George's new cage...

[sattva]

Ok guy... I am about ready to pull the trigger on Georges new cage and I thought I should run it by the experts here...

I am going to order a melamine 8'X2'X2' cage with a full length 6" shelve on the back wall about a foot off the floor... 2- 3" round adjustable vents on each side... Sliding doors with wheels; Black on the inside and white on the outside... George's coloring goes well with a black background...

A Reptile Basics 160 Watt Radiant Heat Panel mounted on the ceiling on the right side; a Vivarium Electronics VE-100 with the probe on the right side upon the shelve... That will put the heat panel about 10" from the probe and shelve...

And then two 42" LED Cage Lights...

Can you see any mistakes or improvements? Any conductive feedback will be appreciated...

[Tsubaki]

Sounds great, not going to be his final cage or is it? When coiled up my dwarves are inches away from the edges in my 2ft ones. ( I'm building bigger ones myself) a little deeper than 2ft might last you longer.

[sattva]

Sounds great, not going to be his final cage or is it? When coiled up my dwarves are inches away from the edges in my 2ft ones. ( I'm building bigger ones myself) a little deeper than 2ft might last you longer.
I Know It's a bit small for a retic and I am hoping that it will keep him for a while... His father was only 10 feet... He does seem to be small for his age... He is 1year and 10 months old and pushing just 7 feet now...

I Almost didn't buy George for this reason... I had been surfing Youtube for retics and it scared me... and I was just going to buy a carpet from him instead... But he said I couldn't go by Youtube... He said his carpets get almost as big as his retic... and he talked me into it saying 50% of his size is how you feed him... This is his site Retics (http://www.mysticreptiles.com/retics.html) He still has some of his brothers and sisters left...

Anyway this is water under the bridge now and I am in love with George and will do what I have to to give him a good life... One of my daughters and her husband is going to buy a house with granny corridors for my wife and myself within the next year and maybe I can get a larger cage than...

[dannybgoode]

You know what I'm going to say! UV-for a retic in a Viv that size a 30W 10% T8 at the same end as the heat.

He will use it - I guarantee it! Just make sure it's shielded in some way...

[sattva]

You know what I'm going to say! UV-for a retic in a Viv that size a 30W 10% T8 at the same end as the heat.

He will use it - I guarantee it! Just make sure it's shielded in some way...
Danny i'm sorry but what's a UV and Viv 30W 10% T8... Excuse my ignorance I don't know all the reptile lingo yet...

[dannybgoode]

Sorry Sattva. UV light (as in much more common to keep a lizard under but snakes absolutely benefit though its not strictly essential like it is for most lizards). The tubes come in two diameter - T5 and T8 and the percentage is how UV a bulb emits.

The wattage is proportional to length so a 30W T8 is around 30" long.

A T 8 bulb is fatter and less powerful so a 30W 10% T8 will give out less UV than a 30W 10% T5. From memory the bulb I mention is about right for a retic but have a read on the following site for full information.

The main author is a lady called Fran Baines who is an internationally renowned scientist in the field of light and reptiles.


UV Guide UK - Ultraviolet Light for Reptiles - UVB reptile lighting on test (http://www.uvguide.co.uk)

I know this is possibly contentious subject but from the evidence Fran and others have produced over the last couple of years I won't have any snake without it.

Picture of Aunty Rachel basking under hers. She used to hide all the time until this was fitted not she's under it all the time...

[sattva]

Ok I see now! Daaaaa

[sattva]

Hey Danny! Is the shielded to keep the snake from knocking out the bulb? These bulbs don't get hot do they?

[dannybgoode]

Yes they so and and snakes do try and coil round them. If you have a mesh top it's nice and easy-just stick it outside. If it's in the Viv then Jerry rig something with some form of mesh wire.

[sattva]

Hey Danny... Will any UV light go through glass, are is it all lost?

[sattva]

Has anybody tried these wire guards?
https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/7549/CAGE-WG.html
I just don't know if they be any good...