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Brent09
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
24 Posts |
 Posted - 21/12/2009 : 09:43:23
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Hey.
I bought a 5-6 month old baby Royal there the other day and a friend of mine who's kept snakes all his life told me I need to buy a red heat bulb, I was just wondering is it necassary to have a red bulb?
He said clear bulbs do mad things to its eyes.
Also, I have a Corn snake and a big Carpet python but this is my first Royal so any general tips would be appreciated. :)
Thanks. |
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chris100575
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
743 Posts |
Posted - 21/12/2009 : 10:01:08
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Snakes can't see red light very well, so at night if you're using a red bulb it'll look like dusk to him. If you used a white one he'd think it was always day time. Presumably you already know that you'll need a dimming thermostat and a cage for the bulb?
Welcome to the forum by the way!  |
0.1.0 Royal Python - Princess
0.1.0 BCI - Feather |
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Brent09
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
24 Posts |
Posted - 21/12/2009 : 10:04:42
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I see, that would make sense.
Yeah I have a cage around the bulb, learned that one after the Carpet python wrapped round his everynight and broke a few. lol
Though I don't have a dimming thermostat, no one ever mentioned one of those to me...
Thank you. :D |
Edited by - Brent09 on 21/12/2009 10:05:55 |
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chris100575
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
743 Posts |
Posted - 21/12/2009 : 11:14:23
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No problem.  How are you regulating temps at the moment? |
0.1.0 Royal Python - Princess
0.1.0 BCI - Feather |
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Brent09
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
24 Posts |
Posted - 21/12/2009 : 11:20:35
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| At the minute I have a 40W blue bulb in but I'm getting a 60 in a few days because the 40 doesn't hold the temp high enough and at night I put a heat mat underneath the tank to stop it from getting too cold at night. (Dodgy windows let in a draught.) |
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chris100575
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
743 Posts |
Posted - 21/12/2009 : 11:26:34
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| If you replaced your blue bulb with a 100w infra-red on a dimming stat, you could do away with the heat mat all together and it'll hold a nice constant temperature for you. Don't worry about the higher wattage, the stat will turn it down to just what's needed. Princess' viv sits at 32 degrees in the warm end all the time and I never have to touch it. |
0.1.0 Royal Python - Princess
0.1.0 BCI - Feather |
Edited by - chris100575 on 21/12/2009 12:30:43 |
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Blackecho
Royal Python Admin
United Kingdom
11327 Posts |
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Brent09
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
24 Posts |
Posted - 21/12/2009 : 12:01:52
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See, the mate I was talking about doesn't use any of that, he just has the 60W bulb in and his sits fine so I'm just thinking should I try the bulb first or just go straight for the dimming stat...
That's a big help anyway, thank you.
:) |
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chris100575
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
743 Posts |
Posted - 21/12/2009 : 12:37:37
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I wouldn't recommend not having a thermostat. Your 60w bulb will be running at full power all the time which could either over-heat the viv, or not be warm enough when the temperature drops over night. In my opinion £35 for a thermostat is a small price to know that your snake's being kept at a temperature where he'll be happy.
Your mate probably doesn't have one because ten years ago there wasn't the range of equipment there is now and people had to make do. |
0.1.0 Royal Python - Princess
0.1.0 BCI - Feather |
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Brent09
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
24 Posts |
Posted - 21/12/2009 : 12:39:39
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| I do have a thermostat, it's a normal Exo-terra one, it's not one of these dimming ones if that's what you mean? |
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chris100575
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
743 Posts |
Posted - 21/12/2009 : 12:54:27
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You can only use a dimming thermostat with a bulb. Yours will either be a pulse stat or, more likely, an on/off type. A pulse stat supplies pulses of power to regulate the temperature, so you'd get a nasty disco effect until the bulb blew. An on/off (commonly known as a mat stat) would be similar in that it would turn the bulb off and on repeatedly with the same end result. The flashing light would also stress out the snake.
You could use your existing thermostat with a heat mat, but an adult royal will need a bulb anyway and as you already have the holder etc it would make more sense to go down that route. |
0.1.0 Royal Python - Princess
0.1.0 BCI - Feather |
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Brent09
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
24 Posts |
Posted - 21/12/2009 : 13:00:51
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I'm confused with al these thermos and stats and dimmers and heat mats and bulbs lol
So should I just get the 60W bulb and use the heat mat during the night to keep it from getting too cold?
Sorry if I'm a pain, I get confused easily lol |
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chris100575
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
743 Posts |
Posted - 21/12/2009 : 13:14:40
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If you want to do what's best for your snake, get a dimming thermostat and a 100w infra-red bulb. You'd be looking at a total outlay of about £40 (£35 stat, £5 bulb) and it's a heat setup you can use for the rest of your snake's life, even when he goes into a larger viv. You won't need the heatmat any more.
No problem with you asking questions, it's why we're here.
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0.1.0 Royal Python - Princess
0.1.0 BCI - Feather |
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Paulusworm
Fully Grown Royal
Azerbaijan
1550 Posts |
Posted - 21/12/2009 : 13:16:14
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| Hiya. One question which doesn't appear to have been asked is what are you housing it in? |
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Brent09
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
24 Posts |
Posted - 21/12/2009 : 13:35:07
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| She's in a Clear Seal glass vivarium, gonna buy a wooden one for it after Christmas when I get paid again, glass doesn't hold the heat at all... |
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Paulusworm
Fully Grown Royal
Azerbaijan
1550 Posts |
Posted - 21/12/2009 : 13:45:40
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Very true. It's a bit like a teapot made of chocolate  .
I do use unstatted bulbs for the basking lamps with my Bosc and Anoles but defo not with the snakes. Knowing how stressy Royals are I would recommend a ceramic lamp on a dimming stat but I'm not too sure what that would do to the glass viv. Since I've started using that particular set up with mine he has taken his food 99% of the time and will even still feed after he has put in an appearance at one of the local schools. The ceramics give a nice overall heating (grammar?) of the hot end but with no light. The cool end of the viv fluctuates nicely at night too |
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Gingerpony
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
2663 Posts |
Posted - 21/12/2009 : 21:50:15
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quote:
Originally posted by Brent09
I do have a thermostat, it's a normal Exo-terra one..
do E-T do stats? |
Dumerils boas, BCO hybrids, Sinder Hypo boas, cornsnakes, ratsnakes, Day Geckos
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chris100575
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
743 Posts |
Posted - 22/12/2009 : 09:36:59
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| Unless he's getting confused between thermostat and thermometer? |
0.1.0 Royal Python - Princess
0.1.0 BCI - Feather |
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Topic |
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Heat bulb/tips
