| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Vazzza |
Posted - 11/08/2009 : 16:08:23
Hi All
My girl friend is about to buy me my first royal. I've had a Californian King before so this is all getting a bit exciting!!
The main issue i have is my viv. I'm getting a CF '09 at roughly 30cm (over the internet, bizarre i know!) so my 90cm x 30cm x 40cm viv is going to be too large I assume. What should i do in the meantime whilst i'm waiting for him to grow into it?
I've literally bought everything i need to set-up my viv, and now am left with nothing for the intital set up for the baby royal as i stupdily assumed he would be happy in the rather large viv for his size!
Is it an option to effectivly put a divider into my converted fish tank to shrink the size down, or should i get a complete new set-up? Main problem with this is limited funds. I have money to spend, but not a lot lol!!
Any help will be much appreciated!
Thank you
Adam |
| 19 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Vazzza |
Posted - 13/08/2009 : 12:13:05
No problem, easily achieved.
I suppose the next logical question is, how many sheets of kitchen roll do you use? At the moment mine is 3 sheets deep, and its the Plenty (Bounty) stuff so is pretty thick. I guess it doesn't really matter, but will just effect how hot you need your mat to ensure enough heat transferral... |
| boze |
Posted - 13/08/2009 : 11:43:06
You need it to be touching the substrate as heat mats wont heat up the air, only what they come into contact with so your royal could be laying on a 120F heat mat but 2mm above it might read only 80F...
D |
| Vazzza |
Posted - 13/08/2009 : 09:15:24
Well i went to the garden centre last night and bought everything. Stupidly i thought i'd be able to use the heat mat i already have and just have it sticking out the edge of the RUB, well, not a clever idea as it leaves about 50cm of heat mat sticking out the edge...
So, one more trip to the garden centre tonight and i'll be ready.
I did the drilling of air holes last night. A quick question about the holes for thermometers. If i put these at the bottom of the RUB, does the probe need to be touching the substrate (kitchen roll in my case) or can it be effectively just laying on it? I was going to drill the hole and literally only stick the very end of the probe through, but then the metal part will not be touching anything and just 'floating' about 2mm above the substrate... |
| Gingerpony |
Posted - 12/08/2009 : 17:58:55
and garden centres are MUCH cheaper than rep shops for fake foliage and stuff! |
| Vazzza |
Posted - 12/08/2009 : 13:31:09
I'm a big fan of eBay, but with the snake arriving on Friday I really want to make sure i have everything already set up, temps correct etc before he arrives. I think relying on eBay and the postal system is going to be pushing my luck a little!
This is a great birthday present from the missus, just wish she gave me some more warning!!!! |
| Blackecho |
Posted - 12/08/2009 : 13:18:19
ebay is your friend  |
| Vazzza |
Posted - 12/08/2009 : 13:13:52
well i've just got back from my local 'pets at home', which doesn't have a reptile section... So i went to homebase and bought the actual box. Unfortunately they only had a moss substitute, so i'm not really any closer to being ready 
I think a trip to my garden centre tonight will have to be done, they have an excellent reptile section there so i'll be able to pick up my thermometers, hides and reptivine no problem.
Thanks again for all of your help everyone.
And i'm sure i'll be back with more Q's soon 
|
| Blackecho |
Posted - 12/08/2009 : 12:27:20
As above, fake and cheap is fine
Reptile Shops will charge a lot more for most things, the snake won't be able to tell the difference. Like getting moss from the garden centre / B&Q. |
| wolfspirit |
Posted - 12/08/2009 : 11:21:48
use fake and if you have a place like dunelms go there cos it is miles cheaper... |
| boze |
Posted - 12/08/2009 : 10:55:55
Ive been told reptivine is the stuff to use, glad youre setting it all up first too 
D |
| Vazzza |
Posted - 12/08/2009 : 10:49:54
Sorry, another quick question with regards to foliage.
Is it better to use real foliage or some of the fake stuff? I had plastic in with my King snake and he didn't seem too bothered by the stuff but it seems royals are a lot more tempremental!
|
| Vazzza |
Posted - 12/08/2009 : 10:33:03
Thats excellent, thank you! The DIY section definitely seems like a handy part of the forum!!
I'm going to pop into town on my lunch and hopefully get everything i need. I'll probably pay over the odds as i'm too impatient to do the internet route, but oh well!
I think i'm nearly there. If i can get my RUB set-up tonight i'll try and get a photo on here so if there is anything glaringly wrong you can point it out!
Thanks again for all of your help! |
| Blackecho |
Posted - 12/08/2009 : 09:48:19
From the DIY section: http://www.theroyalpython.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=710
You can have them in all the time or just during shedding or some are fine without any help. I like to give mine the option and put one in when starting to shed. |
| Vazzza |
Posted - 12/08/2009 : 09:14:06
Thanks very much! I might have to ring exotic pets and move my delievery date back from friday to ensure i have time to buy and make my RUB!
This may be the dumbest question ever asked on this forum, and for that i apologise, but where do I buy moss? I guess the garden centre, but it just seems like a very strange thing for anywhere to actually stock to sell...
Also, is moss in a hide essential all the time, or only during sheddind periods? |
| wolfspirit |
Posted - 11/08/2009 : 20:35:25
quote:
Originally posted by Vazzza
ok cool, so basically a 9l rub is the way forward!
Is a pets at home style pet shop the best place to get the RUB set up? I'll only really need the box itself, a thermometer, preferably one with 2 probes and some moss... Or is buying online the way forward??
I've bought my royal from Exotic-Pets.co.uk, along with an Exo Terra Reptile Den and Exo Terra Water Dish, but they'll go in the viv when ready. Oh and some rat pups. I chatted to the lady and the snake has all the feeding and shedding logs etc so all seems prety sound.
I think thats everything, if you can think of anything else please do let me know :)
ebay is the place for thermometers, RUBs you can get from Staples, and you will need a cool end hide... |
| Vazzza |
Posted - 11/08/2009 : 20:16:28
ok cool, so basically a 9l rub is the way forward!
Is a pets at home style pet shop the best place to get the RUB set up? I'll only really need the box itself, a thermometer, preferably one with 2 probes and some moss... Or is buying online the way forward??
I've bought my royal from Exotic-Pets.co.uk, along with an Exo Terra Reptile Den and Exo Terra Water Dish, but they'll go in the viv when ready. Oh and some rat pups. I chatted to the lady and the snake has all the feeding and shedding logs etc so all seems prety sound.
I think thats everything, if you can think of anything else please do let me know :) |
| Blackecho |
Posted - 11/08/2009 : 17:26:06
Have you read this: http://www.theroyalpython.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1451 ? |
| wolfspirit |
Posted - 11/08/2009 : 16:47:59
quote:
Originally posted by Vazzza
Hi All
My girl friend is about to buy me my first royal. I've had a Californian King before so this is all getting a bit exciting!!
The main issue i have is my viv. I'm getting a CF '09 at roughly 30cm (over the internet, bizarre i know!) so my 90cm x 30cm x 40cm viv is going to be too large I assume. What should i do in the meantime whilst i'm waiting for him to grow into it?
I've literally bought everything i need to set-up my viv, and now am left with nothing for the intital set up for the baby royal as i stupdily assumed he would be happy in the rather large viv for his size!
Is it an option to effectivly put a divider into my converted fish tank to shrink the size down, or should i get a complete new set-up? Main problem with this is limited funds. I have money to spend, but not a lot lol!!
Any help will be much appreciated!
Thank you
Adam
you could put in a divider or
you could go get a 9l rub and depending on what stat you have a heat mat. If you have a pulse stat then that can be used on a heat mat to...but not dimmer stats...
Its much better to start them off in rubs then switch to vivs when they are 8 months + depending on size of course... |
| boze |
Posted - 11/08/2009 : 16:46:12
Just a plastic storage box, about 9 litre capacity is fine. Ive got my wee one in a 30x16x20cm tub with kitchen roll on the bottom, water bowl, a warm hide, some loo roll tubes scattered about for cool hides and gradient hides and a heat mat under one end of the RUB (really useful box) connected to a pulse stat and a digital thermometer in each end. Its good to keep things simple when theyre wee:
Some people put in some foliage etc too but mine seems perfectly happy without it and is feeding and shedding great!
D |
