Well mine's a bit taller (4 feet tall, two feed wide and deep) but one would probably do enough for a smaller viv. It's this bad boy
My plants love it, and I've had no issues. It does run a little warm, but not bad at all considering the size. And it's still cooler than other light options since it's an LED.
Thank you so much! That seems similar to the Arcadia spotlight, but a fraction of the cost. I found this one on the Canadian Amazon, I assume it's the same thing?
Does it raise the temperature in the enclosure much? How warm is it near the top? I'm planning on using it with a crested gecko so I don't want it getting too warm in there.
I don't have a preference, although I did just find this really awesome looking one on amazon
I used regular porcelain ceiling fixtures like this purchased from a local hardware store. I drilled a 2.5" hole in the ceiling and ran the wires. Wired up the fixtures and screwed them to the ceiling. I then added the lamp guards with spacers as they are slightly too small to fit over the fixture.
So my lighting setup is different than what most people use. Honestly, I have yet to see anyone else with the same setup, but I recommend the heck out of it.
I use THIS fixture which is a T5/double basking bulb combo. It takes GU10 bulbs. I went with this for a couple different reasons.
The GU10 halogen bulbs are super small and the entire fixture is super low profile. The GU10 bulbs are 2” x 2” but put off SO much more heat than any other light bulb I’ve ever encountered, including bulbs marketed for reptiles. They put off so much heat that I honestly could’ve went with the single basking feature instead of double because I only have one 35w in there and it keeps his enclosure at optimal temps for basking/hot side/cool side. I originally put two 50w in there (before I brought my little guy home) and his basking spot was coming in at 151 degrees on my temp gun. 😬 Played with a few different wattages and needed up just needing the one 25w.
The bulbs last for close to a year. If you do decide to go with the GU10’s, use a cloth to handle them because skin oils will cause the bulbs to burn out pretty quickly. Same goes with regular halogens marketed towards reptiles, but more so GU10’s.
They are SUPER cheap. I bought a 6 pack of 25w for $14 on Amazon. And with them lasting close to a year when handled properly, you’re looking at spending $14 for 4-6 years of basking bulbs.
With them being so small and putting off so much heat, I don’t have to worry about unsightly views of large bulbous bulbs and most likely a cage around it so my beardie doesn’t burn himself on it.
https://www.amazon.com/Kihung-Integrated-Fixture-Linkable-Electric/dp/B086X1VYJX This is the light set I bought. And this is my enclosure, been going for about 7months now https://www.reddit.com/r/Vivarium/comments/wbv9nd/5x2x2_cornsnake_enslosure/
I bought sheets of styrofoam from the hardware store and carved it with hot wire foam cutters and used that as my base. Then I used Great Stuff expanding foam to fill in and add texture. Once the expanding foam was cured, I found it a bit too tough to cut well with the wire foam cutters. Also, the fumes were horrible lol. So I switched to a simple box cutter and carved it down that way. I did find the hot foam cutters helpful but you can def just use sharp box cutters or even serrated knives. It’ll just take longer most likely. And it’ll be more of a mess to clean. If you go with the hot foam cutters, def do it near an open door outside or something. I wore a mask when I did it to just to cut down on the fumes i inhaled.
This is roughly 32x24x24” though I would have preferred it to be a little wider if I started from scratch again. I got this model from Canadian Amazon but I think you can get it in the US too. It’s this one.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09NPQNMVF
Those are the ones I bought the last time. I don't think they are going to be tall enough for you.
Making as many as you need might be your best bet, since you can easily customize the dimensions.
I used these wire clips to secure the wires. They have self adhesive backs so you can easily test position them. Once you get them positioned, you can use a #4x 3/8" wood screw in each one to securely fasten it to the roof.
This is the dream backdrop for me, I've seen snakes climb all over it.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005GZ1XLE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_-tkcGbRDMVP2R
That's a pretty penny though, I was thinking about taking some simple 2x4s and making a ramp or a ledge. Anyone have experience trying that out?
For the substrate I'd definitely recommend reptile carpet, but get 2 because if you wash one you'll want another one to have until it dries. If your bottled water has chlorine, I'd recommend getting water treatment stuff that you mix into their water (I'll put a link on amazon at the end, but I'm not sure if I can find the South African amazon). The food plan sounds good, remember that the insect should generally be smaller than the space between their eyes. I wouldn't worry too much about the lights and stuff since they are nocturnal (if you did end up getting a light I don't think you're supposed to leave it on at night, I never got one personally). Zoo med reptivite with d3 has calcium in it and I think that would be your best bet. For the hides, a minimum of 2 would be good and 3 would be great.
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiSafe-Water-Conditioner/dp/B0002568SG This is the water conditioner, it'll basically remove chlorine, detoxify ammonia and add in electrolytes.
Hello! I'm making bioactive habitats for other species and have heavily leaned on SerpaDesign for direction! I've seen him use this sealant, and thus purchased some myself as well.
It is important to note that it is Type 1. It still needs a cure/air out time. One of them is ammonia-y/base, and one is vinegar-y/acid (I don't recall which for sure so being vague). Type 2 silicone is considered not safe by forums I've visited, while type 1 has been considered safe from my research.
Try amazon smile to donate to a charity of your choice automatically at no cost to you!
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For the hard scape are you wanting to use real wood/rock? if not you can create your own background with expandable spray foam and silicone and adhering fake rocks/driftwood (or real) to it. as for the mossy look you can find decorations like this to place around the enclosure or hot glue some preserved moss on to any hard scape you may have. if you’re on a budget dollar tree and most thrift stores have fake plants that you can use that still look pretty nice (you’d have to boil them first to sanitize), otherwise you can check out amazon or some craft stores.