Newbie moments

[Dianne]

Very true! Thermostats were unheard of back then. I had to experiment with different wattage bulbs, moved them further and closer to the tank, laid them on the screens, used blankets wrapped around the sides of tanks, etc...to get decent temps.

Craig,

It sounds like we were applying many of the same tricks. When I think back to those days, sometimes I’m amazed any of the more delicate species survived. We were all just winging it until we got something close to right. Back then the only thermostatically controlled ‘cage’ in my house was a tropical fish tank.

Luckily the Colombian redtails, bp’s and most colubrids were pretty forgiving. That’s probably what has kept these species so popular in the pet trade to this day...reasonably easy to care for and great dispositions.