Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I need ideas for some kind of log that will resist high temps. I was thinking about something synthetic, but I dont what is toxic and whats not. I want it to span the length of the cage so my sav can more effictavely thermoregulate.

I just upgraded to 2x 250w heat lamps and added a heat blanket under the basking/hide area. The top of the basking spot is very hot though, so I'm not even sure if the lizard will want to get any closer to the bulbs.

Maybe I could get a 8x12 at home depot and work it to look like a real log...?

What are your ambient temperatures and in what size of cage?

That seems like an awful lot of heat emitters for one cage.

Ambient is 90 on the hot side,80 on the cool side. The basking spot is 125. He has a RI right now and is on Terramycin, the hot blanket is 104 at night.

The cage is 8 long, 2 high, and 3 deep. It has an open screen top.

No wonder your worried about burning wood. Who the hell told you to use 250 watt bulbs?? What made you do that anyway?Did you think the higher the wattage the better or what?

Hows your sav with the mucus in the nose doing?

Here's an FAQ - http://www.varanus.net/faq/

No mucus today, the cage is nice and hot and he really seems to like it, alot more active also. The 250's heat the cage to the correct(?) temps, I read that 130 is ideal, I have 125 and I dont think they make anything higher wattage than 250.

125 sure feels hot though, I cant keep my hand on the basking spot for very long, I'm thinking of moving one of the bulbs towards the center of the cage to disperse the heat after he gets better.

I'll post a pic of the cage if someone can tell me how.

When you say 125 do you mean surface or air temperatures? What are you using to guage the temperatures?

125 is surface temp. and 90 is air temp. The surface was tested using a candy thermomator and the air temp is gauged using a zoo-mad type 'sticky' thermomitor.

np

Ok, I am going to look for one tomorrow. Can monitos even lay on a 125 degree surface? Its too hot for me to put my hand on

If its too hot to put your hand on , its alot hotter than 125 degrees, it doesnt take a temp gun to figure that out, but maybe you are really in tune with stuff like that, if it burns your hand you might wnat to add some lemon pepper marinade to that save, and come back in an hour, bring a fork, and some napkins i hear tehy are greasy eating.

NP

You're not cold blooded. Remember????

that sav isnt cold blooded, well not anymore it has crossed into the mammalian realm, first ever warmblooded reptile, wow what that thing must be worth....lol
thanks for keeping me entertained

well with those bulbs, and you saying its too hot for your hand, my guess is the thermometer your using sucks. The stick on ones I know suck.

Maybe one of these times you'll understand why I posted as i did to you below. If you had read and took the advice first given to you, we would not be typing this all to you now. If you had listened to advice given below about your savs health you would be better off.

Please go through and read all posts you have been given recently until you understand them. But then again maybe our qualifications are not good enough for you. hahahahaa

i mean, he knows it all because of one of those tfh published books on monitors published in 1990 that sayw astro turf is the best type of substrate and that you should leash train your savannah as soon as it is big enought to be in one. im serious, once you read one of those books, your ready for some treemonitors or lacies, or perenties, im surprised that you arent advising FR on his setups and husbandry, what a tool.
LOL

Just click on any of the following, also check out all replies.
Heating question
Cover the Top
Sav. Health questions

I cannot imagine, even with the open screen top, why you would need so much heat. On my 6x3x3's, I find (2) 50w floods to be too much, I have to dim them to keep temps from going oven like. And these are in a room that now drops into the mid 60's (on those cold So Cal winters).

Close the top, not only will you save electricity, but maybe your monitor as well. The setup you describe sounds like something to cook a monitor, not keep it in.

--Robert

500 watts of ligt, and a heating pad? what the hell are you heating a freaking basket ball court? jesus, if you wanted to cook something, just throw it in a deep fryer.

I would say for one that is way too big of a bulb unless you have a 10' tall enclosure, but the fact that you have a screen top explains the need to that big of a bulb. When baking a sav at 450, it should be good and tender after about twenty minutes....and still have the flaky crust on the outside.

I read this post and decided to take some pics with my tempgun to show you some basking temps and give you the ambient temps in those cages, cool and warm temps.





These cages range from 70f to 72f cool ends, and 79f to 86f warm ends, all have something in common they are 45 watt halogen outdoor flood bulbs. When temps are too high they hide underground if they are capable of doing so all of the time. These pics are all surface temps, yet I can sit my hand on them and not have to pull my hand away, this is why I use the temp gun because theres no accurate way to measure surface temps without one, especially guessing or feeling with your hand. A temp sensor against a surface will give you a lower reading than it actually is. The other thing in common with all of these pics is that they are solid top cages, so air temps are much more manageable, so are humidity levels.