Savannah Monitor Redemption

[nepoez]

lol, so the truth is you know my setup is good, but you just think I'm lying and based on how my tank looks you think it's not possible that what I say is true. You went all the way to take those photos just to try to proof I'm a liar lol. I'll show you som pics.

[smy_749]

Guys we are all here to learn about proper husbandry so lets not get offended. I won't say I agree with deadly, because I don't have enough experience building enclosures or working with homemade ones. However, maybe he sees some faults in the way its built, and thats why he doesn't think it will hold the temps. I do however understand his logic about procrastinating stuff until later (infern would agree I think) with things like selling your second baby, and building the permanent enclosure. If you sell the second one now, you will be able to focus more on your other one, and you may get attached to him, or not notice that they are stressed from eachother, etc. etc. till its too late. Basically, do stuff now or you won't ever do it. I realized that with my roughneck, and was afraid he would be in the 'tub' longer than I anticipated, so I rehomed him. (the day after I rehomed him I got a 4 x 3 x 2 animal plastics cage that he could have chilled in for a while but oh well) ..Rant over.

[DeadlyDesires]

I'm not saying that I don't believe you, just saying that those are simply words pictures prove everything.. and I don't know your set up is good, thats why im questioning it , no offense intended i only care about the monitors not if your enclosure is pretty or not ...

[DeadlyDesires]

By the way, im a girl lol

[nepoez]

Originally Posted by DeadlyDesires

By the way, im a girl lol

That explains your doubting words lol just joking. But by saying you don't think my setup is good even though I told you my temps/humity etc, and you need me to proof with pictures does mean you think I'm lying. Just admit it, that is why I am gonna take those pics, and that is why you said that if I show you the pics you will change your opinion, it's because you think I'm lying, and pictures will proof I'm not lying, so admit it!

And I'll be showing you pics.. right now I got another head ache, my family unplugged my MVB bulb 2 times yesterday and turned it on right after, this morning when the timer came on the light doesn't come on anymore. The MVBs are known to be finicky like that.... so now I need to figure out if I should spend another $50 to replace that bulb, or spend the money on extra fixtures and just go with a row of normal 45W bulbs plus a florecent UVB bulb... But while I'm deciding that for the next couple hours I replaced that bulb with a 100w, which won't give the same basking temps.. so I gotta hussle today once the stores open...

Also, Infernelis has 2 three-foot long monitors in a 8x4x4, I will only have 1 when I have the 8x4x4 build, not sure why you are spazzing over my situation. But perhaps you like drama.. I guess when I sell the monitor you'll probably need me to show you a receipt to prove it too haha

[Pirarucu]

Originally Posted by nepoez

Also, Infernelis has 2 three-foot long monitors in a 8x4x4, I will only have 1 when I have the 8x4x4 build, not sure why you are spazzing over my situation. But perhaps you like drama.. I guess when I sell the monitor you'll probably need me to show you a receipt to prove it too haha

Wayne said today he is planning on building their larger, permanent cage this summer.

[nepoez]

Originally Posted by Pirarucu

Wayne said today he is planning on building their larger, permanent cage this summer.

Yeah I know he has plans, but if he can wait till they are 3 foot long before starting to build a new tank, I don't see why I should be getting crapped on for planning to sell 1 before they even reach 10 inches.

[smy_749]

Nepoez, you don't need approval from deadly or any of us. The important thing is that the monitors are healthy, not that you get approval here on the forums. That being said, if you truly want to prove something, like deadly and everyone else always says "pics or it didn't happen" ahaha. Also don't let infernalis's setup limit yours. If he had more cash, more space, more hands to help build, I'm sure he would have built them an entire biodome to replicate the Savannah. So when you set your mark, set it above waynes, not @ his or close to it. Aim high, just in case you fall short.

Also why are you using the MVB? Isn't the smallest mercury vapor 100 watts? One of the first things I learned here is big wattage is big no no. Get a low wattage uvb tube or regular bulb if you want to do uvb, and the flood light system that everyone here uses. (idk if you do to 3 of them at the moment, but if your planning to make a fixture, might as well build 3 now).

On a side note, I didn't used to know that so many girls were into keeping reptiles, until I started posting/buying stuff on craigslist about a year ago, and like 70% of them were girls, I was shocked. I think more girls keep reptiles than guys these days.

[Pirarucu]

Originally Posted by smy_749

Nepoez, you don't need approval from deadly or any of us. The important thing is that the monitors are healthy, not that you get approval here on the forums. That being said, if you truly want to prove something, like deadly and everyone else always says "pics or it didn't happen" ahaha. Also don't let infernalis's setup limit yours. If he had more cash, more space, more hands to help build, I'm sure he would have built them an entire biodome to replicate the Savannah. So when you set your mark, set it above waynes, not @ his or close to it. Aim high, just in case you fall short.

Also why are you using the MVB? Isn't the smallest mercury vapor 100 watts? One of the first things I learned here is big wattage is big no no. Get a low wattage uvb tube or regular bulb if you want to do uvb, and the flood light system that everyone here uses. (idk if you do to 3 of them at the moment, but if your planning to make a fixture, might as well build 3 now).

On a side note, I didn't used to know that so many girls were into keeping reptiles, until I started posting/buying stuff on craigslist about a year ago, and like 70% of them were girls, I was shocked. I think more girls keep reptiles than guys these days.

Well said.

Actually high watt bulbs are fine if they are achieving the right results. It's just that in most cases they don't. Usually it's that they superheat the air or that the beam is too focused and too hot, meaning spot burns. If the light is hitting the monitor's whole body and if the ambients aren't too hot, then it's fine.

Zoology in general has become a female-dominated profession these days. It used to be that almost all zookeepers were men, but nowadays nine out of ten are women.

[DeadlyDesires]

actually you are the one who is getting defensive, you simply asked why i didnt approve of your enclosure? so i told you why. it DOESN'T look like it would hold all those temps you are saying it will... and the fact that you are argueing with me about it instead of posting pictures doesn't help much. I am giving you my honest opinion, its my choice if i wanna give it or not. and i have yet to give you crap about housing them together, i understand that Wayne does it he also knows that his is too small. He had his built before he knew he was getting 2 also they were a surprise for him. you already knew how many you were getting and you still had this "cage" for them anyway. anyway thats not the point, im saying if you are going to sell one of them why does it matter that you have to keep it to 10 inches? so you can take all the training and bonding away that someone else could be doing? but then when they get it they will have to start all over. I have said my point, i told you why i dont like your cage, it looks as thought it will fall apart at any givin moment. Until i can see proof that your cage holds all that stuff i wont believe that it is that good of an enclosure. your all about making it "right" this time so pictures are what do that. im finished with your thread.

[infernalis]

everybody play nice please... thank you.

[nepoez]

SMY you are right I should spend my time doing what's important for the animals instead of caring whether or not people believe the numbers I give.

With that said I know the MVB worked fine for my basking and temps, but I'll never buy that again. 1.) they are fine for the small guys at that height, but if they get bigger it will be spot burn as you said.. 2.) they seem to burn out very easily and not reliable..

I am going to home depot now, gonna need a temp way to mount 3 floor lights + 1 ubv bulb.. not sure if I'll get the right temps the first shot.. but I'm guessing the hot side might be more humid with 3 low wattage this time around, my hot side have been more dry than the cooler side specially right below the MVB bulb. heading out now, hope I find the right stuff asap. then in a couple weeks when snot melts I can use the yard to start sawing up wood and building the new enclosure.

[smy_749]

Not sure , you probably already left, but I feel the easiest way is just to drill a small hole in the top, run a wire through it, and just let your light fixture dangle. If its too hot or not hot enough, just pull the wire or let it drop, and recheck your temps. Just make sure you fix the wire, so it doesnt slip when your not home. Also I wouldn't worry about burns without a housing, especially with the dangling method, because I would imagine if he tried to hop onto the bulb, it would just swing out of the way and would fall off, I don't think he would be able to get a good hold on it. Plus you save electricity, and its probably less of a hazard than the high wattage ones.

[nepoez]

smy, damn I missed your message, but I'm all done now anyways and it's working so far!

I got a fixture that comes with 4 bulb outlets. I chained it to the wood ceiling of the enclosure and have 3 50watt floods on the right side(hot side) and the the 4th bulb screw I put a Uvb 10.0 bulb(which I'm worried about, more later).

pics

Basking temp managed to still work out:





no more stupid MVB rip offs! Just plain old floods 3 in s row:





but I worry about using a UVB and would like to know if I should take it off. See pic below, I'm not using a dome to hold the UVB would it be bad for the lizard's eyes because if it's at the top downwith dome he won't ever look directly at it.. but since there's no dome, he can be at the far end of the cage and see the bare UB bulb without having to look up.. would it be bad?!? please advise!!!



And I had the door opened to install my new lights not too long before taking this pic so the ambient temp went down a little. The humidity is usually around 65% highest is like 67% but for some reason it's 69% now! it will fall back down a little after some time but never below 60%.. well but the time it gets close to that in a few days I'd water it again. I have a feeling maybe the low wattage lights are not as hot as the MVB thus not drying the place as much?! P.S. 30 degrees C is around 85F we use C here more in Canada. This is the middle of the tank so if I wait long enough the temp would be more like 32-34C and the cool side would be like 30C or 29C depending on how cold my basement gets. Night time cold end is big difference like 26C after a few hours without basking lights on.


p.s. I like how the humidistat shows a sad face.. lol

[nepoez]

p.s. if you wonder why my cage that's "looks like it's falling apart" can hold this heat and humidity it's because there are 4 layers of heavy duty plastic linings(as mentioned before)