| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Rox1e6 |
Posted - 11/05/2011 : 19:10:29
We got the glass and thermostat in place tonight so have turned the ceramic bulb on to start heating the viv ready for Friday and our spiders homecoming. We've set the temp to 32 degrees but literally within 2mins the guard is too hot to touch so surely that defeats the object of having one!?
We have a 250w ceramic bulb and the large black guard that the guy in the shop sold us together so is this normal? I'm confused!
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| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Lotabob |
Posted - 14/05/2011 : 19:46:16
Cute, keeping an eye out! |
| Rox1e6 |
Posted - 14/05/2011 : 17:36:57
Well my lad called me earlier so excited because she had her head out! She stayed like this for ages so I'm hoping it means she's not too freaked out! Anyway I took a quick pic on my mobile :)
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| MrsA82 |
Posted - 14/05/2011 : 16:59:38
Congrats spiders our one of my favs :)
Now it's a case of waiting till it's settled in
Whens your next one coming ?? Lol
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| Lotabob |
Posted - 14/05/2011 : 16:55:25
Oh if you think setting the viv up was hard you wait and see how hard it is having to wait until you've a few feeds in them before you can handle them. Congrats on the new addition and I look forward to seeing some pictures when he is a bit more settled. |
| Rox1e6 |
Posted - 14/05/2011 : 14:16:50
He's home! We picked him up yesterday afternoon and put his little box into the viv and he came straight out into the exo-terra hide on the hot side and that's where he's stayed! We can see bits of him as he moves round in the hide but so far he's not come out! The temp at hot end is staying between 30-32c so we've put the water bowl near the hide so if he needs water he won't have to venture far from where he feels safe!
We'll leave him alone til next Thursday when he's due a feed and hope he settles in ok otherwise if he stops eating for any period of time we've said we'll set up a rub til he's bigger and perhaps get another snake that will appreciate a 4' viv! (good excuse for another anyway!) |
| stumpy |
Posted - 14/05/2011 : 09:54:28
Well Rox, have you bought him home? hope all your heating is working fine |
| blackskull |
Posted - 14/05/2011 : 09:51:20
quote:
Originally posted by Lotabob
Hmmm so IR bulbs are more efficient then wattagewise. Interesting, I'm just in the process of designing a stack and I'm thinking if a ceramic takes more wattage to do the same job a IR does then its eating more juice too and that would make it more expensive. There is one for me to ponder over.
my pp stat probe placement prob had something to do with the 100w bulbs not getting my vivs up to temp. i have the probes under the bulb and for some strange reason i never thought about moving the probe further towards the cold end. one of the random things that pops into my head on my sleepless nights |
| n/a |
Posted - 12/05/2011 : 14:43:06
LOL - thanks - but you're not a saddo - you're a normal snake keeper! Welcome to the wacky snakey world! |
| Rox1e6 |
Posted - 12/05/2011 : 14:35:59
BATS you haven't confused me at all...you talk a lot of sense. I've never used a bulb guard before and my first thought when we set it up was that there must be a better material to make one from that doesn't conduct heat as much but I'm sure a zillion reptile keepers can't be wrong and its just a matter of getting the bulb working correctly and the temp stable..!
The infra red gun sounds great and if we had more snakes I reckon it would be a great investment and like you say save having to stick probes everywhere!
I've put the ceramic on, set the stat to 28c and now I'm twiddling my thumbs like a saddo waiting for it to heat up! :) |
| n/a |
Posted - 12/05/2011 : 13:39:46
I must say - I dislike the standard bulb guards. If I could have found bigger ones I would definitely have bought them, despite the extra cost. I know larger ones exist but have never yet found them.
However, once the temps settle down, it is the bottom of the guard that gets the hottest; the sides are just pleasantly warm (just checked.) Even so, I would like to see more space between the bulb and the framework of the guard, though I've never heard of a snake being burned by a guard (touch wood!) although the standard guards are obviously dangerous for young slim bodied snakes such as corns, who can climb inside the mesh.
Probes ...oh dear, I won't add to that. (Yes, I will, apologies in advance.) I'm confused myself despite owning a dozen stats. Evil things! Mat stats are easy of course, but the first dimmer stat I fitted, I saw from the instruction sheet that the probe had to be 10" away from the bulb. But many people swear by putting the probe in the warm end. I've tried the latter, but then find that I can't get the temp up to the required level, because the stat can't be turned up beyond 34c. (That is another thing - always go by what your thermometer says, rather than by the stat dial, all stats, like all snakes, are different ...most confusing!)
However, if you place your probe further away from the hot end, it gives you more scope for adjustment ... if your probe is at a midway point where the right temp is 28c, say, you can happily wiggle the stat dial up and down until your hot end temp reads 32c, if you see what I mean. This works for me - not saying it's the only way, because it isn't.
I don't use thermometers. If I did, I wouldn't just be BATS, I'd be stark staring loopy, with all those extra probes. I use an infra-red temp gun, £50 from Maplins - it was an extravagance at first but since the snake population's grown, it's paid for itself. And I can quickly measure the temp wherever I like in the viv.
Hope I haven't confused you further. The only word of comfort I can give is, from being rocket science it becomes the norm and you get used to it. And if someone like me (who cannot get her head round things mathematical and technical) can do it, you can. |
| Rox1e6 |
Posted - 12/05/2011 : 11:52:49
I think I've worked out that I've had the temp set too high on the thermostat. If its set at 32c on the hot side and the stat sensor is in middle then by time middle is 32 hot side will be much hotter hence the untouchable guard. I'm going to set temp to 28c and that way under ceramic should be around 30/32 whilst middle/left side should be 28/26c (theoretically until digi thermometer arrives and I can check!)
I'll try it for a few hours this afternoon and see what happens! |
| markmifsud |
Posted - 12/05/2011 : 10:53:50
the guard may get hot\warm, but your snake will not be in direct contact with the heater. |
| BlueDragon |
Posted - 12/05/2011 : 10:50:04
My ceramic bulb actually took a few days to cool back down and sort it's self out. I was worried too, but it just takes time is all : )
I have my thermometer probe stuck to the top of the hot hide, just under the bulb. and the stat probe sat next to the hot hide.
I can't help you with temp though, I'm afaid, 'cause I'm too thick : / But I have a dimming stat with a ceramic, it's what your supposed to have.
I wouldn't worry about the guard being hot right now, it'll sort it's self out soon : ) |
| mystra |
Posted - 12/05/2011 : 10:48:54
this is something i was wondering about the other day... if the guards are metal... wont they get just as hot as the bulb/ceramic etc...got me confused!!!! |
| markmifsud |
Posted - 12/05/2011 : 10:43:04
my thoughts (bear in mind I am quite new to this)
#1 I think it should be nearer the middle section, as you dont need to control the cool end temps, but you do need control of the hot end.
#2 Putting the thermometer in that position will tell you what the cool end temps are, I have the stat in the middle at 8inch high, and two thermometers, one at each end so I can see what the hot and cold ends are.
#3 As your on a dimming stat, a 150w IR should be fine, I use 150w ceramic
#4 hot end temps should be nearer 32 for day times, I also drop to 75, 9pm to 9am but some here seem to feel its of no benefit. |
| Rox1e6 |
Posted - 12/05/2011 : 10:30:16
I've spoken to a reptile shop this morning as my son is rather worried about the heat from the guard and she contradicted some of what we've been told so I wonder if any of you could clear up a couple of issues. Sorry to sound like a total numpty but we want everything ready for the snake to come home tomorrow.
#1 She said to put the thermostat sensor approx 8" in from cool end and 3" off the floor.
#2 She said to put thermometer sensor next to thermostat sensor then we'll have a true reading of temp gradient
#3 She said to put a 150w IR bulb in as we have a dimming thermostat.
#4 Set daytime temp to 29 degree celsius and nighttime to 24 degree.
Any thoughts....the countdown is on!? |
| Lotabob |
Posted - 11/05/2011 : 21:56:07
Hmmm so IR bulbs are more efficient then wattagewise. Interesting, I'm just in the process of designing a stack and I'm thinking if a ceramic takes more wattage to do the same job a IR does then its eating more juice too and that would make it more expensive. There is one for me to ponder over. |
| blackskull |
Posted - 11/05/2011 : 21:28:31
i thought a 150 would do the job in a 4ft but i think it was under temp by about 5 degrees at the hot end. a 100w didn't even do the job in a 2ft, i use 150w in my 2ft and 3ft vivs. all 3 vivs on pp stats. it might have something to do with our house being quite cool though |
| Lotabob |
Posted - 11/05/2011 : 21:00:31
Oh a 250 will do the job, and the dimmer will reign it in once its up to temperature its just a 250 at 100% is putting out more heat than a 150. I'm not experienced with ceramics though, so any imput on sizes etc is welcomed very much by me. |
| blackskull |
Posted - 11/05/2011 : 19:29:15
i use a 250w in my 4x2x2 viv and the guard is fine. i did put a 150w bulb in at first but it didn't get up to temp
i use the lucky reptile dark spot ceramic bulbs and the larger of the two off the shelf guards |
