tokay setup question

[TroyL]

I have 2 tanks that I can use for setting up my tokay viv. The first is a 30 gallon standard. The 2nd is the same footprint of a 20long but its actualy alot taller.. Think its roughly 35 gallon tank. My question is what tank would be better for my tokay. I know the 35 is like 32" long and the 30 is 36 long. With the height that they are does it matter if they set normally or would it be better to invert them to make them Tall and lots of climbing space? any suggestions would be great. I am wanting to put both live and fake plants in it. I am starting them in a 10gallon inverted. Just need to think about getting the big tank planned so That it is ready when it starts growing big.

Troy

 

[Riverside Reptiles]

Troy, the taller the better for a tokay. They will absolutely utilize whatever vertical space you give them.

 

[Ozymandias]

an option you also have is standing one of the tanks up fitting a door on it to get the most vertical room, this is the basic idea on a smaller scale.

 

[TroyL]

So on end it will go. So with the tank setting on the end.. I am guessing you put the heating pad on the end which is now the bottom of the viv. Will it produce enough heat to keep the encloure warm enough or am I going to have to use another form of heating to keep it about 90*? I am planning a top soil, peat moss and coco fiber substrate for the live plants on the bottom and will have a few pots attached to the back using "The Stuff" in a can to make the back drop for it.

 

[Ozymandias]

i have found that the UTH aren't that really good with heating to the 80's and 90's from under a layer of soil and LECA so i use heat lamps on my tokay viv

 

[thehotchik1000]

Yes heat lamps are the only way to go. Uth just don't do much bc they don't spend anytime on the ground. You could get a lamp stand or build one to clamp the lamps on to and position them in front of the tank. For this you will need to have screen on the front. Which you could build relatively easily.

 

[TroyL]

Ok so using a heat lamp how exactly to you do that since it is setting on glass? Or Just above the glass. Won't the glass get to hot and break? When using heat lamps I have only used them on the mesh wire tops. So heating a enclosure through glass is totally new to me.

Troy

 

[thehotchik1000]

The lamps aren't on the glass nor ever should be. Thats a fire hazard or a burn or bulb explosion waiting to happen. You will be heating through the front which you can have a regular screen top as the door. I have cresties that I have in 10g tanks stood on their end. I use UVB bulbs for the live plants. The fronts are the wire mesh screen tops that are held on with screen clips. I have a lamp stand in front of the cages. All that is is a big pole with a base on the bottom. The domes come with clamps and I clamp it on to the stand. I position it pointing in to the tank through the front which is screen. This is the only way you are going to be able to heat this type of setup. They aren't that expensive. Frankly you could make one cheaply. To be honest though this is a really ineffective setup for tokays. Because they need alot of humidity and heat its so much more effective to get like an exoterra. Those have the 2 front doors and the screen top. So they are an easy setup. I use the tanks on end with my cresties bc they don't need the heat. All of my tokays though are in exoterras. I find them to be a hell of alot more efficient and easy.

 

[TroyL]

Gotcha on heating through the front. i have an exoterra 18x18x18 setup that I keep my leo's in. It is a great setup but not sure that it would be big enough to swap them out of it for a tokay to go in there. wouldnt the 18 cube be to small for an adult tokay?

 

[Riverside Reptiles]

Another option for heating is heat cable taped to the back or sides of the enclosure with metal "duct" tape. THis should ONLY be done with a thermostat.
Here's an example of the heat cable: Save on Flexible Heat Rope for Reptile Cages
And here's an example of a low cost, decent thermostat that allows use of up to 3 heating devices: BAH-1000DC Reptile Thermostat New Model - Incredibly Reliable Digital Chip for Accurate Temperature Control
The metal "duct" tape can be purchased at any hardware store for just a few $.

 

[thehotchik1000]

I agree with Ethan on that one. I actually have a couple of those tstats am they work quite well. I keep a couple of my juvy toks in the 18 cube. I wouldn't recommend that for a full grown adult but there wouldn't be any harm in it for a temp setup until you can get the 18x 24. They aren't that small and theres plenty of room in the cubed. But as a long term thing for an adult I like to go with the taller option. If you do switch them just remember to disinfect. Either way works just fine for heating effects though.

 

[TroyL]

Ok so I have decided to use my custom 35g tank that I have. It is the footprint of a 20long but very tall. It was custom made to house my Seahorses years ago. So I pulled the trim from the top and the bottom. Scraped all the silicone off and pulled the front panel of glass off of it. This I cut it the length of it for a 6" piece at the bottom then again for a 3 inch piece at the top for stability. Then the remainging open are will be the double doors. I will pos pics as I piece it back together. I didnt think about doing a DIY tutorial when I started it. I know so far it has been a PIMA. I am planning on useing "The Stuff" expanding foam to do the backdrop tomorrow. I have been trying to find my little planter pots to foam around on the back drop to put some nice live plants on there. Will post pics as I go again.

Troy

 

[Riverside Reptiles]

Just an FYI, if you haven't worked with expanding foam in the past, be careful! The first time I tried it in a glass tank, I used too much too quickly and it expanded so much that it cracked the tank! Best to use too little and have to add some then to go nuts with it and use too much.

 

[TroyL]

Ethan, thanks for the info. I have used it in the past but not for any type of reptile process tho. I have a huge area that I have to do. I actually went through 2 cans of it tonight. I will have to get another can or two tomorrow to finish it off. It does expand very fast indeed. Not sure if I can attach photos but this is what it looks like thus far.
The black is left over foam from my waterfall that I put in my koi pond last summer.

Troy