Posted by:
wftright
at Wed Nov 16 22:01:21 2005 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by wftright ]
Zach,
Thanks again for the comments. I'll try to increase his soaking schedule to once a week. His soaking container is a 12"x8"x7" "Kritter Keeper" kind of plastic container. I put about half an inch of water in the bottom when I soak him. That container is probably too small for him to get any swimming value, but I can look for something bigger.
I keep him in a 55-gallon aquarium. The aquarium is 48" long by 12" deep. There's a support in the very center of the bottom of the aquarium. I have a Fluker's large ( 11"x17" ) UTH on the "hot" side of the aquarium. The pad is offset from the far side of the aquarium by about an inch or so. Obviously, that leaves about six inches between the edge of the pad and the center of the aquarium. I then have a Fluker's small ( 11"x6" ) UTH just past the support in the center of the aquarium. This smaller pad seems to give more heat, and the bedding above this pad tends to run in the 86 to 88 degree temperature range. The support is placed so close to the glass that I can't get a UTH between the support and the glass. I have expanded polyethylene sheeting (an R1 insulation) against the pads to hold them against the glass. I also have the entire aquarium sitting on these polyethylene pads. I think these pads keep the heat moving upward into the aquarium.
I've noticed that the snake spends most of his time underneath a dog's water dish that I placed over the middle UTH. Ever since I suggested that the pet store give him that extra water dish a week or two before I bought him, he's loved going under it. I haven't tried moving it, but I suspect that he'd spend most of his time under that dish regardless of where I put it. I'm trying to find another just like it so that I can have two in the aquarium. I'd love to see whether he'd use both of them.
What's the maximum temperature that I should allow the hot spot, and how much heating of the rest of the tank should I tolerate? I have a light bar with incandescent fixtures. I've had them on a few times, but they tend to push the whole tank into the low 90's temperature range. The temperatures were still climbing when I'd turn off the light.
Again, many thanks for your advice and help.
Bill
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It's not how many snakes you have. It's how happy and healthy you can keep them.
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RE: Thanks very much - wftright, Wed Nov 16 22:01:21 2005