New royal housing 18" viv ok? Shy inactive , scared of rat ?

[Smith123]

My six month royal went from a tub in the shop to a wooden viv , it's 18" wide so not even two foot, although I've had him just over a week he does not leave warm hide and hasn't eaten yet, I offered food yesterday, dangling a rat in, he stuck his head out to look but seemed scared of the rat?? And made a sudden retreat hitting his head on his hide on the way back in!
Is he still settling in?
I did have a rub setup for him as recommended by the shop but I don't think my cool end ambients where warm enough do put him straight in a viv?

[KMG]

Is he still settling in? Probably.

I did have a rub setup for him as recommended by the shop but I don't think my cool end ambients where warm enough do put him straight in a viv?What?

You may have better luck feeding in a totally dark room and placing the prey inside and stepping back to watch across the room. I doubt the snake was scared of the rat. It was probably scared of the huge monster holding the rat that it is not used to yet. Give it time and it will get used to you.

[Smith123]

Right ok, I will try him next week and just put the food in and walk away, I held the rat with long forceps so I didn't even have my hand in the viv, didn't think he would be so spooked by a rat hanging down?
I had a rub setup a tub? As recommended by the shop, the shop said my household ambients would be fine for the tub, but the cool end ambients in the tub was 72f which I've read is too low? Yet rep shop said that would be fine? Obviously the hot end was fine with mat and stat but cool end was my worry.
Just hope the viv isn't spooking him....
thanks

[KMG]

Well the uth does not heat the air so the entire setup will have an ambient temp of 72. What is the ambient now in the new viv you have?

[Smith123]

Yeah so the shop was wrong in telling me a tub would be fine?
His viv has a retile radiator on the roof to one side, probe on floor under it reading 87-93f with ambient / cool end 78-80

[KMG]

That sounds good. Good luck next week with feeding.

One thing. When you say probe is that the thermometer probe or a tstat probe?

[Smith123]

Yeah sorry, thermometer probe, the stat probe goes in through the roof and hangs down about 2" from floor. Thanks

[Smith123]

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[KMG]

Yeah sorry, thermometer probe, the stat probe goes in through the roof and hangs down about 2" from floor. Thanks

Great. Everything looks nice. You seem to be getting it all dialed in.

[Smith123]

Great thanks, always good to get input from others more experienced! I haven't handled him yet either, as I wanted him to settle in and eat really. Should I stick to that or should I be getting him used to being handled? I will wait till he's eaten if that's for the best?
thanks