| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| purplepeke |
Posted - 16/06/2012 : 22:00:47
Hi, everyone, hopefully this won't make me a laughing stock, but i am a newbie to royals, only ever had corns previously, so the question i need nelp with is......currently my baby royal has a mat, (statted, obviously), when the time comes for her to upgrade to a viv, i shall use a bulb, as i understand this is better for heavier bodied snakes, if this is the case, can you give me recommendations on bulb types/wattages and i assume a pulse stat is the best, (i have one in for my beardie), and what happens at night, do i just leave it on 24 hours......???? Sorry for all the questions, but want to do well by her. Thanks in advance. |
| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Unamed |
Posted - 19/06/2012 : 13:37:33
Thanks guys |
| Se7enS1ns |
Posted - 19/06/2012 : 10:10:19
I forget who makes the ones I have - both are slightly different though, but both have doors at the bottom. One is secured closed by a small thumb screw, the other is held shut by two spring clips. |
| Lotabob |
Posted - 19/06/2012 : 00:52:31
It depends which type you buy. I use pro rep and they are screwed to the roof and need unscrewed and taking off to change bulbs but at once a year or so I can cope with it. You can get ones with doors too, it depends what you go with. I cant sing the praises of the prorep ones enough, I accidentally stood on one in a dark room and it didn't damage it at all, I did however limp for a few days. PAIN.COM
As long as it is suitably sized for the bulb you are using then its good. |
| Unamed |
Posted - 19/06/2012 : 00:14:29
How do the light bulb guards work with regards to changing a bulb if need be? Do you have to unscrew the whole thing, or does it have like a door mechanism?
I've always used heatmats and didn't need a guard for my leopard geckos etc as they would never reach the roof of the vivs. |
| Se7enS1ns |
Posted - 18/06/2012 : 23:58:47
I have one of each - one vivarium set up with a ceramic, and another with an IR. Both have their pros and "cons" for lack of a better word.
The IR bulb is obviously visible light - so I get to see inside the viv with no additional light, although everything does look very red (obviously). I'm inclined to agree with Bob in terms of activity - Monty always was a little shy so not definitive by any means, but she rarely comes out of her hide. Another pro is that I can see immediately if the heat source is working... which leads me onto...
Cerramics. I have to check my thermometer every day (which is no additonal effort as I check temps regularly anyway). I also noticed that the humidity is noticeably lower in the cerramic viv. On the plus side, this definitely does not affect the snakes activity levels - Ifrit is out exploring most nights!
In terms of temps, I have not noticed any difference in each vivariums stability - both seem to hold their temps constantly with no drops. I have no real preference, but if I had to choose, I'd probably go with the ceramic setup - purely as I dont really like how the red light makes Monty look a different colour to her real tones. Personal preference of course :) |
| blackskull |
Posted - 17/06/2012 : 16:40:59
i have used both ir and ceramics and found them to be as good as each other
all my vivs are on ceramics as the majority of my snakes are in the bedroom and any light at night would drive me up the wall, i just use energy saving bulbs for the day night cycle on timers. the light doesn't seem to bother my royals and i do find them out during the times the lights are on every now and then |
| Blackecho |
Posted - 17/06/2012 : 16:35:45
I use an IR Bulb, my good friend uses ceramics, I get to see my snakes without extra lights. Rule of thumb with a Royal is that if its eating its happy enough. They love any excuse not to eat ;) |
| frambo |
Posted - 17/06/2012 : 13:28:51
I have what I consider to be a great snake, eats like a dustbin, shed's like a pole dancer and explores like an exploring snake :P
I use an IR and it's definitely true that they give out red light as well as some Infra-red but what many people don't realise it that for some snakes that's not a problem.
Red light itself does not affect night vision and when I'm on safari we use a red light as opposed to a white light because it doesn't disturb the animals nearly as much.
So yes, it's true that an IR bulb is not fully IR, but the red light it gives out is not nearly as noticeable in terms of night vision loss to your snake as a white light.
I was thinking of a ceramic but I like the fact that the snake is lit up a little bit at night when she's exploring! |
| chrisc |
Posted - 17/06/2012 : 09:00:57
i have used mats, IR, ceramic an very recently a reptile radiatior in my viv's and ive not noticed much difference in the behavior of my snakes myself. the reptile radiator is very good but does kick out a lot of heat from the top of the viv am working out a solution to this at the moment |
| acd1984 |
Posted - 17/06/2012 : 03:08:55
Vivs are awesome and there are many ways of heating one, I have just made a rack to lower the running cost because if I had all mine in vivs it would cost a fortune in electricity, and even then there are many options. But in my viv I use ir and a dimmer and my snakes never seemed to be put of by it |
| Lotabob |
Posted - 17/06/2012 : 02:11:35
Those reptile radiators are by all accounts awesome, I dream of the day I can refit my vivs with them. Lol. So neat and tidy looking too. |
| Meadow |
Posted - 17/06/2012 : 00:24:32
Hi purplepeke, and welcome to the forum 
Another thing you could consider is a Reptile Radiator. I have one for my royal in a 3ft vivarium and it works really well. I have it set up with a Habistat Pulse Proportional Thermostat Day/Night 600w and a Habistat 'night eye', so at night the temp automatically drops a few degrees without me having to fiddle with it.
The Reptile Radiators don't seem to be widely used, not like ceramics or IR bulbs, but I really like mine. Guards are around £10.
My royal is about 5 months old now and perfectly happy in her 3ft viv. It's got three hides and plenty of foliage and she seems to be content in there I've got a blue light for viewing at night and that works well, too.
No question should make you a laughing stock. Everyone here was a beginner once (I still am - only had my royal a month) and I've found everyone to be really helpful, so don't worry about posting questions about anything you're unsure of
|
| GMac |
Posted - 17/06/2012 : 00:07:14
Bats that wasnt just aimed at you its a general statement to every one. |
| austin_89 |
Posted - 17/06/2012 : 00:02:45
At the minute I have a ceramic in one of my vivs which a friend gave me, before that I had a heat bulb and in my others I have heat mats... All 3 can heat a viv best just finding what works best for you |
| n/a |
Posted - 17/06/2012 : 00:02:27
'bickering'?
GMac I'm a grown woman - I don't expect to be spoken to like a naughty child.
I'm leaving this forum - apologies to purplepeke - this sort of stuff doesn't happen usually but I've had more than usual provocation from male members (stupid of me as a woman to try to infiltrate a 'male' hobby.) |
| GMac |
Posted - 16/06/2012 : 23:53:21
right ive pretty much had enough of the pointless bickering,
Remember there is more than one way of keeping reptiles, heating alone has many many ways of doing it. To suggest someone does it your way is incredibly arrogant as that hints that others are doing it wrong. You may suggest things yes but dont say oh you should get rid as this yadda yadda yadda.
And if this adds to the thread, I use a heat light and have got no issues with it at all. however as i have said there is more than one way to heat a tank.
|
| n/a |
Posted - 16/06/2012 : 23:24:28
Right lotabob I will make a separate thread. |
| Lotabob |
Posted - 16/06/2012 : 23:22:19
BATS I dont know what your problem is of late, nobody has done anything against you and you seem to be spoiling for a fight. I am perfectly entitled to my opinion if you dont like what my opinion is then tuff thats what forums are all about. If you have a problem with me then take it up in a separate post, dont clog up a new members thread with a rant.
Infra red bulbs lie because they are not infra red, you can see it, thats the first clue! They are closer to the infrared end of the scale and filter out a lot of the white light that disturbs nocturnal animals but they are still in the visible light spectrum.
Sorry Purplepeke, don't let outbursts spoil your enjoyment of the forum it is a peaceful and calm forum, I was just giving you my experiences with both the red bulbs and ceramics and personally although they are a bit more expensive I do like the way they work. If your vivarium is going to be in an area you frequent too it can be advantageous to have separate viewing light that you can switch off should you want a bit of dark. |
| purplepeke |
Posted - 16/06/2012 : 23:05:48
Sorry guys, didn;t want to start a war!! All advice has been taken in and absorbed, many thanks to you both for giving me different views. x
|
| n/a |
Posted - 16/06/2012 : 22:48:35
Why the hell should IR 'lie'?
No-one knows everything Lotabob - not even you.
I know I'm on the way out of this forum after 2 years of trying to do my best, but dammit most of my snakes have IR and dimmers and are doing well. |
