| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Cre |
Posted - 01/05/2011 : 13:55:30
Hi, I am Cre, mum of Jack aged 11 who for the last 12 months has been researching Royals, constantly talked about them, been around all the local reptile shops and held Royals, babies and fully grown, saved up his pocket money and has shown us that its not a flash in the pan idea so in a couple of weeks he will be getting a young Royal. We are all set up and ready to go I feel a bit nervous but Jack and his dad and very excited! |
| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| n/a |
Posted - 11/05/2011 : 19:53:07
LOL - our pleasure - will take the word for the deed!
All the best. |
| Cre |
Posted - 11/05/2011 : 19:24:06
Actually I am going to blame you and reptiledanny for forcing me to spend my hard earned cash on snake stuff! lol
Just want to say a big thanks to you both for the great advice. Without you I might have gone into this blind and got all the wrong stuff. If you lived closer I would have made my hubby buy you a drink (I am skint now until payday). ha ha ha ha xxx
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| n/a |
Posted - 11/05/2011 : 19:04:44
LOL - you're hooked!
They are fabulous - and so fascinating, and therapeutic too, to watch and to hold, and they all have their own personalities ... you'll never regret it. |
| Cre |
Posted - 11/05/2011 : 18:56:46
Woo hoo, very excited now, just ordered 1 and then looked at the vivs and they were also good value so bought 1 too lol and then ordered some feeding tweezers! All we need now is the snake. OMG I feel like a child I am so excited...its not even going to be my snakey!
Just think a few months ago they made me feel ill just to look at one! |
| n/a |
Posted - 11/05/2011 : 18:41:51
Hi, that's fine - that's the dimmer stat I use mainly. Habistat do one too but it's dearer - I have some secondhand ones but Microclimate is the cheapest new, and I don't think you'll get a better price, unless they have any on ebay.
The little dial in the middle is a bit of a pain but I've found that a precision screwdriver (you can get sets for £1) is just the thing to adjust it - clockwise for up (drove me mad with my first one lol.) |
| Cre |
Posted - 11/05/2011 : 18:11:26
Ok, neary there, so is this the right thing to buy and is it good value?
http://www.surreypetsupplies.co.uk/microclimate-b1-dimmer-stat-600w.html
Thanks tons, your so patient! lol |
| n/a |
Posted - 11/05/2011 : 10:54:27
Hi, yes, you can use a dimming stat with the mat and later with the IR bulb, as I understand (there's a good sticky on this on general keeping.) All the best with your new royal. |
| Cre |
Posted - 11/05/2011 : 07:14:13
Hi again, just wanted to say a massive thanks for all the advice, we have decided to keep the snake in the faun..we are going to wrap a background around 3 of the side to make it a bit more private (have downloaded some forest floor A4 pics will laminate them, cut them to size and stick them to the outside.) We will be using the heatmat to start off with then moving him to a viv with an infrared bulb when he is older and more settled. Is there a thermostat that I can use with a 7w heatmat and later on with an infrared bulb or will I need 2 seperate stats? Pics will be coming soon of snake. xxxx |
| reptiledanny |
Posted - 06/05/2011 : 19:23:08
so are you going to put the royal in the faun for a bit and then when it outgrows it put it in the viv, as this is what i suggest |
| n/a |
Posted - 06/05/2011 : 19:11:28
Hi - I missed the post about the faun being secondhand and your suggestion about putting it in the viv - sorry. Well, a spare faun always comes in handy for all sorts of things - cleaning out or whatever, and for a fiver, that's cool!
Yes, I was going to suggest Steve's thread - it's brilliant. |
| Cre |
Posted - 06/05/2011 : 18:42:51
Thanks everyone, you're all brill!! I remember doing all this last year when hubby bought me my tortoise lol. Just off to read that thread Steve. I really hope you dont get sick of me asking so many questions!
OMG Steve, those pics made me cry! Blame it on hormones or that fact that I am tired out....been up since 4am with a poorly child and full day at work with 10 very demanding SEN kids!
Anyhow a very good read and will need to somehow bookmark it to show hubby tomorrow (he works nights so wont see him until then.) Looks like I will be buying a viv tomorrow, got to decide to either get a mahogany 1 so it stays downstairs in the lounge or the 2nd hand pine 1 with the stat to go in his bedroom. The shop we are getting the snake from have said Jack can go to watch the snake being fed then after the next feed we can take it home so it might be a few weeks yet. |
| stevethornley |
Posted - 06/05/2011 : 18:32:57
Hey Cre!
I'm a dad of an 8-year old who wanted a snake since he was 3. I gave in much sooner than you!
I was on exactly the same journey as you three months ago and the story is here
http://www.theroyalpython.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5183
This community is brilliant and their advice is good. Our Royal is feeding every week without fail and seems very happy - she told me so the other night lol. I'm certainly not saying that ours is the only way of doing it, but it has been successful so far and I thought you might find it helpful to share the info from some excellent contributors on this thread.
Good luck. Keep asking away!
Steve
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| n/a |
Posted - 06/05/2011 : 18:28:42
The secondhand viv/setup doesn't sound too bad at all, depends on all the bits and bobs.
The cheapest place for flatpack vivs that I've found is Swellreptile in Hyde - at present they do the vivexotic 36lx for £48.50 and the 24lx for £36. (Delivery in UK 4.95, I think.) Both are pretty easy to put together (only the window tracking can be fiddly - I've just assembled 7 vivs from them lol - any questions, just ask.)
It is a bit of a moot point, putting a young snake straight into a 2' or 3' viv - as long as it's well packed out with hides and cover many thrive - but they are all different.
A good halfway measure could be to buy the viv and put the faun and heatmat inside the viv until the snake is older. That way you will attain more stable temps. Once the snake is in the viv, a heat bulb and guard is preferable as a heatmat for an older royal can be subject to thermal blocking, even when statted. (And heatmats aren't waterproof - wee from an older snake can be like Niagara!
Hope this helps.
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| Cre |
Posted - 06/05/2011 : 18:16:31
Thanks so much for all your advice, I hope your not fed up of me yet!
Jack had been going on about a royal for months and months, I tried to talk him into getting a corn to which he agreed but could tell his heart was not really in it, I had been told a corn would be more suitable for a beginner. We were at a car boot sale a few weeks ago and someone was selling an exo terra large flat faun, heat mat, hide and water bowl in mint condition for £5. Jack thought this set up is suitable for a baby corn or royal so he bought it. So even if I did buy the viv we could still use the faun set up but put it inside the viv so snake felt secure? After seeing him last weekend with a baby royal I decided that I was being a mean mum and said he could have a royal after all, he was that pleased he started crying (which made me feel terrible for saying no to a royal in the 1st place!) I must admit I like the way royals and not a quick and dont try to escape as much as a corns and If we come accross any problems then we will deal with them along the way. Now before I waste money on the wrong set up I wanted to ask you all on here to point me in the right direction. Its so complicated, everyone has their own way of looking after their royals so if I get a few ideas I can then decide which option to go for. |
| reptiledanny |
Posted - 06/05/2011 : 17:57:25
T it not always advisable to put a baby royal straight into a big viv, some people do it and have no problems, but with royals they like small spaces, and like to have small enclosures, hence only having a 3ft viv when fully grown, so I wouild say put it in the faun, as to me putting it straight into the 3ft would only save u money from the faun and everything, but would not save you on stress if the royal doesn't eat |
| Cre |
Posted - 06/05/2011 : 17:32:47
Ok, then is it worth getting him the complete set up now then? I want it to be right for the snake when it comes. There is a guy local to me thats selling a 3ft viv complete with microstat, hide and some other stuff, seems to be in good con and want £80 for it. Or should I just buy this
http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/reptile/vivexotic-vx36-winchester-oak-vivarium/invt/rs00043/?htxt=PsAGyAqy%2FDSGVBgOHPBfATKVETOKIWHcwqoICuDrG%2FxTcDPfxIrYzUvEu76RzzM6wutKTeo9AOCB%0AtDs76aYYKg%3D%3D
and the micro climate thingy? If neded I could put the faunarium in this until snake it bigger?
As I have said we already have a hide, faun, heat mat water bowl etc.
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| reptiledanny |
Posted - 06/05/2011 : 11:35:43
I kept my male in a faun for a while until he got to bigg for it and he was fine. As long as the temps in the hide are fine then there shouldn't really be a huge prob, as with a mat it won't heat the air around it that much |
| n/a |
Posted - 06/05/2011 : 11:17:56
Hi, your warm side needs to be 32c (but naturally you still need a stat.) A faunarium isn't really suitable for a royal, even a hatchling, as it is too light and the snake will feel exposed (although this can be rectified by draping a towel over it so that three sides are darkened.) Also fauns have too much ventilation and don't keep in the heat.
In a warm room in summer though, you ought to be able to get away with the faun for a while as long as it's dim enough and contains plenty of cover for the snake to hide, but come autumn the snake will need something more substantial. A RUB (Really Useful Box) with ventilation holes is an alternative, but even these don't retain heat unless in a really warm room. Perhaps Jack could have the viv as an early Christmas present?
Sorry to sound so opinionated; I know fauns are often advocated as snake enclosures, but they can lead to problems for the snake such as chronic respiratory illness; I know of at least one person who wishes they'd never been advised to keep their royal in a faun.
All the best with your new royal and setup. |
| reptiledanny |
Posted - 06/05/2011 : 08:02:07
If u need a thermostat for a heat mat then go on ebay and buy a mat stat, I think the microclimate ones are about £15 and the habistat ones are £20 but both are as good as each other  |
| Cre |
Posted - 06/05/2011 : 07:20:03
Thanks ladies and gents, 1 quick question, we set up the faunarium and plugged the heat mat in last night and put my torts temp probe in and it got to 27c over the mat. Going to buy another digi thermometer and thermostat, can anyone recommend one please? Thanks x
PS, Jack is getting a viv/stand and pulse thermostat for Christmas and (December) birthday so this will just be to tide him over, he is paying for everything himself out of his pocket money until then so good quality but good value is the key here lol. |
