| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| konrad1982 |
Posted - 02/01/2011 : 20:00:15
As I've just found out the ambient temperature in my faunarium is too low (about 23C). I was told by the reptiles shop owner - all I need to buy to maintain the right temperature for my royal are: a heat matt, thermostat and thermometer . I did exactly what he said and I achieved 30C in hot hide and about 26C in cool hide. The only problem is - my python doesn't want to leave his hot hide at all. The snake has fed 4 times and seems to be very healthy but I've started to worry that the cold temperature outside of his cave may change it. Has anybody had similar problem and maybe know how to resolve it? Thanks for help. |
| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Royalbob |
Posted - 05/01/2011 : 20:54:08
quote:
Originally posted by BurnedAtTheStake
Ha - if he ate his first rat yesterday, unlike my faddy Shahi who will only have mice - you've got everything right!
Jammy devil!
You're doing ok!
Couldn't agree more. Like i said we were just trying to up that ambient a little more. It's just the design of the faun's. Once the stat arrives this will keep the heat mat constant as well. If you pass a staples, argos or maplins store or even one of those pound shops you could grab a rub or plastic tub and then just drill a few holes in the side for ventilation. this will help hold the heat also.
The little fella is happy if he's munching down his dinner. |
| n/a |
Posted - 05/01/2011 : 20:42:35
Ha - if he ate his first rat yesterday, unlike my faddy Shahi who will only have mice - you've got everything right!
Jammy devil!
You're doing ok! |
| konrad1982 |
Posted - 05/01/2011 : 20:37:09
I did what u said but still little bit too cold. Tomorrow I should receive my stat (if parcel force arrive after 4pm - if not maybe Friday). If this will help to keep temperature on the same level it won't be so bad - if not I can only try to buy another heat mat and place it on top of the faun (as the lid is mesh, which could let some hot air go into the faun) or on the sides. I don't need a lot at the minute (1 or 2C degrees). When i put hand into the faun the air seems to be really warm and the clay cave is quite hot too so with your help I'm going in good direction. The little is still alive and he even ate his first rat yesterday (he was on mice before). |
| Royalbob |
Posted - 04/01/2011 : 22:10:20
Hey Konrad no giving up mate there's not much wrong at all. The little ones healthy and he's eating were just tying to tweak it a bit. A pulse or dimming stat won't get the mat any hotter but will just regulate your temps a lot better than a mat stat. Place 1/3 to 1/2 of the faun over heat mat. Cover up the lid on the cold half of the faun. Grab a clay plant pot for a hide at the hot end. the heat mat will heat this up as well and therefore raise the temp of the air in the faun. Your doing everything right it can just be confusing at first.
|
| konrad1982 |
Posted - 04/01/2011 : 20:23:17
Thank you for the great answer. I'll just wait now for my dimming stat and if it doesn't help to keep proper temperatures I'll just give up as my head is twice bigger than it was last month. Even my hat doesn't fit anymore because of the snake :) |
| Royalbob |
Posted - 03/01/2011 : 23:40:07
I really think the problem is using the faun and low ambient/ room temps. The heat mat should only be covering a MAX of 50% of the faun otherwise your royal does not have the capability of thermo regulating itself. The dimming stat will control the temps without the major fluctuations that your getting now from the mat stat and can also be used with either an IR or ceramic bulb so is a good purchase. The ambient temp can only be raised by methods previously stated. Heat mats don't heat the air but the Objects within their range. Your cold side temps are still reading a little low. Is this the lowest they go or do they drop more in the middle of the night. Is this the warmest room in the house. This is why any rep room with rubs or fauns needs to be heated to the ambient temp that the rep needs and then the heat mat just provides the localised hot spot. Sorry I know you must be banging your head. Hope I'm making sense. |
| konrad1982 |
Posted - 03/01/2011 : 22:27:05
OK after long checking and playing with my faun the temperature gets little bit better.
Hot Hide - temp reach 32.8C and stat goes off. Then drop to 29.7C - stat goes back on
Middle of the faun (between hot and cool hides) - temp reach 29.2C and stat goes off. Then drop to 26.6C
Cool Hide - temp reach 28,6C and stat goes off. Then drop to 24,5C - stat goes back on
Stat (when heater on) works for about 20min and then (when cooling down) is off for about 10min.
All this I could achieve only by putting heat matt along the faun(which means that matt cover about 2/3 of the faun) and putting hot hide and cool hide closer to each other.
I've just ordered dimming stat (Microclimate B1 ME) and hopefully it will help a bit. Do you think that I should change anything or leave it as it is now to see how it works after few cycles? |
| Royalbob |
Posted - 03/01/2011 : 19:45:23
Yes your stat and thermometer probe need to be inside of the faun. Place them together outside but at the same level of the hot hide as this is where the snake is. Don't place probe in hide as snakes temp will make it fluctuate if resting on it. Also have another thermometer on the other side of the faun to Measure temp on that side. The cold side needs to be at 80F and the hot side should be at 90F. Adjust the thermostat according to the thermometer not what the dial is saying on the stat. If it's an on off stat then there will be a much larger fluctuation than using a dimmer or pulse stat. Also a RUB will keep better temps than a faun as fauns are very open to outside elements. 'Let us know how it goes. |
| konrad1982 |
Posted - 03/01/2011 : 19:22:56
Ufff I've just checked the hot hide after warming up (36C)- now I turned the stat down and I'll try to adjust it as you've just said to about 32. I'm thinking about putting some tape on the vents because for me it seems to be too many of them for so small faunarium. Hopefully it will work. |
| reptiledanny |
Posted - 03/01/2011 : 19:09:34
sounds good, sounds like youv got the temps sorted now, they just need to be at 31-33 |
| konrad1982 |
Posted - 03/01/2011 : 19:02:27
Heat matt has been placed under the faunarium and the probe from the stat was directly on the heat matt (under the faunarium too). Now everything stayed as it was but I moved the probe into faunarium. Heat matt is switched on for all the time and maybe that's why i get bit higher temperature. When the probe was on the heat matt - the thermostat was about 4 minutes on and about 4 off - even on max settings. Now it will never reach max settings so it will be on for most of the time what should keep heat matt hot(without cooling down). What do you think? |
| reptiledanny |
Posted - 03/01/2011 : 18:51:45
i have all my probes over the heat mat and all the temps are fine, it shouldn't really make a difference as you would just turn the thermostat up or down depending on where it was placed |
| konrad1982 |
Posted - 03/01/2011 : 18:48:02
I've just come back from another reptile shop. I was checking the vivs prices but also mentioned about my problem to old lady who works there. She said that people buy these heat matts every day and nobody ever complained about temperature problem. Without thinking she said that something in my set up must've been wrong. I did everything as I've been told by the other guy but she recon I should put the thermostat probe bit closer to the cool hide (this will give more temperature to the hot hide and won't let thermostat to switch off the heat matt so often), inside the faunarium and not directly on the heat matt(as I had till now). Everything seems to be much better. Now in the middle of the viv I've got 28C. In about one hour I'm gonna check hot and cool hides. Do you think that connecting probe directly to the heat matt could cause the problem? |
| n/a |
Posted - 03/01/2011 : 12:06:27
quote:
Originally posted by Royalbob
quote:
Originally posted by BurnedAtTheStake
Aw thanks Bob - but I check with the temp gun, and check substrate at hot end ... if that's 30 - 32, fine. Never thought of checking ambient temp!
Oh boy, rocket science or what?
Uh sorry don't mean to be facetious - this is a very constructive thread.
What should we be checking, and what should temps be? Confess since the comparative thaw lol I've found the stats don't actually control temps - have had to turn them down a notch!
Oh boy, perpetual surveillance ...
Hiya bats the problem is really with rubs. In a viv the ambient temp should be ok if the hot end is at 32 due to the insulation. Just check temp above cold hide . Should be about 78 - 80F.
Cheers Bob. |
| CoN |
Posted - 03/01/2011 : 11:45:18
Like Rob said not sure if its the cheapest but if you order before 2pm its next day delivery. http://www.reptiles.swelluk.com/ |
| Royalbob |
Posted - 03/01/2011 : 00:11:13
No prob's will be a bit more help with links tomorrow. Just using phone at the moment. |
| konrad1982 |
Posted - 02/01/2011 : 23:49:25
Thanks again. All the information are very, very useful. Cheers |
| Royalbob |
Posted - 02/01/2011 : 23:46:45
I use Rub's the really useful boxes from staples and place them directly on the heat mat. Reaches 90F in rub for hot spot no prob's. If you want to try that. Here's a good website that sells all the stuff fir viv set up. Don't know if it's the cheapest just an idea.
http://www.reptilekeeping.co.uk/ |
| konrad1982 |
Posted - 02/01/2011 : 23:35:46
Heat matt is about 5mm from the faun (as they instructed on the manual). So I don't think I can do anything else to rise the ambient temp. The only idea is to buy viv. Any chance to show me on few links which viv, stat & bulb would be the best for me to order? Thanks a lot. |
| Royalbob |
Posted - 02/01/2011 : 23:26:48
quote:
Originally posted by BurnedAtTheStake
Aw thanks Bob - but I check with the temp gun, and check substrate at hot end ... if that's 30 - 32, fine. Never thought of checking ambient temp!
Oh boy, rocket science or what?
Uh sorry don't mean to be facetious - this is a very constructive thread.
What should we be checking, and what should temps be? Confess since the comparative thaw lol I've found the stats don't actually control temps - have had to turn them down a notch!
Oh boy, perpetual surveillance ...
Hiya bats the problem is really with rubs. In a viv the ambient temp should be ok if the hot end is at 32 due to the insulation. Just check temp above cold hide . Should be about 78 - 80F. |
