving him a great home. It's sad we haven't been the best chameleon parents yet.
Financially, I cannot afford to spend a couple hundred tomorrow, but i can within the next week or so for sure. I would appreciate any tips about how to prioritize. What are your thoughts on this cage?https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001PHABI8/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1484552202&amp;sr=8-4&amp;keywords=reptile+cage&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=51%2BD-HmI2eL&amp;ref=plSrch
I would like to get it tomorrow as i think a new habitat is the biggest priority right?
Also, since the new UVb bulb will be very hot at first, should I just keep his red light on him constantly for the next few days? Or should i introduce the incandescent bulb tomorrow and wait on the UVb still? I just want to do everything I can to prevent his eye getting worse while making sure he is warm enough. We keep him in a finished basement that rarely dips below 70.
I don't know the answer to the body temp question, but I got a fixture with a dimmer function for my CHE and it has been so helpful. I dial it up or down to help balance the temperature as needed. (https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Repta-Clamp-8-5-Inch-Ceramic-Dimmable/dp/B003H200QC)
Fluker's Repta-Clamp Lamp 8.5-Inch Ceramic with Dimmable Switch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003H200QC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_vgRzDbYRCNEF6
The one I have is from Fluker's.
Good question. I have actually thought about this issue myself.. while there are commercial options to raise or lower your lights, there are several simple solutions you might want to try.
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One that comes to mind is creating a lamp stand. This serves two purposes, to both lift the lights up as well as move them off of the tank to help prevent the lights from possibly falling into the tank.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxN8_0kNJPc
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It does have its downfalls though, mainly being that it's ugly. Painting it black will make it less noticeable.
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Another option is making an ATBA (Above Tank Basking Area). If you look those up, there are a bunch of ideas on how to make one. It's what the name suggests: a basking area that is built to bring the turtle out of the top of the tank. This maximizes swimming space and can provide a large basking area, all cheaply if you DIY it.
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Another option I like and use is the Fluker's dimmable light. You can use it for your heat lamp. Since it is ceramic, it will handle the heat lamp, and with the dimmer, you can adjust how strong your heat lamp is. I have been using this light with a heat lamp for several months now without issue.
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https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Repta-Clamp-8-5-Inch-Ceramic-Dimmable/dp/B003H200QC
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I know it's a lot to think about, but eventually you will want to give your turtle a larger home, and more swimming space.. so looking into these things little by little now will make the decisions later on easier to handle, rather than all at once.
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Cheers!
I highly recommend the lamp setup, it's set-and-forget. Here's the dimmable clamp lamp: Fluker's Repta-Clamp Lamp 8.5-Inch Ceramic with Dimmable Switch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003H200QC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_3zWMAbNC0YH2F you will also need an incandescent heat bulb or ceramic heat emitter.
Other methods I have tried to varying success: place small amounts in a tray in a toaster oven to keep warm, then remove the tray as necessary. Have even tried coffee cup warmers for portable sculpting (totally melts the bottom, but works).
Sorry, I know your original question was about solvents--I have never used any on monster clay and I asked the cashier of a mold supply store once if there were any and he said he had no idea, as it wasn't really done. Sometimes its a painstaking matter of raking an area, looking at it from a ton of angles, rinse repeat. Some imperfections are way easier to just sand out after you cast the mold.
Get a dimmable lamp hood like this one and use any white light basking bulb. You can go to any hardware store and get a couple feet of chain for a couple dollars, and some screw in hooks to hang it from. If you use the clamp it could fall and burn your tort or catch the substrate on fire. And then get a point and shoot thermometer gun like this one to check the temp directly under the bulb. Putting a piece of slate for your tort to lay on under the lamp is also a good idea. About $1 for a square foot or you could look for a broken piece they may give you for free.
I bought it! It's called a Turtle Pier.
I bought it but it was HUGE so I cut it in half and took out the support pillars, it just floats now. I'm pretty happy with it but I'm only using like 1/3 of what I paid for haha.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004PBCFG2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_XykPzbCB212QJ
You can try this:
Penn Plax Large Turtle Pier For Use In and Out Of Water Basking Platform For Small Reptiles https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004PBCFG2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_AD3GzbPTW4ET3
https://www.reddit.com/r/turtle/comments/8csy77/mikeys_new_condo/?utm_source=reddit-android
That's what it looks like (with more water than shown) it's a 40gal breeder tank with river rocks and a large basking dock.
The dock:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004PBCFG2?psc=1&amp;ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title
The rocks:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0035HD408?psc=1&amp;ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title
I have 2 bags of rocks in there right now, but I am going to add a third. To prep them, I put them in my kitchen sink, filled it with water, moved them around to knock any dirt/ particles off, drain and repeat until the water came clean, then I plugged the sink, boiled a bunch of water and put the boiling hot water into the sink until it covered all the rocks and let them sit for 30 minutes to kill any gems that might have been on them.
If you have any other questions, just ask.
I have never used that brand so I’m not sure. Here is a few links to the stuff that I use
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Repti-Basking-Reptiles/dp/B000255OSQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_28?keywords=basking+lights&amp;qid=1565795394&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-28
https://www.amazon.com/Reptile-Slimline-Lighting-Fixture-18-Inches/dp/B00780X1O2/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=uvb+bar+reptile+light&amp;qid=1565795346&amp;s=gateway&amp;sprefix=uvb+bar&amp;sr=8-3
This one is kind of expensive, if you look around you can find one cheap, I’m just using this one as an example. It’s the basic one that I see a lot of owners using.
https://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Outback-Terrarium-Gallon/dp/B07BL2TGLG/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=reptile+enclosures&amp;qid=1565795444&amp;s=gateway&amp;sprefix=reptile+emclosures&amp;sr=8-3
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Calcium-Vitamin-Reptile/dp/B005FTMHFC/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=reptile+calcium&amp;qid=1565795564&amp;s=gateway&amp;sprefix=reptile+calcium&amp;sr=8-3
THIS
You don't really need a block. Most people use the calcium powder (Also look into versions without vitamin D3, buy both with and without) that you can find at nearly any store. Pet stores certainly will have it, but WalMart near my house has it as well, even though the reptile/fish selection is limited to one half an aisle. Also put some of the calcium without D3 in a little dish (I use a milk jug lid) and they'll take part if they feel like they need more calcium.
Calcium Without D3:
Add-On Item (Cheaper)
Non Add-On Item
Calcium With D3:
Add-On Item (Cheaper but a lot smaller)
Non Add-On Item
Also look into a separate vitamin.
This will give you the options necessary for size and with/without D3.
How many crickets per day? You should supplement what the crickets are eating by dusting them with calcium powder when you feed them to the chameleon. This is a well reviewed calcium supplement without vitamin d3. You will want to give him calcium with vitamin D3 a couple times a month. Here is an example of that.
Calcium helps with muscle control and a deficiency could be contributing to your chameleon's prolapse.
Thank you, I will definitely go shopping for an umbrella plant ASAP! Will the monsoon misting system be ok for him or would he prefer a drip system? The supplements I purchased are Zoo Med Reptivite (with D3) and Zoo Med Repti Calcium (with D3). I plan on dusting his food with calcium 3x a week and the vitamin once a week. Thank you for your help, I'm so excited for my little guy!
Non-weird link.
Yeah! Then send the bastards $70 worth of crickets instead. Sorry for your loss OP, you're welcome to mine anytime.
If you're changing out the bulbs every 6 hours, theres a problem. It should be daytime for ~12 hours a day and then switch to nighttime. If you are switching out the daytime bulb for a nighttime bulb, then I would just not use the nighttime bulb (darkness works just as well as a nighttime bulb). Getting a timer of some sort is extremely convenient for this. A christmas light timer works, or you can look at reptile specific timers if you want one that turns on your nighttime bulb in another lamp.
Your daytime bulb most likely provides heat and UVA rays (you mentioned earlier it says UV, which means UVA). What it does not provide is UVB rays. There are some lightbulbs that provide all 3, but are extremely powerful, and therefore not suitable for home use. Since these bulbs aren't feasable, you're going to want a 2nd bulb for UVB.
My recommendation is to use your daytime bulb for ~12 a day on a timer. I wouldn't bother with the nighttime bulb, it doesn't add anything. You should try to grab a 2nd lamp and UVB bulb soon, but its not an emergency or anything. Your turtle will survive without UVB, but be at much higher risk of shell rot and infection.
When you get a chance, grab a 2nd lamp and a UVB bulb. The 5 and 10 fluorescent ones like this are good. I use (and really like) a double dome lamp - and have the heat bulb in one and the UVB bulb in the other.
Thanks, would combination of these two work?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A8RHTYU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;smid=A27NGVKUPKCNVM
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DU3SW0S/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;smid=A1R1O51TC5L0SM
The Reptisun 10.0 t5 is powerful enough to be mounted above mesh. It's also rated for 1 year on a 12 hour on/off cycle. A t8 should be mounted below the mesh and changed every 6 months.
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-26061-Reptisun-Fluorescent/dp/B00AQU8HAO
Oh and to answer your question about the light lol, I use a single 400w HPS but plan to run a second 400w in flower for my current grow, 1 using an HPS bulb, another using an MH.
One MH (which my specific bulb covers a wide violet, blue, green, yellow spectrum) and one HPS high in red with some blue. The UVB from the MH is suppose to really enhance the frostiness of the flower, there's a myth to use MH the last 2 weeks when in reality it would be best added straight into flower, possibly right after the stretch ends and budding begins.
If I had to suggest to you, I'd go with HPS + LED, HPS for dense, pretty frosty buds and LED to provide them with the rest of the color temps they desire for full potential.
T5s would work fine along with the HPS too, most use reptile bulbs for UVB supplementing alongside their HPS.
They also sell T5, http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiSun-10-0-Lamp/dp/B00AQU8HAO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1396731103&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=reptisun+t5
abou the lighting you want the heater on a thermostat to controll the temps and bearded dragons need full spectrum uvb, you want to have a tube bulb like this one https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-26061-Reptisun-Fluorescent/dp/B00AQU8HAO/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=reptisun+10%2C0&qid=1562595961&s=pet-supplies&sr=1-2 1
Does not look like you have correct lighting.
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https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-26061-Reptisun-Fluorescent/dp/B00AQU8HAO/ref=pd_cp_199_3?pd_rd_w=Pb2RT&pf_rd_p=ef4dc990-a9ca-4945-ae0b-f8d549198ed6&pf_rd_r=197FW6ZWBPG71J8YYE5R&pd_rd_r=9329ceb9-b6a0-4853-b5ba-837bf4aef58e&pd_rd_wg=SNAjr&pd_rd_i=B00AQU8HAO&psc=1&refRID=197FW6ZWBPG71J8YYE5R
Thanks! I've been checking on him a lot, but not going into the enclosure, and he's more colorful now and less dark. The stress lines on his stomach are 90% gone. I put that MVB (thanks for identifying it for me!) on top of the mesh on the cage, so it's about an inch closer, and he seems to be liking it more (less "squished frog" basking and more "look at m proud beard" basking).
The sand is like a really hard, packed sand...I'm not sure if it was a mix of something that they set up at first, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to set it up to be tile inside his new home, leaving the option for a "bioactive" setup at some point once I know more about what he needs and am used to his requirements and behaviors and stuff.
For that lamp fixture, does the size have to match absolutely? I found this Zoo Med 26061 Reptisun 10.0 T5-Ho Uvb 24W Fluorescent Lamp, 22"
bulb on Amazon with Prime, but it's 2" shorter than the fixture. Would that matter? (Sorry, I've got zero experience with lighting fixtures...I just change the bulbs in my house for my silly Human requirements).
With the salad, right now we're trying the "paper towel trick" but also leaving some in his bowl. No bites yet, but I'll wait until he's been here for a couple of weeks before I start worrying more then.
Thanks, /u/thepienosaur!
For a basking light, pretty much any white halogen or incandescent bulb is fine. No need to spend a crazy amount on a reptile specific brand, it's the same bulb.
For uvb, I use this bulb and fixture.
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-26061-Reptisun-Fluorescent/dp/B00AQU8HAO/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;ref=yo_pop_d_pd_title
https://www.amazon.com/Carolina-Custom-Cages-Standard-Reflector/dp/B00K2AY8EW/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;ref=yo_pop_d_pd_title
A lot of people suggest arcadia bulbs. I've never used them but they're a good option as well.
For night heat, don't use any light. They are diurnal and the light will mess with their day/night cycle. Unless it gets below about 75 degrees in the enclosure, you don't need anything. If it's colder than that, get a ceramic heat emitter.
Interesting. So do you think you can combine thing like this:
What do you think?
It depends on your fixture. You can choose a T5 or T8 bulb
Mine is this T5: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AQU8HAO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_73C4BbK9V8FSQ
The uvb bulb doesn’t give off much heat so the other side of the tank will still be cooler if you have your basking bulb on the warm side.
Zoo Med 26061 Reptisun 10.0 T5-Ho Uvb 24W Fluorescent Lamp, 22" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AQU8HAO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Z2uQBb1MEZKCH
That brand would be the one to go to, you can buy the hood for it as well on amazon. Online is always cheaper than in stores.
As for the dubia roaches try searching in your area for reptile centers or shops they usually carry them.
Oh, now I see. So https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-26061-Reptisun-Fluorescent/dp/B00AQU8HAO/ref=sr_1_3?s=pet-supplies&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1502513545&amp;sr=1-3&amp;keywords=ReptiSun+10.0 would be better in the long run? And would it better to mount it above the cage then or just possible to do so? (sorry that sentence was a bit confusing)
The heat lamp is fine but will probably blow rather quickly. I’d suggest that when I dose blow to get halogen flood lights from Walmart. They are normally 45 to 50 watts and in my experience heat much better and last longer.
The UVB bulb is a different story. Since it is focused on one spot it is not good. It can damage eyes from over exposure (the eyes are a very sensitive organ, which is why it’s to powerfully for eyes and not powerful enough in general) and it doesn’t emit enough uvb for a bearded dragon.
12 hours of artificial uvb equals about 2 hours of natural uvb. Beardie can be fine with this amount of uvb. However with a coil bulb if your dragon decides to hang on the cool side, they aren’t getting that 12 hours. One or two days of this won’t hurt but over time it can cause a medical disease called Metobolic Bine Disease. Which will basically turn bones into rubber.
this is the bulb you want
You’ll need a separate fixture for it. It can go intop if the screen because it’s t5 (Em It’s stronger UVB then t8s)
You can pick up and under the counter fixture met for led lights from Walmart or a hardware store or go with the fixture specifically met for reptiles. If you do the latter make sure the fixture you get is for the t5 bulb. T8 bulbs will not fit in t5 fixtures and vice versa.
this is my amazon cart, good to go?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IOBZT80/ref=crt_ewc_title_huc_1?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;smid=A1P1I67XNH4UOJ
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AQU8F2O/ref=crt_ewc_img_dp_2?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;smid=A2YKHLMXRLPQLV
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AQU8HAO/ref=crt_ewc_title_dp_3?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
I've been getting sooo many different opinions on lighting and feeding... I appreciate the help!
I have read that these ceramic heat lamps work well too with a temperature controller. Has anyone had experience using them?
BYB - 150W 110V Ceramic Infrared Heat Emitter Brooder Coop Pet Infrared Lamp Bulb, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HFNZ59Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_GW0JAbQAFR4F7
Zilla Premium Reflector Dome, Black 5.5" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000TZ1XH0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_RZ0JAbQSB8WYF
Edit - reread the post, this probably doesn’t make sense to use without a chamber... but I think it’s supposed to be a good cheap option if you do get a fermentation chamber.
Maybe I'm not quite following, but wouldn't you use something like this bulb:
https://www.amazon.com/BYB-Ceramic-Infrared-Emitter-Brooder/dp/B00HFNZ59Q
plugged into this to secure it:
https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Deluxe-Listed-Aluminum-Reflector/dp/B01E9IY6US
with one of the wires cut and running through this to switch it on and off:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E0NTPP4
This is what I did. Also, these work great and don't produce light if you have glass fermentors and are worried about "light struck" off flavors (but make sure your base can handle 150W): https://www.amazon.com/BYB-Ceramic-Infrared-Emitter-Brooder/dp/B00HFNZ59Q
Then I put a small computer fan in in the chest freezer to circulate air and create a breeze against the fermenter to force convective heat transfer.
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You can buy or make one on the cheap, so why not? I used one of these with one of these that I wired up. I've also experimented with just using a small space heater, but I'm not sure how safe that is. It also tended to put out way more heat than I needed.
I have a heat lamp in my ferm chamber (refrigerator) run by a stc1000 controller. I cover to carboys to block the light just in case. If I were to replace the bulb (I stole it from the chicken coop) I would use a ceramic heat bulb. Like This one maybe.
So I'm a first-time grower, ambient temperatures are currently in the 50s, and what I'm (about to be) doing is somewhat unconventional. I'm offering it as an idea but I'm also hoping to get some critical input. Right now I've got grain jars (destined for a monotub) colonizing on my dresser, using a 1500W space heater to keep my entire room around 80F when I'm home. This isn't my long-term plan, though.
I was considering a heat pad, controlled by a thermostat, but I was concerned about overheating the bottom of the substrate. For all I know, these fears may be completely unfounded, so shroomers feel free to call me an idiot. Anyway, here's what I'm doing instead. (Same idea for heating both my spawn jars and my mono.)
I purchased the following:
The idea is to have a 150W ceramic heat emitter suspended above the tub (or tray of jars). Direct radiant heat is apparently not good for our friends, and I don't know how well a transparent polypropylene lid will absorb the IR, so I'll toss some cotton garments on top of the lid to absorb the heat and conduct it gently into the tub. The thermostat's sensor will be embedded in the substrate, and I'll use temperature strips placed at various points to "calibrate" it.
Given that this will be in a confined closet and the heat will be focused on my grow, I'm hopeful that 150W will be enough, at least to reach a decent fruiting temperature. And I figure this solution will be gentle on the little guys, won't dry the air, and won't pose a fire hazard. But I haven't heard much about people going this route, which leads me to wonder if there's a flaw I've failed to consider...
Edit: MY IDEA SUCKS. In the close confines of my closet, the 150W bulb didn't take long to start melting the lid of my tub. I went and bought a $40 radiator at Home Depot like a normal human being.
definitely want to leave the heat lamp on at all times. is it light emitting, and you're worried about the light?
this is what i've been using with success (the lamp it fits in must have a porcelain socket or it will burn itself out prematurely): BYB - 150W 110V Ceramic Infrared Heat Emitter
I buy this
Edit: They lasted over a year now, bought in 2015. They also have 150 W which I've bought and am very happy with.
Amazon has them for 11-12 bucks a pop. eg:
https://www.amazon.com/BYB-Ceramic-Infrared-Emitter-Brooder/dp/B00IOBZT80/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1498092554&amp;sr=8-2-spons&amp;keywords=ceramic+heat+emitter&amp;psc=1
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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https://www.amazon.com/BYB-Ceramic-Infrared-Emitter-Brooder/dp/B00IOBZT80/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1503263339&amp;sr=8-4&amp;keywords=ceramic+heat+emitter
What you would want is something like this Whynter FM-85G 85-Quart DC Freezer There are other options and you might be able to get it local but this is an example.
By going to DC power you reduce the loss from changing from DC to AC. If you keep everything on DC you will not need to have an inverter but if you have the panels far away from the batteries you might want to go with a 24v system and step the voltage down after the batteries to 12v. If the batteries are close to the freezer the wires can be kept a reasonable size.
I would go with some GC-2 batteries check for them at sams club or similar. They are 6v so they will need to be paired for 12v. If you want to go for long term batteries look into Iron Edison. With any battery setup you will want to be able to control the temp some since it is outside, protect from sun and heat by covering it and adding a small DC fan, in the winter running a incandescent light or a reptile heater. Doing that will help keep things easy on the batteries.
i use this one i got it on sale for $159 several months back and use it with an inkbird plug in controller.
[i use one of these] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017RCQ4JO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1) wired up to a simple 3 prong plug in a .50c light fixture screwed to a piece of 2x4. it plugs into the heat side and works great.
if you think you are only going to be heating, you can leave just the heat plugged in and it will keep most of the condensation from happening inside your freezer.
i use carboy straps to lift mine in and out of the deep freeze.
Fermentation control has by far been the greatest improvement to my beer besides water chemistry. its a solid investment. it also allows me to Cold crash, getting more beer from my fermenter, as well as do things like lagers and saisons
If you've got a screen top, covering it partially/mostly can really help increase humidity.
Having a larger water dish (wider/longer, not deeper) can also increase your humidity reasonably well - the more surface area, the more of it evaporates.
If you do get a dripper (or another electric humidity controller such as a fogger), there are thermostats that can control both temperature and humidity levels. Example (I'm not necessarily endorsing that one - I don't own it or anything).
If you don't want to spend money on an automated solution, get a little spray bottle and mist the viv as needed. Example.
No problem. I got this before I knew how you could make your own for much cheaper, and it does work quite well. I can recommend it.
Sorry for not getting back to you as I was driving. At the time, I was transporting him in about a 25x16 inch sterilize tub with a damp towel, water bowl and a heating pad underneath to keep the temp and humidity high. I’ll be transporting him back the same way unless you know of a better way that fits in the front seat of a Jeep Grand Cherokee.
I decided to upgrade Bob’s Hurricane Bunker opting to give Bob a more comfortable and luxurious pad since we might be here for a week. I’ve got him what I think is a good setup based on reading your comments though. Bob’s about 25 inches by the way. I got him a large cardboard dryer box from the local appliance store about 40”W x 40”L x 45” high, sealed all the edges and bottom so he can’t dig out. I have the top on it to keep the humidity and heat in. His bedding is a moist tropical mulch. About 6 inches deep. I threw three cut logs in there stacked to give him a basking area on top and a shaded cave underneath that he’s already taken a liking to. Made sure to keep the heat lamp pointed toward this side to maximize the heat on one side while keeping the other side darker and cooler. Made sure he can’t reach the light or the top of the box from the logs. He’s got plenty of water in a bowl that won’t tip over. He’s got a this guy pumping some moisture into his habitat. Pet store didn’t have any roaches so he’s gonna have to get by with the meal worms, crickets, turkey and eggs. It’s all he’s eaten since the squadron got him so I don’t think he knows there’s better bugs out there. Will look into the Dubai roaches when we get back to see if we could get a little colony going so we wouldn’t have to buy EVERYTHING he eats.
Reptile Humidifier/Fogger
Hey I use two things Evergreen Humidifier and the Ink Bird Humidity Controller . They are pretty easy to work and I have to maybe top off the water once every week.
So there are actually two components here: the sensor component with power shut-off and the actual humidifier component. The sensor component I'm using is the WILLHI WH1436H Mini Plug-n-play Digital Air Humidity Controller with probe from amazon - that's the important part. It lets me set a 'start' range and a 'stop' range. So it goes 'on' whenever the humidity drops below 60% and stops when it hits 75%. I had to calibrate it a fair bit because I've got the sensor on top of the tank rather than IN the tank (so readings of 50-65% actually match tank readings of 60-75% I've found) but after some fiddling it's worked like an absolute charm.
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This works with any humidifier, which is great because those components break more - but the part I'm using for that is Evergreen Pet Supplies Reptile Humidifier/Reptile Fogger - 2 Liter Tank also from Amazon.
Could I get something like this and then use one of those light bulbs I linked in a below comment? They're designed to reflect light so that should help with the CFL issue right?
https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Deluxe-Listed-Aluminum-Reflector/dp/B01E9IY6US/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1519680793&amp;sr=8-5&amp;keywords=heat+lamp+holder
I love your triforces! Great choice of shape to complement your subject.
And I feel you re: not having enough hands! Flexible work lights can be a good alternative to a handheld flashlight. Flexible tripods are more versatile; you can screw or tape a lot of things onto them, if you have lights you already use. If you're using light bulbs, clamp work lights are also an option.
https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Deluxe-Aluminum-Reflector-Included/dp/B01E9IY6US
One of these with a 18-23 watt 6500K+ CFL like this will work wonders. I ran that setup on a 3.5 gallon and had tremendous plant growth
You may be able to find cheaper clamp lights, but these are the ones I bought
Since I currently only have a small collection I dont feel the need for a big T5 tube installation and these type of reflectors from amazon are heavily used and recommended on this sub I thought they would be perfect. But its almost impossible to find similar ones in europe for acceptable prices.
I have found one similar in my local pet shop but then its not a clamp light but hanging on a cord from the roof type. And it was rebranded as a reptile lamp for terrariums and had the premium price of 55 usd :O and compared to the 8 usd from amazon or even the 5 usd from walmart it seems like an awful idea.
Appreciate any help!
Like one of those industrial, put anywhere, compact clamp like a hinged clamp? NOT screw on?
Like this? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E9IY6US/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_OvtIDbG22EAKK
If you want to get really cheap, try getting a clamp light or two from Lowes/Home Depot and get some soft bulbs (maybe get bulbs that are daylight balanced so you can mix it with some window light). Then bounce those off the ceiling or walls.
For some closer bounce, try bouncing off of a white tshirt or white sheet, or even through a frosted shower curtain (something I do for interviews).
With a constant source like this, you can see the issues you have with shadows and easily figure out how to get the look you want.
I had a heated basement in my rig when I camped in cold weather, but still added sewer tape https://smile.amazon.com/HEATIT-40-feet-Heating-Built-Thermostat/dp/B06XG17SZC/ref=sr_1_1 to keep the water feed warm, and added a work light https://smile.amazon.com/Simple-Deluxe-Aluminum-Reflector-Included/dp/B01E9IY6US/ref=sr_1_8 on an extension cord to the grey/black water tank cabinet and that worked to keep things from freezing up.
This is the one I use: https://www.amazon.com/TaoTronics-Spectrum-Hydroponics-Organic-Wavelengths/dp/B01HPIPM70/
also is great for starting my garden vegetable seedings indoors. I've had mine for 3 yrs now.
You'll need one of these reflector adaptors for it if you don't have something you can put the light bulb in: https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Deluxe-Aluminum-Reflector-Included/dp/B01E9IY6US/
but don't bother buying one of those online. The grow light is very large so they stick out oddly rendering the reflector-part useless, you only need it for the ability to house a weird shaped light bulb and clamp feature. Once the bulb arrives you should take it to a store that sells hardware to find one that works. They're quite cheap in person, like $5 at Walmart when I got mine.
Grow lights in general will be kinda pricy because what you are looking for is an efficient LED, something that doesn't get hot and burn your plants, and something with the right amount of light spectrum colors to provide consistent growth regulations as if the plant was outside in real sunlight. Some companies cut corners so even if you don't buy the one I got, look out for those specific features.
That could work, but I was thinking something like this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E9IY6US/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_N.ipzbWW87AP9 like a work lamp, super cheap, but not aesthetically pleasing
If you're only covering a few square-inches of space, you should just get a tiny LED Grow Light.
By my calculations, a Feit br30 grow light should be sufficient for an 8-inch pot. You gotta make sure that pot gets all the light, you need to put the grow light surprisingly close.
https://www.amazon.com/Feit-Electric-Spectrum-Equivalent-Non-Dimmable/dp/B06ZZDH21B/
Plus a simple clamp: https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Deluxe-Aluminum-Reflector-Included/dp/B01E9IY6US
That's all I use. Good enough for my small herbs. Again, one grow-light per 8-inch pot, these smaller lights don't effectively cover much area at all.
Feit Electric comes with good documentation: https://www.feit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/PAR38_GROW_LED_SpecSheet.pdf
As a beginner, I did not want to commit to a big expensive unit that I would have to mount or build a rack for. I had limited room and no interest in using tools. I bought the Sansi bulb because it was a cheap way to get started and I felt that it would be a fairly flexible solution. I started with one bulb for a few mason jar kratky plants on a small section of a shelf. As I added more plants and opened up more shelf space, I added 2 more bulbs and can now cover most of a 4' shelf.
I saw some of Jeb Gardener's Kratky videos where he used a sansi bulb with a clamp lamp, and it seemed to work nicely, so that is what I did. I figured that I'd have the flexibility to place the lamp as high or low to the plant as needed, and easily be able to move stuff around.
The clamp lamps are not the easiest things to clamp securely and point where you want them to go. But I made it work. If you wind up using something like that, you should remove the reflector or buy a lamp without a reflector as they should not be used with the Sansi bulbs.
I think they are a waste of money myself. i use these
I have a highlight from a while back where i used some cloth to make some soft boxes.
would it be better to just get different lighting frame and use 4 of these and These?
Or do you think the light would be disperce enough without the tubes?
I didn't know about them either until I saw them on Twitter around Twitchcon 2017 time. I hunted down their booth and managed to snag one before I left :)
As for lighting, I use a cheap clamp reflector light with a soft-white LED Bulb reflected off my wall. It's a little easier and a fair bit cheaper than finding a proper softbox so I don't get washed out from the light.
>It gets direct sun from like 3-6pm, so it has some natural light.
I notice it's developing a lemon rather nicely, so if you've had that plant in the location for half a year or more, then it seems pretty happy. However, if it's a new plant (or was newly moved to that location), additional supplemental lighting could be beneficial.
>I was looking at like 150-300 W bulbs because I had no clue. I was also looking at the blurple ones because I also had no clue
150W Bulbs are definitely overkill unless they're incandescent, and most of the energy from those bulbs radiates out as heat. I personally prefer full spectrum LEDs because I don't want the inside of my house to look like a nightclub (blurple is hard on the eyes) and LEDs are more energy efficient, outputting more light and less heat.
>Does the housing you put the bulb in matter? Do you just use one of those cheap metal ones from Home Depot?
Keep in mind that since you already have a red/blue spectrum grow lamp in that picture in addition to the window, so if you want more supplemental lighting, you probably don't need to go the full 36W that I linked earlier. The 24W version is probably sufficient. It's a pretty big bulb, so just make sure you find a housing that is big enough to fit it and is compatible both with its E26 Socket and its Wattage. I know some folks who use this sort of thing with it, and home depot probably offers something similar.
Fluorescent tubes sure have the ideal shape. It's sad they don't have the ideal light output.
I can't really say what intensity is achieved at X distance, but it will be all your plants care about.
The best way to find out is to measure the light intensity with a LUX meter and regulate height of pots and distance to lamp, based on what values you are getting. Peppers will probably like 2-4x intensity compared to what your micros will prefer and that can be regulated by distance. If it's difficult to reach the intensity your pepper(s) will need to thrive, you can always boost with a 9-14w LED household bulb wherever a little extra light is needed. For example, a cheap and simple clamp light, together with a 1500lm LED bulb will provide a good intensity over a 1'x1' area. Those two examples were picked randomly. You can choose whatever brand and kelvin you like.
I have a.... Let's say experimental jar going on with hitch hiker snails and such, and I just have one if those cheapo clamp lights on it, with a 6500k led bulb from Amazon
https://imgur.com/a/76tpbgQ
Leson 100 Watt Equivalent A19 LED Light Bulb Standard E26/E27 Base 13W Energy Saving, Daylight Cool White 6500k (6 Pack) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FYGDX3A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Fv9dBbDE0D3FH
Simple Deluxe Clamp Lamp Light with 8.5 Inch Aluminum Reflector up to 60 Watt E26 (no Bulb Included) 6 Feet Cord UL Listed https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E9IY6US/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_7v9dBbN84HXNF
These guys with Dimmer Cords will do the trick.
I do not dose anything other than providing root tabs in the substrate.
Lights:
Beamswork light
Clamp Light
Grow bulb
The heat pad should be under the tank on the bottom to give some belly heat. Leopard geckos digest their food using belly heat so it would really help him out. The heat pad should cover about 1/3 of the bottom of the cage as well. Make sure to have a thermostat with the heat mat as well so it doesn't over heat your gecko! The one I use is this one and it's been working fantastic with no issues. I have the probe located in the spot where the gecko would lay down and when the temperature reaches the degree I've set it to, it'll shut off the mat allowing it to cool down and then it'll heat back up.
This is the thermostat I have: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I15S6OM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_TbOBDbQPSF1RG
I saw it recommended on a thread here, so hopefully it’s okay! If need be I’ll go up to something fancier, but most people seem to use something along those lines?
Purchase a thermostat to regulate the temperature of the heat mat. I prefer this style but there are lots of different ones out there. In fact I recommend getting one anyway as they are an important safety feature to prevent temperature spikes.
You’ll have to figure that out once it’s set up. It would work well on the hot side but if the cool side is too cold with nothing over there I would center it. That’s the thing I need to tweak but haven’t yet since I’m going to have to remake my custom lid. Lamp currently on the hot side but my cold side is like 5 degrees too cold. Not a huge deal but something I’ll need to get around to. Like I said trial and error id just buy all your heating elements and then spend a day messing around with temp and placement. Also this is a good cheap controller for the heat mat if you don’t have one yet.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I15S6OM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_r3e2CbAWWY9ZY
Just make sure the temp probe goes between the mat and glass
Century Digital Heat Mat Thermostat Controller for Seed Germination, Reptiles and Brewing, 40-108°F https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I15S6OM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_qPpvCb49PSBWM
This is the thermostat we use to control the heat, we have it connected to a regular ceramic heat lamp
If it's that insanely cold inside I would use a 100w CHE in conjunction with 11 inch heat tape spanning the length of the bottom of the tank, possibly two strips side by side, controlled by a reptile thermostat with a temperature probe taped down in the tank directly over the heat tape on the bottom. That way you have a safe sustained temperature throughout the tank and the CHE can be used by your bearded dragon to effectively thermoregulate himself without needing to worry about cold spots.
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Heat Tape
Heat Tape Power Cord
Thermostat for the Heat Tape
We use this one for the heat pad, you set it at the temp you want and it turns the heating pad on and off depending on if it gets too cool or too hot.
And then we use this one just to monitor visually the temp and humidity of the environment. So far we’ve had no issues and they’re both fairly inexpensive.
Good luck with everything!
If your in the US i recommend buying this https://www.amazon.com/Century-Thermostat-Controller-Germination-40-108%C3%82%C2%B0F/dp/B01I15S6OM/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=jumpstart+thermostat+reptile&amp;qid=1570753836&amp;sprefix=jumpstart+&amp;sr=8-1-spons&amp;psc=1&amp;spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExMktDVDVZRk9GUDcmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA5ODc4MjcyUlpSWDNFTzQyUFFCJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA3MjMyOTIyMkdLQlpNSllCTEZRJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU= and plugging in the under tank heater and setting it to 90-91 so you wont have to worry about the heat. Still always check that the high temp is around the number uou set it to but i notice that sometimes it can slowly get lower than what you set it to but then right back where it needs to be.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I15S6OM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_edhYDb7408N40
This is what I use
Will one of these work as a thermostat for a CHE? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I15S6OM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_xqFXDb0BTJFVP if I put the probe somewhere near the top?
I use this with the standard zoo med or exoterra UTHs on three leopard gecko tanks and two snake tanks and have had good temperature accuracy with it
So I use a ceramic bulb (because I didn't wan't light to mess with the day/night cycle). and I have this automatic thermostat controller which I have set to keep it around 74 in her enclosure. This set up seems to be working well.
Because night time is probably when it's getting cold in your house you'll need a ceramic bulb or another heat bulb meant for nighttime. So the UVB bulb probably isn't worth messing with.
I just installed these inside my printer. So far, so good. I can keep the FEP and buildplate at a steady 75 degrees in a 45 degree garage.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I15S6OM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07573FKSG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
I did have to FDM print an adapter to make it all fit. That's in a Mars. Not sure how it would fit in a Photon.
Thanks, bulbs kept on blowing out so I got this instead:
Reptile Heat Lamp Bulb https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017RCQ4JO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_chF8Bb939GA6C
That's on the warm side of the tank, on the cool side she has a different bulb. Can't remember the specs, got it at Wal Mart. No live food lately mainly cuz of my concern of her eye. Been giving baths and applying eye ointment as often as I can, as well as providing veggies and vitamins.
A 10 gallon aquarium would work well for probably the first year and they are cheap can probably get one for $20. Eventually you will need a very large tank 75+ gallons.
Below are the things I think are a must
This site http://redearslider.com has tons of good information.
Check the water and basking area temperatures to make sure they aren't too hot or too cold.
>There are some good reasons for using incandescents
I agree.
>Also, for certain applications, incandescents are necessary, such as providing ancillary heat to dehumidify an enclosed space.
Not really. If the purpose is making heat, incandescents are actually some of the worst ways to do it because their lifetime is unpredictable and short.
Anyway, I'm not really knocking on people using incandescents per se, but I anecdotally know lots of fox news conservative types and when told that LED can save them lots of money, it's either: (a) fuck those dirty liberals and I'll keep using them to piss those fuckers off or (b) same as (a) but they don't want to come out and say that and so they make up ridiculous/faulty reasoning that isn't believable in the slightest.
I've seen maybe 2-3 applications total where incandescents were the best solution to a lighting problem, and they were fairly esoteric. I've also been told by people that they prefer the color of incandescents, but I've yet to see someone say that actually correctly pick out the LED consistently in a side by side lamp-shade test.
Anyway, I don't really give a shit. If someone wants to be stubborn or has an axe to grind, I'm not going to get in their way. I'd prefer they just be honest about it rather than make up stuff or regurgitate wrong second hand information.
>oops, nobody thought about how those faggoty LEDs wouldn't produce enough heat to melt off snow and ice
I'm an engineer. I assure you that they thought of it. What is more likely is that the way they were testing for it didn't take into account very specific types of precipitation that happen to build up very well in low-heat environments (or they couldn't easily replicate it in a test cell). That kind of build-up, despite what the media reports, was actually very atypical. It happened much less than cases where the standard lights just burned out, but obviously the media doesn't report on burned out traffic lights because everyone was used to that.
I purchased this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CO9582Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_nnEWDb82KKA89 and this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079MFTYMV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_EoEWDb0F5FFWK
It solved the problem for me? I hooked one of the spare smart-plug things to a fan.
Camera: canon t6 refurbished $350
audio: rode ntg2, an xlr cable, cheap boom pole
You can get the mic used for about $200, spend another $200 for a tascam dr-60
A 5 in 1 reflector kit from neewer for another $20
A few clamp lights and 3200/5600k bulbs
An okay tripod for now
And a cheap shoulder rig
That all should come out to around $1000 and should definitely be enough to get you started. Some of the stuff is a bit cheaper and you’ll need to replace as you move on and understand your needs better but there’s not much quality equipment to be bought if you need a whole package for around $1000