New Caye Caulker Dwarf Boa and would like general information

[Jordanpg]

This is my first post so be gentle .

I just got a Caye Caulker (caye caulker, caulker caye, cay caulker caulker cay, ive always gone with caye caulker but ive seen it spelled different ways) last night and got everything set up, but I tend to worry about every little thing so I wanted to ask a few questions and get some general information.

1. What should hot side temps and humidity be, I was told to keep the hot side at 88 to 90 and the humidity between 60 and 70 but just wanted to hear from people that keep them.

2. What are some good ways to keep humidity up. My humidity keeps falling to 30 which I know is too low and when I spray it goes to 81 but falls pretty fast. I have a screen top with a towel over it right now. I bought some Sphagnum moss, what is the best way to use it?

3. I was told that a 40 gallon tank was all I needed for an adult as long as we got him out multiple times a week and that all I needed to get the correct temp would be a 150 watt ceramic heat emitter, but the temp on the hot side is staying at 81, should I get a UTH?

Thank you all for any advise you can give me and I hope any information that I get will allow me to help someone else in the future.

(I also need help naming him)

[ckuhn003]

Congrats and welcome to the forum! This place is a wealth of knowledge.

Please post some pictures!!

[dakski]

This is my first post so be gentle .

I just got a Caye Caulker (caye caulker, caulker caye, cay caulker caulker cay, ive always gone with caye caulker but ive seen it spelled different ways) last night and got everything set up, but I tend to worry about every little thing so I wanted to ask a few questions and get some general information.

1. What should hot side temps and humidity be, I was told to keep the hot side at 88 to 90 and the humidity between 60 and 70 but just wanted to hear from people that keep them.

2. What are some good ways to keep humidity up. My humidity keeps falling to 30 which I know is too low and when I spray it goes to 81 but falls pretty fast. I have a screen top with a towel over it right now. I bought some Sphagnum moss, what is the best way to use it?

3. I was told that a 40 gallon tank was all I needed for an adult as long as we got him out multiple times a week and that all I needed to get the correct temp would be a 150 watt ceramic heat emitter, but the temp on the hot side is staying at 81, should I get a UTH?

Thank you all for any advise you can give me and I hope any information that I get will allow me to help someone else in the future.

(I also need help naming him)

I do not know the specifics for your Boa. However, I keep a BCI.

It will be almost impossible to keep a glass tank at the proper temperature AND humidity.

Are you checking temps with a temp gun?

Are you heat sources regulated?

These are important questions and I am not trying to be difficult, but especially with vast humidity changes, temps can change as well. Very important your temps are regulated. It's a must.

Even if you spray in WARM water, which is way better than cool water, it will lower temps. If you are doing it multiple times, much is wrong with the setup.

What kind of substrate are you using? You might need something that holds humidity better, but it's going to be an uphill battle.

I am sure 81F is too cold for the hot side. Probably ok for ambient or cool side, but not sure.

Also, a 40G sounds small to me, but again, I do not know the species well.

I am sorry you were misled into thinking a glass tank would work well for a Boa of any kind. Ultimately, if you want your guy to be happy and healthy, you probably need to get a proper enclosure. Something enclosed like a Boaphile, an Animal Plastics (AP), etc.

We can help more with that later. For now, get this tank under control as much as possible.

Awesome attitude wanting to learn and do what's best and ultimately help other people.

[Jordanpg]

I'm using a temp/hygrometer, where is the proper place to put the probe to measure humidity, right now its on the glass in the middle of the cage about an inch above the substrate. I have the temp probe on the hot side right now.

How do I regulate the heat source?

Im using the Zoomed forest floor cypress mulch.

[Jordanpg]

also how do I add photos

[dkatz4]

This is a great video on dwarf boas in featuring Vin Russo (one of the all-time boa OG's) all of which are locales of BI. https://youtu.be/HfeCgsq-muw
As said above, you're just setting yourself up for frustration with a glass tank, but you don't necessarily have to go mega$$$ with the enclosure. Lots of people have great results with plastic tubs and totes. I'm not talking about a rack, but setting a tote up like a regular enclosure. Here is a link to a post a made all about my setup to someone with similar enclosure questions, i hope its helpful.

[Jordanpg]

I'm considering an animal plastic t8, there is one on sale for 150 on their website right now. Are the T8's any good?

[KevinK]

I'm considering an animal plastic t8, there is one on sale for 150 on their website right now. Are the T8's any good?

Yes, they absolutely are.

I would argue that's THEE most popular PVC cage in the industry right now. I have several of them. A lot of people use Radiant Heat Panels with them (Pro-Products seems to be the go-to brand). I use 65 watt pro products panels in my AP T8's with excellent results.

Many people also like T10's because they're easier to clean due to a few more inches of vertical height.

[Jordanpg]

How do the Hygrometers work? I was just told to spray the tank until it gets to 80 and that it will fall to around 30 because its the ambient humidity where I live. Shouldn't it stay at what it is in the cage?

Sorry for all the questions and thank you everyone for all the answers you have given so far.

[KevinK]

How do the Hygrometers work? I was just told to spray the tank until it gets to 80 and that it will fall to around 30 because its the ambient humidity where I live. Shouldn't it stay at what it is in the cage?

Sorry for all the questions and thank you everyone for all the answers you have given so far.

So the advice given to you was pretty good but I would alter a few things slightly....

Aim for a hotspot of 88-90 and an ambient (cool side) temperature of about 78-80. Dwarf boas actually prefer slightly cooler temps. If you had a normal BCI I would say 80-90 is a good gradient otherwise. A few degrees isn't going to make a huge difference though, I don't live next to my thermostat like some people here lol.

What substrate are you using in your enclosure? That is a big question pertaining to your humidity levels.

PVC enclosures hold humidity extremely well, so you can get away with using newspaper or aspen as a substrate....you cannot get away with those substrates in a glass tank because the humidity simply evaporates out the top. So cypress mulch is usually a good choice for glass tanks as a result. It holds your humidity requirements (50-60%) where they need to be for longer BUT you will ultimately have to watch the humidity levels more often as you will constantly be losing it due to the cage design.

On a side note, your heat sources ALWAYS need to be regulated by a quality thermostat.


What I (personally) would do is order a T8, a pro products panel, and a good thermostat (Herpstat or Vivarium Electronics).....you will save yourself from the uphill battle of a glass tank. If you don't have the money to do so, you can use the 40 gallon breeder but you will constantly be monitoring your humidity and heating requirements.