| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| kathlovestea |
Posted - 26/03/2011 : 19:37:17
Hello,
I'm sorry for making a new topic for this but I thought it might be easier as I have a few issues.
OK so my CRB is 3 and a half now. I bought him when he was 1 and he was housed in a fish tank, so humidity was never an issue. However the tank became damaged plus I'd been thinking of getting a bigger one anyway, so he's now in a wooden viv with glass doors and I instantly had humidity problems. So I switched to using orchid bark, which is fine as long as I mist it twice a day. I also have a second watter bowl on part of the mat.
I think my issue is that it's a pretty big enclosure and I'm using a heat bulb which I imagine is drying the substrate out. I don't know what my alternative is though as our house is very cold. I have a heat mat inside the tank (with a thermostat) but alone it's not enough. I've also taken to leaning a hot water bottle against the door twice a day now too, and that's WITH the bulb on.
I bought some polystyrene recently to put under the tank but I'm not sure how much of a difference this will make.
My other issue is that he's not eating so much now. This is a long time after changing enclosures so I'm sure it's not that, but I did move house in Jan and it's been since then, he's eaten since then of course, but he's only grabbed one of his mice and he's refused a few.
FINAL point, some people online have stated that cypress mulch is cheaper than orchid bark (I'd prefer to use it as it resists mould, though saving money would be a bonus) but it seems to be just as expensive. If there's anyone from the UK here where are they buying it? and what's the average cost per litre?
I'm sorry this was so long! |
| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Snakesitter |
Posted - 30/03/2011 : 02:29:13
AH, perfect -- thanks Graeme! |
| gmac |
Posted - 30/03/2011 : 01:37:50
must admit I have never heard of anyone using heat cable in a viv, this is something normally used in racking system where tubs are used to house the animals.
The heat cable does pretty much the same as the mat, the only difference being that thee is more cable therefore will heat larger lengths of racking compared to the legnths of mats required.
@Snakesitter, we have 3 types of stat here, will be the same as you guys have just different terms for them.
On/off or matstat, it will turn the mat off when it reaches the required temp and on again when t goes below a specific temp, only should be used with mats.
Pulse Proportional this sends electrical pulses maintaining a constant temperature, can be used for mats and ceramic bulbs
Dimmer this supplies a continuous supply to the heat source normally light bulbs.
so pretty much what you guys have over the water with different names |
| Snakesitter |
Posted - 29/03/2011 : 17:39:38
No worries Kath, we're all learning as we go! :D
You should be able to check the wood surface and tell by feel if it is sealed or not.
The insulating wrap, unfortunately, is not cheap. However, I bought a full roll; maybe your local stores sell it in smaller pieces. If too much, ask them for other suggestions, or use anything else (such as sleeping bag lol?) you have on hand.
A wall-mounted second mat should work fine, so long as it is controlled by a thermostat to never go about 82F or so (measured on surface of mat, not settings on the thermostat).
I'm not familar with the cables; Paul, as you raised the idea, would you mind addressing that point please? I'd love to know more myself!
Watch the overall viv temp carefully when you make these changes, as the the combination of a new heat source and better insulation may cause a general spike.
Is "pulse" thermostat a UK term? I'm only familiar with proportional and on/off....
Good luck, and feel free to ask any followup questions you might have! |
| kathlovestea |
Posted - 29/03/2011 : 10:53:32
Thanks guys this is really helpful. I've had a sleeping bag over the top of the tank for a while. I really have no idea if the wood is sealed with anything, what a disaster I am. I think the main difference is that before the tank sat on a carpet above the warmest room in the house and now it sits on laminate flooring in a cold house. I'll look into the insulating wrap though I can't find any on our hardware store websites I'll go and ask for some help there.
The heat panels sound like a good idea though this is an unfortunate financial time for that. Would wall mounting a second mat be worthwhile (with a thermostat)? I was going to look into the cables too. Should I really have a pulse thermostat for those then, since they'll be more exposed? As I only use a regular thermostat on the mat. |
| Snakesitter |
Posted - 28/03/2011 : 19:33:06
Kath—
Yes, both large enclosures and heat bulbs pose challenges.
Has the wood of his new viv been sealed with anything? If not, I can see how that would cause an issue. You were smart to add the second water bowl and switch to a bark substrate.
If you really need the second heat source, I’d either look at a stronger underfloor option (for example, flexwatt comes in at least three strength options) or replace the heat bulb with a radiant heat panel, which will still provide warmth but will not dry the air.
One possibility: try wrapping the tank with insulating material like “Reflectix.” Sold at home supply stories, it looks like silver bubble wrap. That will trap heat inside the cage. Just be careful not to overheat the day or two after you add it! The polystyrene floor you spoke of will only prevent heat transferring from the surface it is mounted on, not the air.
The eating issue could be due to temps, or due to breeding season. Males will sometimes go off food around this time if they are in “that” mood. ;-) Try offering the food well-heated and at dusk, and leave it with him for a while if needed.
Can’t help you with the last point from over here in the US, but good luck!
Best regards, |
| kathlovestea |
Posted - 27/03/2011 : 11:42:57
Hi and thanks for the advice. The mat is somewhere between a quarter and a third of the tank. I might look into heat cables though. I'm having to move him again at the end of the month which is a nightmare. The poor thing doesn't need all this additional stress but I can't help my living situation. The house he's going will hopefully have a slightly smaller viv. But my main concern is to have him comfortable and happy now and in the long run. |
| Hammy |
Posted - 26/03/2011 : 21:36:20
Firstly welcome to the forum,
I must admit I am a newborn when it comes to boas, but I have quite a bit of experience when it comes to pythons, lizards etc...
Boas I am guessing like humidity and as such, bulbs etc.. dry the air more then other means of heating... Firstly is your heatmat big enough to handle the size of viv you currently have your CRB in ?
There are heat cables which can cover quite a large area of viv if the heatmats can't stretch enough .. Surrey reptiles do them amongst others.. I think you need to raise the ambient temperature as a whole which in turn will help your CDR to want to feed.. Ours go off food from time to time, and I constantly realise it's due to changes in environment etc...
I hope that others will help, but just want to offer somethings that may help, although other Boa specialists will be far more intuitive with your needs..
Best regards
Paul. |
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