| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| JayJ |
Posted - 27/08/2011 : 17:01:42
Hi guys, I'm Jason and new to this forum although I do have 3 yrs forum experience from my other hobby RC.
I am the very proud owner of two Royal Pythons; Khal (male, I think) and Khaleesi (female, I think). I have only had them for around a month and I believe them to be approx 12 months old, this obviously only going by what I have been told though.
Khal is approx 3 ft and Khaleesi is approx 3 1/2 ft, these are only an estimate judging from the 4 ft Vivarium they are in.
Yes I know this may not be popular but my Royals do cohabit, I know the pros and cons and I have to agree with the cons but they were cohabiting when I got them. Obviously my worries are disease, mites, behaviour, aggression, tracking passings etc.
I am seriously considering separating them but my concern is whether they are used to living together, I know some don't think Snakes have feelings etc and I'm honestly not sure where I stand on this but I guess trying is my only option.
Below are a few videos I have taken of my Viv and male Royal Khal, I am making some changes to the Viv atm as they currently have a Heat Matt but I have a 100W Ceramic Heater to go in there and a full length Florescent tube rather than the light currently in there. I haven't made the changes as yet although I have the parts because Khaleesi is about to shed.
Hope you like the videos, any input, comments, suggestions all greatly recieved. Please excuse my noisy girls! lol
Thanks for looking!!
http://youtu.be/p8KLKI5uAuk
http://youtu.be/qrjKWRRW2rg
http://youtu.be/ZGAqSdUvNb0 |
| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Royalbob |
Posted - 04/09/2011 : 19:21:45
Hi mate what generaly happens in regard to humidity is we all in out and buy all the kit and wait for their first shed in our care. Once this shed goes ok we know the set up is good and there is no need to alter anything or take measurement everyday as we would with the temp. It's when tidy dont we start looking at what we've done wrong. Also normal house humidity should be between 40 and 50% so there is generaly no need to worry. Ceramic bulb's do dry out the air in a viv more though. Once you have a large water bowl something like the big ceramic dog bowls is great as your royal is large enough. Then as said just add moss or I prefer hogies method of a fans flannel when tidy in blue you'll be fine. After tidy shed the two main areas to check are the eye cap's and the vent. Either on the snake or the shed itself. as all have said once they shed ok the humidity is ok. You'll find the rub's hold the humidity great. |
| boomslang |
Posted - 02/09/2011 : 19:39:13
quote:
Originally posted by JayJ
I slightly rearranged the Viv today, moved the Hygrometer lower so we'll see how it goes. Thanks Boomslang!
Np m8,I do have Hygrometers in all my snakes vivs,They do hold at 50% to 60% etc etc.But i hardly look at them.
Your snakes all shed good right?So i wouldn't worry to much about it. |
| JayJ |
Posted - 02/09/2011 : 13:13:05
I slightly rearranged the Viv today, moved the Hygrometer lower so we'll see how it goes. Thanks Boomslang! |
| boomslang |
Posted - 02/09/2011 : 02:07:04
quote:
That's also what worries me about the humidity being so low atm, I put some soaked Sphagnum Moss in the Viv earlier today and the humidity went up to 56% but 5-6 hrs later it's dropped to 38%??
Any suggestions??
Do you think my water bowl is too small??
Looks fine to me,bats and alot of people don't use humidity readers.Try not to over think it to much,And just spray/damp hide when their in blue.
bats is also right,in that most are massively inaccurate,why don't you place the probe on the cool side of the viv,nearer to the viv floor?,Might get a better reading then. |
| JayJ |
Posted - 01/09/2011 : 23:13:41
Thanks Royalbob, that's a real help and I appreciate that!!
When I got my Royals on the 7th August they had no Thermometer or Hygrometer in the Viv so I had no way to gauge the humidity, I immediately ordered 2x Thermometers and a Hygrometer. I knew Khaleesi was in the early stages of shed but tbh she kinda took me by surprise on her shed, she only had very mild bluing and I didn't expect her to shed as quickly as she did.
This first shed in my care was a very messy shed, the shed broke into pieces (not sure if there is a technical term for this). Shortly after this the Thermometers and Hygrometer arrived and I upped the humidity, this made a huge difference as Khal's shed (8 days ago) and Khaleesi's recent shed (3 days ago) were almost perfect. Khal's wasn't one continues shed but still only split into three pieces and Khaleesi's shed was one continues shed rolled back and inside out. Do you think the messy shed is why Khaleesi has shed again so soon??
That's also what worries me about the humidity being so low atm, I put some soaked Sphagnum Moss in the Viv earlier today and the humidity went up to 56% but 5-6 hrs later it's dropped to 38%??
Any suggestions??
Do you think my water bowl is too small??
RUB is already on it's way, I have a matt, 2x hide but just need a Thermostat, waterbowl and some folage.
Thanks Bob, really appreciate the help and advice!!!!! |
| Royalbob |
Posted - 01/09/2011 : 12:41:53
Hiya Jay j, First of all a 3ft royal should not have shed twice within 3 weeks. check them over. frequent sheds can be a sign of stress or skin damage. Are the sheds complete? if yes then your humidity is fine. don't complicate things for yourself mate. Here's what rub you need for a 3ft royal http://www.reallyusefulproducts.co.uk/uk/html/onlineshop/rub/b33_0litre.php
Not really any need for all that height on the 84l but up to you. remember they live in burrows.
place heat mat under half of it until inside temp under hot hide is 90F. Your right the humidity should be 50 - 60% and it is important in my opinion. After all we are trying to replicate
their living conditions. The reason for the lower humidity is the ceramic bulb, just place an extra or larger water bowl in. As mentioned when
he goes blue you can place a damp flannel in under part of hide this will increase humidity at the time that he needs it. don't swop them back and forth. Hope that helps and apologies if i have understood anything wrong. |
| n/a |
Posted - 31/08/2011 : 23:06:48
Nope. I'm a coward.
They're all shedding ok, honest! |
| boomslang |
Posted - 31/08/2011 : 22:58:26
quote:
Ah. There is a lot of debate about this, plus hygrometers.
I'm a humidity coward. I don't use hygrometers. I've heard these gismos can be massively inaccurate
Not if you buy good ones :P Hygrometers used in wine/whisky storage,cigar hygrometers,Not exo terra ones :P |
| boomslang |
Posted - 31/08/2011 : 22:54:24
The heater will suck the humidity out of the air,around the moss/water bowl,plus if you sprayed the aspen,it wouldn't be 38%.
point is around the water/moss its higher,then a foot in the air.So that should be ok,with abit a spraying when in blue. |
| n/a |
Posted - 31/08/2011 : 22:46:18
Ah. There is a lot of debate about this, plus hygrometers.
I'm a humidity coward. I don't use hygrometers. I've heard these gismos can be massively inaccurate, and being a worrybucket, I can do without them lol. I did try a moss hide but it went smelly. I don't spray at all. When a snake goes blue, as soon as it clears, I put the water dish in the hot end - extra evaporation = more humidity. Once the shed's over with, the water dish goes back in the cold end. The only concession I make is to have Shahi's water dish permanently in his warm end after a few messy sheds when he was a baby but I reckon he would probably be okay if I put it back in his cold side now, apart from the eye clearing pre-shed period ...I'm a lazy git, but other people may approach the situation more erm ... technically lol. |
| JayJ |
Posted - 31/08/2011 : 22:21:38
Thanks Bats, will have to decide which I put in the RUB. Suppose it doesn't really matter? I have just ordered an 84L RUB off eBay, hopefully be here in a couple of days.
Any other input on my humidity issue?? I was under the impression the humidity needed to be 50-60% which it was with the Orchid Bark but not the Aspen, I've just sprayed the Sphagnum again and it's only 38%?? Confused?? |
| n/a |
Posted - 31/08/2011 : 21:02:26
A royal python values permanency above anything ...whatever it's in, as long as space, temps etc are ok, that's HOME. It likes everything to be the same, for ever. Which ever royal you move into the rub, once it settles, won't complain. |
| JayJ |
Posted - 31/08/2011 : 19:12:06
No using a RUB was a way to separate them, keeping one in the Viv and one in a RUB. I just thought rather than one being permanently in a RUB I could swap them around?
The moss is almost dry though?
From what I've read the humidity should be around 50%? With the Orchid Bark I had no problems keeping the Humidity around that level, I knew the Aspen would be dryer be not as dry as it appears to be?
Yes the Hydrometer is Exo Terra, the probe is in the middle of the Viv about 4-5" from the floor of the substrate. Can be clearly seen in the first pic in my above post.
Thanks!! |
| boomslang |
Posted - 31/08/2011 : 17:55:23
quote:
Okay, thanks mate but Khal is the smallest and around 3ft so would I need a bigger RUB?? Would an 84L be enough or should I go with the 145L??
Would it be okay to alternate them between the RUB and the Viv every month or so, obviously cleaning the Viv and then changing them over??
So you putting them both in the same rub?as for moving them,moving to clean is fine.But changing them over for weeks,then moving them back and so on,might freak them out alittle.
quote:
As for my Viv I'm having humidity problems using the Aspen substrate, didn't have any problems with the Orchid Bark but I sprayed the Viv this morning as the humidity was low and 5 hrs later the humidity is at 31%?? I have a small amount of Sphagnum Moss in there as can be seen from the pictures, even that seems to have dried out??
it will be higher,as you have moss in there,and the aspen kinda soaks up the water better.
You don't need to spray it or mess around to much,the viv should hold the humidity without it,you can up it,or spray more when there in blue etc.
if its an exo terra humidity reader,there crap anyway,so the reading will be of to.Where do you have the probe? |
| JayJ |
Posted - 31/08/2011 : 16:41:24
Okay, thanks mate but Khal is the smallest and around 3ft so would I need a bigger RUB?? Would an 84L be enough or should I go with the 145L??
Would it be okay to alternate them between the RUB and the Viv every month or so, obviously cleaning the Viv and then changing them over??
As for my Viv I'm having humidity problems using the Aspen substrate, didn't have any problems with the Orchid Bark but I sprayed the Viv this morning as the humidity was low and 5 hrs later the humidity is at 31%?? I have a small amount of Sphagnum Moss in there as can be seen from the pictures, even that seems to have dried out??
I'm only using the light for viewing purposes, it's off atm although the room they are in is quiet dark??
Tried feeding Khaleesi this morning and she took interest initially, tongue was going and she was fixed on the rat but didn't take it. She then lost interest? She hasn't eaten since I've had them, I was told she had eaten about two weeks before I got them so about five weeks in total and she has shed twice since I've had them?? |
| Royalbob |
Posted - 31/08/2011 : 15:37:45
Also it might be a little easier on their eyes without the fluorescent tube as they are nocturnal so natural daylight is enough. |
| Royalbob |
Posted - 31/08/2011 : 15:31:52
Think bats has covered it all but basically an easy way to go is the length of snake should roughly equal the length and depth of rub. generally 32l rub for an adult is fine unless it's a big female. i place the heat mat so it covers between 1/3 and 1/2 of the rub so just use which ever one;s a more suitable size. an economical way would be to place the rub on the cool side of the viv that way it will be heated by up to a nice ambient temp. Test temps for a day first and adjust before placing your snake in. i place the stat probe so it is sandwiched between the heat mat and the rub then use a thermometer on the inside under hot hide to read the temps. Again set the stat according to the thermometer not the dial on the stat.
Hope that helps. p.s the guard is fine just get your hot spot to 90F and your ambient should level out around 80F. let us know how it goes. |
| JayJ |
Posted - 31/08/2011 : 14:05:05
Thanks, you've put my mind at rest!! |
| n/a |
Posted - 31/08/2011 : 13:50:23
Yes, the guard does get hot, but the sides are cooler - thank heaven adult royals are too clumsy to wrap themselves round a guard like a corn or boa might, but even then the heat ought not to be dangerous with a statted bulb. (Amendment - my Shahi used to climb on his guard as a baby, but fortunately he was fine.)
I've only ever had one hairy experience with a bulb guard and that was when I moved Saffy off her heat mat. Now, she knew about guards, as she'd had a low watt lightbulb that was switched on for illumination if needed, cleaning out etc, and guarded. But for some reason, when first with IR, in the early hours (she was feeling amorous at the time; she's the one who kept trying her viv windows) she did her damnedest to push her nose through the bottom of her guard ...thank god for insomnia ...I had to turn off all heat (luckily it was a warm night) and next day reinstate her mat until she calmed down. She's been fine since with bulb and guard.
For this reason, although the bottom of the guard is so obtrusive, I wouldn't worry - the further away the bulb is from the base of the guard the better. Plus, I don't think they do smaller sizes; I was amazed to see a larger size on sale at Blue Lizard, but usually all you see is that particular model.
I don't care for these guards myself; if I had the money/space/carpentry skills, I'd design and build vivs where the heat source was in an enclosed cage (opening from outside for ease of bulb changing) large enough to keep the viv's occupant from approaching anywhere near the bulb but at the same time maintaining the right ambient temp ...ah, utopia eh? |
| JayJ |
Posted - 31/08/2011 : 12:22:24
Thanks, I am happy because they are happy. All I want is happy snakes, what's the point otherwise!!
Thanks for the links have read some but will read the rest later, hopefully the RUB will arrive soon.
Couple more Q's please?? The guard is quite hot, is this normal? I can hold my hand on for some time so not ridiculously hot but should it concern me?? Also with how low the guard is should I look for a shallower guard, as can be seen from the pics there's only 2-2 1/2" from the top of the hide? |
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