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heaton177
Yearling
204 Posts |
 Posted - 11/11/2010 : 18:37:46
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hey guys and gals,
sorry iaint been on in a while, after lookin at peoples vivs they have done on the site i decided to open mine up and decorate it with logs and what not.
i have a 4'x 18" x 18", befor hand i had a partition down the centre so it was 2' but now i have opened it to the full 4', i have packed it out and i have noticed the cool end temp is not heating up to the right temp, atm it is currently at 20.8c and the warm end is at 30.0c.
i currently have a 60w bulb in i am going to change it tomorow to a 100w to see if that helps, but i dont think it will make a ifference as the warm end is to the right temp well 1c out so it would dim the bulb anyway, what do you guys think?
on the style of viv i have for the snake it has a 2" strip vent running right along the top of the viv at the back, unlike all the others i have seen with the 2" circle vents, so i am thinking it might help a bit to cover it up and leave a 2" circle a either end ( ill use 1/8" ply for that).
i am also going to put a hide mid point in the viv.
i would also like to know where the best place for the diming stat prob is best being, i have mine on the substrate in the hide with the snake, a the snake is normaly in the hide,or shouyld i have it on the viv wall?
sorry for all the questions and the big essey but i would realy like to now what you guys and gals would do in this situation.
thanks in advance chris :) |
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n/a
deleted
7384 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2010 : 18:58:56
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Hi, yes, you seem to have guessed right about why the temps are down.
My royals' vivs are 3' with bulbs and dimmer stats. The bulb wattage is at present 75 - I have 100s on standby in case 75 isn't powerful enough in this colder weather. (Even if I fitted 100s now, with dimmer stats the vivs couldn't possibly overheat; the stat would just cut the power down. It's a bit like putting on a coat in case you get cold - if you have the coat on, you can always take it off, without the coat, if you're too cold, you can't put your coat on to get warm! If you see watt (ooh couldn't resist that!) I mean!)
So in a 4' viv, personally I'd be using a 100 watt bulb this time of year.
About your probe. When I fitted my first dimmer stat the instructions told me to have it hanging at least 10 inches away from the bulb and showed a diagram to this effect. So that is what I did. Commonsense told me to have the probe down at snake level ie less than an inch from the floor. I know other people feed a probe in from the back of the viv, and there are differing opinions about should ambient/basking/hide temps be the optimum one of 32c. Personally I check the substrate at the hot end - if that is 32c, I'm satisfied; the same with 26c at cool end. But this is just me.
And, yes, at this time of the year I'd block off some of your long air vent - with duct tape on outside, perhaps. If you change your mind or humidity's too high or when the weather's warmer you can soon peel the tape off.
Yes, I like to have hides everywhere in the viv. (And then one awkward little git sleeps on his climbing branch. But at least he's got the choice!)
I seem to have written you an essay in return! But this is just what works for me, and from my own experience - other people may have different views.
Hope this helps. |
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Edited by - n/a on 11/11/2010 18:59:54 |
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Blackecho
Royal Python Admin
United Kingdom
11327 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2010 : 21:14:02
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| Nice reply :) |
 
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n/a
deleted
7384 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2010 : 22:10:50
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Thanks, BE! |
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Gingerpony
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
2663 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2010 : 10:07:18
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or you could even go for a higher wattage bulb that won't have to work as hard to maintain the desired temp
i personally suspend the stat probe from the guard to prevent it getting moved or sat on by a cold snake (which would then tell the stat to put the bulb on flat-out!)
blocking off most of the vent, particularly over winter, should help stabilize your temps and i'm sure your snake will appreciate having as many hides as you can fit in lol |
Dumerils boas, BCO hybrids, Sinder Hypo boas, cornsnakes, ratsnakes, Day Geckos
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heaton177
Yearling
204 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2010 : 17:54:32
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thnx for the reply guys im going to sort it out over the weekend ill let you no how it all works out, ive been meaning to make a hide, so ill get on that aswel thnx guys :)
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reptiledanny
Old Royal - I Post too much!
United Kingdom
2106 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2010 : 21:59:00
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| i think to be honest everythiong has been answered lol, although a 4ft seems slighlty large for a royal, but if yours is till eating and seems happy then he obviosly likes it lol |
1.2 royal pythons 0.1 hog island boa 1.0 corn snake
sig made by stapey |
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heaton177
Yearling
204 Posts |
Posted - 14/11/2010 : 11:34:31
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well the 4" viv is not as deep as a 3" so hes not realy gaining that much floor space its just realy a bit longer, idealy a 3 " viv is better to control the heat s im going to see how well the heat is in the viv and if its not holding that well im going to make a 3"viv,
i got a 100W bulb last night on a bonet fittingand when i was changing the ulb i knocked the 60W bulb and broke it so i had to put a 4oW bulb in to give him some heat lol, it all went tits up so i have to shoot the shop swift eye today n sort it, good job the pet shops open on a sunday lol. |
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reptiledanny
Old Royal - I Post too much!
United Kingdom
2106 Posts |
Posted - 14/11/2010 : 12:59:15
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tits up lol
always the way, when u need to change a bulb in a hurray cuz the animal is in the enclosure, something always happens lol |
1.2 royal pythons 0.1 hog island boa 1.0 corn snake
sig made by stapey |
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heaton177
Yearling
204 Posts |
Posted - 14/11/2010 : 21:28:09
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| always is the way when i finaly got the bulb i took him out n let him have a wonder so i didnt disturb him as much with the messin about, gunna feed him tonite :) |
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Topic |
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extended viv, cool end temp problem.
