Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am going high-tech with my re-introduction to BRBs. I am thinking of using the Habbi Mist to maintain my humidty... (no I am not too lazy to mist) and perhaps the Repti Temp 500R to maintain my high-end temp.

Have any of you used them before? Any advice, suggestions, or perhaps better ideas?

Thanks,
Iman
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-Iman

Loving to Learn
Learning to Help
Helping to Love

Stimulate debates, stifle arguments.
Please be nice always.

Iman,
I have no personal experience with either of the products you mentioned but, I always have an opinion whether it's welcomed or not.
When I first bought a pair of BRB's I set them up in a Model 70 Lizard Lounge with an ESU 60 gallon UTH and ESU Night bulbs. I used cypress mulch and the normally suggested humid hides that contained dampened sphagnum moss. That setup worked just fine for me with carefull attention and lots of worry about humidity and replacement of those crappy @#!! bulbs. I have been a rebel and must admit I no longer purchase anything from that manufacturer although it is just as likely it was the distributor whose fault it was.
I now house the majority of my BRB's in cages specifically made for snakes. I am using Flexwatt controlled by Ranco thermostats and never worry about humidity. awhen i first started using these cages I had to reduce humidity....I just wasn't used to that. If I were you I would critically consider your enclosure type before purchasing a mister, you just might be like me otherwise.....and waste a bunch of money on something that's only future purpose is to cause more worry.

Rainbows (and likely all captives) are very easy when your set-up is right. YOU will do well any which way you go....I'm glad to see you back. Somewhere I think I heard you served for hurricane relief? Is that correct?

Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are way cool!

Linda Misch

>>I am going high-tech with my re-introduction to BRBs. I am thinking of using the Habbi Mist to maintain my humidty... (no I am not too lazy to mist) and perhaps the Repti Temp 500R to maintain my high-end temp.
>>
>>Have any of you used them before? Any advice, suggestions, or perhaps better ideas?
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Iman
>>-----
>>-Iman
>>
>>Loving to Learn
>>Learning to Help
>>Helping to Love
>>
>>Stimulate debates, stifle arguments.
>>Please be nice always.
>>

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When the student is ready, the teacher appears. When the student is ready, the teacher appears. When the student is ready, the teacher appears. When the student is ready, the teachers appears.

Well, that's good advice for sure... I have always thout about getting a cage specifically designed for snakes, a neodisha or something along those lines, but I have never seen one out right and to me, decoration is important and I've naievly associated these fancy cages for breeders, with just basic substrate, hide and waterbowl in the enclosure.

I love to go with "Naturalistic" environments as much as possible for my pets. I am using cypress mulch and lots of moss in their 60 gl setup... I already have the 60gl and to change that will be 6 mnths down the road... I do want to get a thermostat for the setup, any advice on which is the best economical unit?

On a personal note, I used to live in New Orleans. I adopted out my entire collection after the storm (2 Brbs, 2 BPs, 1 CRB, 1 RTB, and 4 sugar gliders). I worked for a restaurant company and we fed the military and rescuers in New Orleans only 2 weeks after the storm... it was consuming work, but rewarding.

Now I back to a point where I can again resume my hobbies... and herping happens to be one! A pair of BRB's is the start, but I'm really afraid of what will come next!

Thanks for all of the kind words.
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-Iman

Loving to Learn
Learning to Help
Helping to Love

Stimulate debates, stifle arguments.
Please be nice always.

Hey there Iman,

I have to agree with Linda on this. I also don't worry about humidity WITH MY ADULT BRBS. Babies get a quick spritz in the morning and the shoeboxes are allowed to dry over the course of the day. My adults have large water dishes that they can get into and soak. I've noticed them doing this when they're in shed, during the warmer spring and summer months and when they'r mating. I don't spray my adults at all (except the occasional spray for a shed). I just don't like a lot of dank moisture to accumulate in my cages.

As for the thermostat. Definately invest in a proportional thermostat. I have most of my animals on the Helix DBS 1000 and I have been very happy with it so far. They run about 120.00. There is a company called Spyder Robotics which makes a nice unit as well. i think they run a little less that the Helix, I've not used them myself but have heard good things. If you google either of these products, you'll find them on line quite easily.
Link

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Mike Lockwood
www.tooscaley.com

The Repti Temp 500R thermostat is not a proportional thermostat. When the sensor detects temperature below the set temperature it supplies full power to the heater. With many heating devices this will be way too hot for Rainbow Boas. When the thermostat detects the temperature reaching the set temperature it stops all power to the heater. This causes the heater to shut off. This fluctuation between hot and cold is not ideal. Ideally you want a warm area of the cage that is always warm. A proportional thermostat samples the temperature every few microseconds and pulses a small amount of power to the heater to keep it at the temperature you want. I like proportional thermostats and use several of them but you can get by with a nonproportional thermostat if you use it in series with a dimmer switch and set the dimmer so that the heater never gets full power. If you play with the setting of the thermostat and the dimmer a little you can get it set up to provide the constant warm spot that is ideal.
Jeff

>>I am going high-tech with my re-introduction to BRBs. I am thinking of using the Habbi Mist to maintain my humidty... (no I am not too lazy to mist) and perhaps the Repti Temp 500R to maintain my high-end temp.
>>
>>Have any of you used them before? Any advice, suggestions, or perhaps better ideas?
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Iman
>>-----
>>-Iman
>>
>>Loving to Learn
>>Learning to Help
>>Helping to Love
>>
>>Stimulate debates, stifle arguments.
>>Please be nice always.
>>

And this is why I haven't bought anything yet... because there are so many more experienced herpanatics out there... yes herpanatics (herp-fanatics)

I will probably invest in the helix system...

Thanks for the answers guys.
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-Iman

Loving to Learn
Learning to Help
Helping to Love

Stimulate debates, stifle arguments.
Please be nice always.

Hi Ian,

As the others have posted, a proper enclosure is the best way to go. I don't mist anything anytime and I have bunches of BRB's. A proper cage with minimal ventilation will be humid with only a large water bowl and a damp hide. I also use the helix proportional thermostats and have been happy with them.

IMO it's better to have the humidity automatic. I had one of my babies at a pet store and they ignored all my instructions. Had it in a screen topped 10 gallon tank. They misted it twice a day but with nothing to hold that humidity it was like rain in the desert, it happens but does not last.

BTW, I'll try to take some new pics tomorrow and post them, just to torture you a bit more
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Thanks,

Dave "Rainbows-R-Us"

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB)
2.7 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (adult breeders)
2.5 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (sub-adult from 2004)
4.8 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (sub-adult from 2005)
2.1 Hypomelanistic BRB
0.1 Het for Hypomelanistic BRB
0.1 BCI "Elvira" normal from 1989
1.0 BCI Albino / het-anery
0.1 BCI Hypo / het-albino
0.1 BCI Anery / het-albino
0.1 BCI Salmon (possible super)
1.0 BCI Albino het stripe
1.0 BCI Salmon
0.1 BCI Ghost
0.1 BCI Super salmon, possible jungle
1.0 BCI Salmon, possible jungle

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats