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Reptile & Amphibian Habitat Lighting:
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![Zoomed Repti Basking Spot Bulb [Value 2 Pack 100 WATT] - Includes Attached DBDPet Pro-Tip Guide](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51seID+UbtL._SL500_.jpg)
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You will definitely want to swap that out for a fluorescent tube that will cover the entire length of your enclosure. They are on sale on Amazon atm. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009YHSWK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
You can also get an under cabinet light fixture at walmart for like $8 and then mount it inside the cage, so they get maximum amount of uvb. I mounted mine with a ton of gorilla tape, and didn't have any problems with it falling.
I think Cotton would be fine as long as it isn't loose for he/she to ingest. Also, I might try to get the cool side up to 80, mine goes between 80 and 75, maybe consider having the ceramic heater on all of the time, and then just have the lights turn off during the night time. That is usually what I do during the winter, but it is still warm enough for me to get away with not having the CHE on all the time.
Good luck!
He's not fine just adapted to shitty care. There is less herp activity during full moon. Just cause he can fully dilate his pupils doesn't mean anything. They're nocturnal. Go out tomorrow and get a che or quit whinging about being wrong. And what care guides? Alot of the ball python care guises are horribly out of date by at least 30 years. You're forcing your snake to have 24 hours of constant light. It has no natural day and night cycle. Imagine if you had absolutely no sunlight ever and had to constantly stumble in the dark. We all make mistakes but if you get all up in arms and go off on a rant from hell everytime someone points out a mistake then you shouldn't have an animal. If you can't afford a che how are you gonna afford a vet visit? How are you gonna afford a few months of frozen rats? Yeah the light is dim but their eyes are more sensitive to the light. They have to be to see in the dark.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002DHO6S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_SP3SSD4D1XVRSD4D8EJ3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002DHO7C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_5AXR21CN7X28DV2AW2ZM
Here about 30 bucks to heat your animals cage without shovi g a brightest in its face at night. You can't afford 30 bucks? Really? If you can't afford this then you shouldn't have the animal. I have 300 at least set aside at all times for my animals. I'm working towards at least 500-600. A che is so much better. And I good it. A light dome and a red bulb were more expensive on Amazon then a che and a che dome. So what's your excuse?
I have ball pythons not sand boas, but what I use for ambient heat is a CHE (ceramic heat emitter). You would need a dome with a ceramic base because they can get very hot. I use this one , and the CHE can also be found on Amazon like this one . I also have mine on a dimming thermostat, since on/off thermostats can wear out the bulbs, but those can be pricey. I know some people will just use the dimmer knob for the dome, but you will need an infrared heat gun to check surface temps and adjust to make sure it’s not too hot, and check it regularly as it won’t adjust itself if your ambient temperature in your room fluctuates.
I’m not sure about the 2.0 for coiled, for most any animal that needs UVB I see people lean towards tube over coil. They used to be a bigger issue in the past with the way they were designed, which has been corrected. It’s my understanding that the output is different and that the tube provides better, more even UVB coverage with less risk of burn. I’ve not measured it myself though. Seems like one of those things where some people use coils without issue but most people just opt for the tube option. It’s a discussion people have in many different animal care communities haha
This is the bulb I use https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-25156-Reptisun-Fluorescent/dp/B00A8RI8TK
Reptisuns are still on sale on amazon
I would also get an under cabinet fluorescent tube to mount in the tank, for the fluorescent tube, you can find them cheap at walmart. or a hardware store.
also for lighting, i notice you have two deep domed lamps. i’m not sure what’s in them, but i’ll tell you the correct things that you’re going to need to get for your cham
for heating, the best thing to use is just a 60w frosted incandescent bulb. anything marketed as a “heating” light can leave nasty burns on your cham- believe me, i made this mistake and it’s a long way to recovery after that.
for UVB, you’re going to want to get a t8 5.0 reptisun linear light. Zoo Med Reptisun 5.0 UVB (18 inch) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000255OS6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
a couple more things, veiled chameleons need ventilation. a full glass enclosure does not give them this. the best thing to get is going to be a screen enclosure, when she is an adult it’s gonna have to be pretty large. 2x2x4 is the recommended size.
substrate is never a good idea in chameleon enclosures. gives bugs a place to hide and bacteria will grow. also just really messy, you don’t need it at all. I just use paper towels. picks up the excess moisture or some drops from my dripper that fell and easy to clean up! :)
also, not trying to attack you or anything, i’m just trying to help. chameleons are difficult pets and there’s a lot of different info on husbandry out there, but this is what i have learned from my experience and what all of most experienced chameleon owners recommend as well.
You're thinking of basking lights. ~~Those work fine~~ (disregard this, they don't work fine. Snakes are sensitive to bright light.) but when the lights go off at night they lose their source of heat, not ideal lol.
CHE is a ceramic heat emitter. Here is an example, but do your research on wattage / dome sizing, they can get pretty hot. It's basically a wire that's coated in ceramic, it heats up and heats the air.
I've heard of the reptile carpet stuff but I have no experience with it. I've heard concerns of burrowing species getting stuck under it though, so I wouldn't risk it. A regular heat mat with a thermostat / prob should be fine. Remember, heat mat on the outside of the tank, temperature probe on the inside against the glass.
As far as the ambient temperature, that's a bit high. Hognoses have no problem being in 85F temperatures, but their ability to thermoregulate is going to be severely impacted if they only have a 5-10 degree window of temperature. You really want to get that cool side down to 80 at the most. But if you're not going to be in a large enclosure then I imagine it's going to be difficult to keep the cool side cool, even with an 80 degree ambient temperature you may struggle to keep the cool side under 85 in a smaller enclosure.
For reference, my ambient air temperature in my place is around 72F. My enclosure, which is 3ft x 2ft x 1.5ft has a cool side around 75F. So even the heating from 3ft away with a mesh top enclosure still has an impact on the cool side. That would be the biggest concern to me.
It's built in, it's just a "dial" dimmer. I have an aftermarket one i plan to use for the 4x2x2, just bc it will give me a little more control..
This is the lamp I currently use. I order my CHE bulbs from amazon, too. They're just cheaper and the same quality as the pet store ones..
/u/boxedinmyshell can you give me a sanity check on this species
- Where did the turtle come from?
- Give me more pics of the turtle, in particular the plasteron and back legs, I want a positive ID
- Get a new vet, an exotics specialist, for future needs
OK, a lot going on here, I'll give you some appropriate care recommendations once either I wake up enough to not have a fuzzy brain, or boxedinmyshell can double check the id. NA species are not my thing, I will say your entire setup is badly wrong, and those lamps are a fire hazard and ineffective for what you using them for.
For basking/heat purposes use these fixtures https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Repta-Clamp-Lamp-Switch-Reptiles/dp/B0002DHODG/ along with cermaic heat emmitters and regular incandescent bulbs.
For UV, I use the reptisun T5 bulbs, however I'm experimenting with actual UVB LEDs that seem to do well. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09TQXXLMY
I'll stop myself from going further until I have someone confirm the id
It sounds like it could be likely it is suffering from a calcium deficiency. Talk to a vet, book an appointment, it might need some liquid calcium.
Start giving it calcium one meal a day for it's insects.
How large is your enclosure?
Here's a 24 inch fixture. It only includes a 5.0 tube though, so you'd need to get a reptisun 10.0 t5 tube for it.
More certainty is always good! I also was not aware of the zilla quality concerns, so thanks for the heads up there.
Just as a double check:
I'm Guessing this bulb: https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-25156-Reptisun-Fluorescent/dp/B00A8RI8TK/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1A6YFY55UPN5G&keywords=zoo+med+reptisun+13w&qid=1657236628&sprefix=zoomed+reptisun+13w%2Caps%2C94&sr=8-3
With this fixture? (Zoo Med Mini Deep Dome Lamp Fixture with 5.5-Inch Dome, Black) : https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Fixture-5-5-Inch-Black/dp/B002OVDPJQ/ref=sr_1_5?crid=XZEQVVP4AOEL&keywords=zoo+med+deep+dome+lamp+fixture&qid=1657237231&sprefix=zoo+med+deep+dome+lamp+fixture%2Caps%2C153&sr=8-5
Or do I need a deeper (8.5) inch dome? If its these two, I should be able to swing down to my local store tomorrow and grab these, pretty sure I've seen em there.
I would suggest taking her for a checkup at the vet, to make sure there's no parasites or egg bound issues. If you have concerns about her not getting calcium or D3 during hunger strikes, look into UVB lighting. I use this.
Well shit, looks like a dead link on Amazon went to the wrong product.
Should be this. Sorry about that, it's a copy-paste write up that apparently us mods should re-check now.
This is the uvb I use. You can get them basically anywhere but they’re super expensive at pet stores right now bc it’s summer time and that’s when parents buy their kids pets to kill so they’ll leave them alone so I go online and get lights. Make sure to change there every 6 months bc they run out, the light still works but there will be no UVB coming out
Zoo Med ReptiSun 5.0 UVB Mini Compact Fluorescent (13 watts) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A8RI8TK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_HWFSGB0GWA2JY2Q003WC?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Here’s the basking light I use,
Zoomed Repti Basking Spot Bulb [Value 2 Pack 100 WATT] - Includes Attached DBDPet Pro-Tip Guide https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YBHTFZH/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_XGT5WG7KSWA6ZJ7RQEB4
Make sure the lights aren’t too close to your guy, I have mine like 8-12in away from them bc it can burn them. You can get lamps w dimmers if you have to keep the lights too close
Fluker's Repta-Clamp Lamp with Switch for Reptiles ( Packaging May Vary ) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002DHODG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_0QDYW1YZ85G46DCSFE0X?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 this is what i use!! been using it the past 2 years with no issues
The flukers dimmable dome is fairly affordable:
https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Repta-Clamp-8-5-Inch-Ceramic-Dimmable/dp/B003H200QC
This timer outlet is fairly affordable too:
This should get you started: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002DHODG/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_V3FNZ9PAY3RRZ5PT5A2A
I would search for a full-spectrum light like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079NM682K/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_DQGY2Y2GFTWTEWC6BM5Z
>And I mean something like this or this. A piece of slate that is warmed by the heat bulb to create a basking spot. This is where you would be reading the temperature with the heat gun and thermostat.
oooh got it!
yeah for the lamp I was thinking in getting Fluker's clamp lamp with dimmer, since I already have the on/off thermostat (according to the guide, it's a good combo). So, my last question is, the guide says halogens are only for daytime use, what about night time?
I think moving the CHE to the cool side and getting a 100w or 150w basking bulb with a dimmer for the warm side would be good. Here's the link for the dome and dimmer I've been using for my leopard gecko for a while and also got for my BP. Just cheap options if you are on a budget. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002DHODG?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DL2HV9F/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_3CKC8C1YXTS54AAMV4MR?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 For the probes I'm pretty sure people secure it in the hide or secure it to the glass about halfway down. I use suction cups bc bad accidents can happen with tape don't use tape.
I have the 75 watt version and 150 watt version of these heat lamps and I like them both. I paid $9 for the 150 watt so a good deal. At pet stores you're gonna pay about 2-3x that price. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002DHODG/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_B3WEAAC4YX28S05DS0ZG For a thermostat I've been using this one for about 8 months and I love it. It's kind of hard to program but once you figure it out it's super easy. You can have two different heat sources hooked up or just throw the second probe in the same tank to read the temps. Try a CHE instead of an actual basking bulb like someone else on here said. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083Q7YRBM/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_B4SKD5ENMRRS3VF0H06T?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Not enough, especially with the grate in the way. He needs proper UVB or he can’t develop properly. At a minimum get one of these. Buy thin steel thread to get it under the lid and make sure he can’t get 6 inches near it or his eyes could burn.
Zoo Med Reptisun T5-Ho Terrarium... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M9ONY1W?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Zoo Med 26396 Reptisun 15W 10.0... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N1DY82E?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Change the tubes every 6 months or buy some test cards to ensure it still works.
You can keep the bulb you're using now for heat and combine it with one of these for UVB:
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiSun-Compact-Fluorescent/dp/B00A8RHTYU
Get a dome fixture along with it, there are models that will hold two bulbs together. For a box turtle this should be about 8-12" above their basking area and replaced at least once a year.
This is what the packaging for the T5 looks like, the only store I’ve found them at physically in the store (without having to order and wait for it), is Pet Supplies plus.
Reptisun T5 Ho Terrarium Hood 24 Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CX5HXI2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_HV6MDDR9S1EM8W7RRQ7Z
Thats odd ive used repashies for a period of time with mine and had no issues plus they are one of the main brands of powdered herp food. That makes me think this is probably just him choosing not to straighten his tail for whatever reason. I would just keep an eye on him since this looks very mild if present at all especially if you seen some of the disasterous cases online (wouldnt look if you are squeamish.)
Anyways here is the light I use which is thankfully very cheap you can use 2.0 ,but no real reason to in this case, just dont use 10.0 wavelength cause that will likely be too strong and make him uncomfortable. The bulb is thirteen watts and will likely work in any common fixture that can fit it. Youll probably find it in a petstore and certainly in a reptile shop.
Sure thing, I use a ceramic heat bulb and have that plugged into a thermostat. It turns on the bulb when the temperature is below the set point (I think I have it set to 87F for day and 77F for night). I also have an extra digital thermometer in the tank just to double check and make sure that the thermostat is reading the correct temp but I haven't seen any issues yet. You could have the same setup with a heat mat but I went with the lamp.
No worries! Glad to hear I could go the dome route.
I have just one more question, about the UVB. Would something like this work? Reptisun T5 Ho Terrarium Hood 24 Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CX5HXI2/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_1KV657T5VGTH5V823WBH