BRB housing questions

[nuno]

Hello again everyonem,

I just spent some time reading some caresheets on BRB's so I put a rubbermaid in the living room with a digital thermostat, no heat pad underneath and the temprature was 25C or 75F so what I want to know is should I put a heat pad under one side because the care sheets specifically state that too high of a temprature could possibly kill them. What I want to do is place a human heating pad under one side.. what do you think?

[Jeff_Favelle]

Sunbeam heat pads have 3 settings and you should always use low. Have the heat pad under the Rubbermaid (NOT in the cage) and monitor the temperature so that at least 6" x 6" gets to about 85F. The cold end can be 77-82F. Should be enough. Use newspaper and keep it super humid.

[nuno]

Thanks Jeff, Should the heat pad be under the end that the water bowl is on?

[Syst3m]

I always put my water dish over top of the heat pad because it generates more humidity. And those snakes LOVE humidity.

[ANIMAL5051]

I always keep my water dish on top of the heat pad for the humidity

[Darren Hamill]

I do the same as well; I keep my water bowl above my heat pad to increase the humidity inside the cage. Just make sure to keep an eye on the water level and keep it topped up with fresh clean drinking water.

Brazilians will become dehydrated very quickly so the humidity and water is more important than many people are aware of. If the humidity is kept too low they can also develop a respiratory infection (RI) from the dry air. Keeping them on a damp substrate when young is always beneficial as well. Try peat moss or sphagnum.

Best of luck Nuno. :)

[nuno]

Thanks guys, I'm just trying to get all the pieces in place before I get the BRB, If there's anything else that I should do Let me know please.

Thanks,
Nuno

[Jeff_Favelle]

2 thoughts on the water dish over the heat pad:

1) Its a GREAT way of producing humidity and can limit the mistakes of the keeper (ie. failing to mist or monitor the humidity). So it can be used as a safety net.

2) Rainbows don't like the heat as much as other neo-tropical boids. So if their source of water is also too hot, then they suffer. No relief, get it?


Soooo the moral of my post is, if your husbandry is correct, then you can have the water away from the hot end. However, if your husbandry is correct, then you can also have the water on the hot end.

Ha ha, make sense?

[nuno]

Thanks Jeff

[nuno]

I just put the heat pad under the Rubbermaid and got a constant 26.5C or 80F in the enclosure...The heat pad is on medium to obtain this temprature , what do you think I have to get some opinions.

Thanks,
Nuno

[Jeff_Favelle]

My thoughts:

It matters not what we think. The only things that matters is how your Rainbow reacts. Now, if it were MY snake and I had your situation, I would leave your setup as status quo (80F sounds fine if you have good humidity) and observe your animal. What you observe could be 1000x more valuable to you than what we tell you.

[nuno]

Jeff,

I realize that this species demands more delicate attention and observation than other species, so as a amateur with access to the best advice I want to create the best home suitable for her. I can ask people who have them and can give me their experienced knowledge so I can provide the best suitable home for her.

[Jeff_Favelle]

You're doing great so far! No need to worry! But each snake is an individual and for me to comment on if what you are doing is right, is a hard thing to do. As long as you fall between the bad extremes, which you are doing, simply watching where your animal spends most of its time, how well does it eat, what kind of sheds it has, and any other things that a normal snake does is 1000x more informative that anything I could tell you. I am in no way telling you not to post here asking questions!! That's why we're here! To talk snakes!! Yay!

But for me to say that your snake is too warm or too cold or its cage is too tall/too big is not really right, unless I know your snake and have first hand experience with it. Even the most experienced herper can only give you a basic outline (which you now have) and you have to fill in the blanks. No set formulas will work (except maybe for Leopard Geckos). But you're doing fine.

Now, leave your tank and see where your snake goes. If its always on the hot end, what does that tell you? If its always in the water dish, what does that tell you? If it always hides what does that tell you? Each of those actions by your snake has a myriad of causes. Its then that we'll really be able to use our experience to help you. You see, you already have the knowledge that we have for husbandry, because there is an over-abundance of it on the Internet. The only thing we have that you don't is experience, and being able to react to the responses that our animals have to our mistakes and/or good choices.

Email me if you want direct help. I'm not the BRB authority or anything, but I've birthed over 100 babies and I currenty own 22 for breeding purposes. I should be able to help you through any sort of questions. Or if you'd rather post here, that's great too. Then everyone can learn (or see how dumb I am! Ha ha!).

:D


jefffavelle@shaw.ca

[nuno]

Jeff,

I made the mistake of not being totaly informed once and won't let it happen again. I really enjoy coming on this site and being able to ask "stupid" questions and have absolutely no shame because some people are shy and probably would never admit they don't know something, but you know I want to learn and want to provide the best and only the best care for my Boas.
I haven't got the BRB yet and I am just doing a dry run to make sure everything is almost perfect. I said that last time I had the pad on medium and it was 26.5C now the pad is on high and is the same temperature maby it's because the Rubbermaid is on the floor with the pad underneath it , and I have 6 pages of news paper in it.
I am experimenting right now because I don't have the snake yet I am just trying to figure things out so I'm ready when I decide to get her.
Jeff I want to thank you for all the help and hope that you don't mind the fact that I ask alot of questions ...One day I'll be in your shoes and will share my experience like you.

let me know I think this human heating pad is crap but maby it's because it's on the hardwood floor.

Thanks a million Jeff,
Nuno

[Jeff_Favelle]

Well, here's the deal. On the hardwood floor, heat is escaping the cage and heat pad as fast as the heat pad is being heated. You're gonna need styrafoam (best) or plywood to insulate the cage and heat pad.

Human heat pads can work great sometimes. I have 23 going right now, but I don't use them on everything. It should work fine in your case. Just insulate it first.

[nuno]

All I could get my hands on was 3/4" melamine so I'll see in the morning what the temp is, do you have any pics lying around oof you set up? I'll let you know the result in the morning.

Thanks,
Nuno

[Syst3m]

I found a great substitute for styrafoam, Aluminum covered bubble wrap insulation. I'm going to actually take a picture and post it in here right now so you can see what I do with my heat units I make, If your losing heat you can insulate a good portion of your cage with this stuff. I have used it just to direct my heat from my heat pads and to insulate glass cages in the summer from either hot or cold extremes.

ok here is the flexwatt contraption I made up to direct heat from the flexwatt.

<img src=http://mywebpages.comcast.net/fullerp/flexwatt1.jpg>

<img src=http://mywebpages.comcast.net/fullerp/flexwatt2.jpg>

The stuff is great, its about 16usd a roll @ 25ft, 7 buxs in aluminum tape (I got the larger roll) and presto I had great insulation and a good way to direct the heat from my flexwatt. I'm sure it would work well with the heat pad too. And around the tank. If your just using it for insulation. I use it on my aquariums and my tupperware.

As far as the water dishes go, I usually put it on the warm side when they are young, and for any adults or yearlings I will give them 2 water dishes, one on each side. So far I find none of the brazilians I own want to soak. And each one has had perfect sheds since I have owned them. Thats just my 2 cents!

[stormyva]

A couple more tips for heating and humidity....
With your human heat pad, do not, set anything directly on top of it as this may cause a short in the pad or a hot spot in the enclosure. Allow some air flow, about a 1/4" - 1/2", between the cage and heat pad by use of strips of wood or even books if need be.
For the humidity make your snake a humid box by taking a plastic box about the size of a small show box and cutting a hole in the lid large enough for your snake to crawl through. Fill the box about half way full of spaghum moss and keep the moss moist. This accomplishes two things.... the box will help boost humids in the enclosure and it allows the snake a nice humid place to go if it needs more humidity than the ambient in the enclosure.

Good luck to you!

[nuno]

The 3/4" melamine is on the floor the heat pad is on top and one Rubbermaid in top on of the heat pad. maybe my heat pad is a defective one, any other human heat pad brands that work well cause the temp was 27C this morning thas only 1/2 a degree more than on the floor, I want to have the ability to bring it up to at least 82F if I need it.

Thanks,
Nuno

[Lisa]

what we do with our corns when we need extra humidity is put in 2 water bowls, one deep one on the cool end and a really shallow one (like a saucer almost) on the warm end...