New Caye Caulker Dwarf Boa and would like general information

[Jordanpg]

im using the zoomed forest floor cypress mulch. (and I finally figured out how to add photos, there's one victory for today only a million to go))

[KevinK]

What I would do is add a cup or two of water and mix it into your cypress mulch to meet your humidity requirements. The mulch dries out gradually and spraying won't bring it back to where it needs to be. Monitor the humidity levels though. After a while (a month or two) you need to watch for mold though and replace it all if you see any.

Then....move your heat lamp fixture to the other side of the tank away from the water bowl because the wetted mulch will provide enough humidity. To save space you may then consider using a smaller water bowl as you won't need it to provide humidity..... and boas in my experience NEVER soak unless they have mites or the cage temp is incorrect.

Then...get your lamp fixture on a thermostat or rheostat. It seems extremely odd to me that a 150 watt ceramic should be reaching temperatures of only 81 directly underneath it....it should be MUCH warmer than that just by my own personal experiences.

[Jordanpg]

Would it be good to put the probe for the hygrometer in the substrate or leave it where it is? What thermostat would you recommend?

with the animal plastic cages would it be alright if it hangs over the sides a couple inches? The surface I have right now is only 36 inches long.

[KevinK]

Would it be good to put the probe for the hygrometer in the substrate or leave it where it is? What thermostat would you recommend?

with the animal plastic cages would it be alright if it hangs over the sides a couple inches? The surface I have right now is only 36 inches long.

Put the hygrometer probe an inch or two above the substrate. If you put it IN the substrate it's going to read 100%.

I use Vivarium Electronics thermostats (all models are great).....but Herpstats are also great and very popular.


Yup! You'll be just fine if it hangs off the sides. Shouldn't be an issue. I've had the same problem before without any issues.

[Jordanpg]

What else would I need to buy if I bought one? Do they use a different type of heat source? if so what is an average price?

[KevinK]

What else would I need to buy if I bought one? Do they use a different type of heat source? if so what is an average price?

Your bare bones shopping list with an Animal Plastics T8 is as follows:

Animal Plastics T8 ....$195 shipped I believe
http://www.apcages.com/home/

A radiant heat panel that attaches to the top of the cage on one side (this is your heat source). I use 65 watt Pro Products radiant heat panels in my T8's (roughly $100 shipped)
http://pro-products.com/pro-heat/

A quality thermostat of your choice (Vivarium Electronics, Herpstat, Helix)....the thermostat probe hangs down on the cool side of the cage, you set the thermostat to 78, and with average room temperatures of 70 degrees you'll hit a perfect 90 degree hotspot under your radiant heat panel....usually between $80-$130 (Your water bowl provides enough humidity to hit perfect 50-60% levels)

[Jordanpg]

I'm probably going to go that route. from what it sounds like I'm going to have to do it either now or later and id rather do it now. How do you check the humidity in the animal plastics? I'm assuming the same way but at this point I would rather be safe then sorry.

[ckuhn003]

I'm probably going to go that route. from what it sounds like I'm going to have to do it either now or later and id rather do it now. How do you check the humidity in the animal plastics? I'm assuming the same way but at this point I would rather be safe then sorry.

You can't go wrong w/ a pvc enclosure. You would check humidity the same way you would regardless of your enclosure by using a hygrometer. Here's a link to the one I use:

http://www.reptilebasics.com/thermometers/TH-100/

The probe on the hygrometer hangs down in the cage and measures the humidity and it's recorded on the display.

[Jordanpg]

Would it be bad if I kept the glass cage as long as I get the temperatures to the right spot and spray a few times a day to keep humidity up? Whats the best way of knowing when to spray?

[ckuhn003]

Would it be bad if I kept the glass cage as long as I get the temperatures to the right spot and spray a few times a day to keep humidity up? Whats the best way of knowing when to spray?

I don't think anyone is saying that it can't be done (housing in a glass enclosure). I think it's just a matter where you might have to 'work a little harder' to achieve the environmental settings that will facilitate a good home for your BOA. As for spraying, my pvc is great at keeping humidity high so I don't have to spray. Since you're having issues, I would mist the substrate a little bit and see what that does to your humidity reading. You definitely don't want to soak the area because you don't want to have bacteria issues.