Re: Soon-to-be Owner: Question on my setup
Quote:
Originally Posted by
luvepriscilla
Thank you all for the help, I appreciate it so much!
To clear some things up:
1. Wanted to make sure that I'm getting this right- A thermostat is a "controller" for the UTH? And the thermometer I got (the electronic one I listed in my op) just measures the temperature of my tank, correct?
2. I will be exchanging the 5.5 gal tank I have for a 10 gal to accommodate another cave
3. Would I be able to make a cave myself using rocks and glue? (Sorry if this sounds a little stupid, I just want to make it pleasing and would think real rocks = awesome for any snake as a hide out). Plus it would look awesome in the tank :]
4. Would I just be able to plug the UTH into an outlet or is it a requirement to get that control?
5. Since winter is here, should I invest in one of those lamps to keep the tank from getting too cold?
Again, sorry if these are sort of stupid questions, I just thought I'd ask the experts :]
1. Yes! what you have are thermometers. However, I would keep them both. You need to be able to measure the temperature on both sides. Most people also have an infrared temperature gun to sheck their temps too.
2. Good! A 10 gal tank should last you for awhile (depending on how big your new babywill be). Eventually, you'll need to upgrade to a 20L and eventually to a 30-40 gal for an adult.
3. I would not use real rocks. Thet are pretty heavy and if it was to collapse, then it could crush your snake. A lot of times BPs will have a "favorite hide" and will prefer to sit in their favorite hide rather than be on the side of the tank they need to be on. For example, your snake LOVES the rock cave you bought it. If that cave is on the warm side, your snake will stay on the warm side and could get too hot. It is recommended that you use the same hide on both sides in order to prevent this. Also, if it's a smaller snake (less than 300g or so), you can try a smaller hide to make it feel more secure and work your way into the rock hide that you both. Most people recommend hides like this: http://www.reptilebasics.com/hide-boxes
4. I would not recommend plugging your UTH into the wall. While you can do so, they can easily get 120*+ which will burn your snake. You need to have it plugged into the thermostat so your thermostat will keep it at about 90*. That way, your snake won't get burned! Also, for the cost of the hydrofarm (the one that was linked to you), you will save yourself time/money/hassle if your snake gets burned and has to take a trip to the vet. A lot of people have learned this the hard way. Learn from our mistakes!
5. Heat lamps will suck out your humidity! If the temperature of your house is in the low 70s, I would get a ceramic heat emitter to warm up the tank. That way you'll be able to salvage what humidity you can keep in! If you run into a problem with humidity, cover most of the screen top with damp towels, tin foil, a piece of plexiglas, something. That will help keep in that humidity.
Also, if you don't have some already, I would find several sets of cage clips to clip down the screen top. Your bp can lift up the top of the screen if it is motivated enough to do so. I don't want you to have to deal with an escaped snake.
I hope that helped to clear up some of your questions.
