Wooden Vivarium Help

[fr236]

Hi,

This forums been a really great help. I wish i had known it years ago when I first got Decko (my Leopard gecko - named by my mum - I would have chosen something different but now its stuck )

I wish I didnt have a wooden vivarium as a glass tank would allow an overhead clamp and therefore a CHE. This is my issue. I have read and re-read caresheets but they are all based around glass topped tanks and im so worried about Decko and his air temp. It does not get warm enough despite the UTH. I have also read that the heat source should be overhead to mimic the sun (not in the warm corner) but due to the wooden roof I cannot do this obviously.

1)Should I have a no-heat light at the cool end for viewing and a heat-lamp at the warm end on 24/7 on a thermostat?
Please can someone recommend a bulb brand and wattage I can use that is ok to heat the airtemp 24/7 and i can put in the warm corner of the viv!

2) In terms of a thermostat - should I have two? One with a probe on top of his tiles and another probe stuck on the vivarium wall to control the airtemp? Or should I have just one with two probes - people seem to have one with two probes but i cannot understand how this can differentiate the temps?

3) In terms of other meters:
A thermometer im assuming is not really necessary as the work is done by the thermostat?
Is it really necessary to have a meter that measures humidity - is it called a hydrometer?

4) Lastly this does not belong in this section but what in your opinion should I feed/gutload crickets: a variety of veg peelings / potato+supplement.

Thankyou for your help!

 

[mecoat]

I have a wooden viv. These are more common in the UK than glass, I believe. I have a CHE in my viv. You just need to drill a small hole in the top for the CHE fitting wiring (buy a ceramic fitting, and follow instrucitions), plus an extra hole for a thermostat for the CHE.

You need a separate thermostat for each heat producing device, so assuming you already have one for your UTH, you will need an extra one for your CHE. Suspend about 4-6 inches from the floor of the viv, and not too close to the CHE to damage the wire. Set this thermostat for the reccomended air temp for leos at the warm end (mine's set to just under 84F). Suggest buting the lowest wattage you can get (mines 25W), as the higher wattages pump the temps up so quickly the thermostat can't cope.

Unless your rooms temps get very low at night, you don't need to heat at night. I have the CHE on a timer, so it turns on and off automatically, and then is controlled by the thermostat. On during the day and off at night, about 12 hours on, slightly longer in the summer, to tie in with daylight times.

You may not need a light bulb in the viv too, unless your viv is in a room with no windows or very little light. I have a bulb in the viv for light, but it's very low wattage (5-8W and the old style of incandescent bulb). I've noticed recently that he's not very active under this, so I'm currently experimenting with it off. This too is controlled by a timer, set to the same times as the CHE.

In term of 1 thermostat or two, you can get ones that can control 2 different porbes and temps, but they are more expensive than single ones. It's up to you to an extent, as long as everything can be controlled to different temps seperately.

You need a thermometer to check the thermostat is controlling the temps properly (that's how I discovered that the 100W CHE was way too much! temps went from 80s to 100s in mere seconds :shock.

A word of warning - the CHE will get hot enough to burn whichever wattage you get. Make sure that it is out of rech of your leo (ie floor to CHE or top of hide to CHE is greater than Nose to back toes or back toes to tip of tail of your leo (assuming fully grown)) or if unsure, you can buy covers which you can just screw to the viv roof inside around the CHE. I went with the first, and still have this, but am planning a change in the viv, which might mean Daff can reach so the cover is going in when I change it. Better safe than sorry.

In terms of cricket food, I use a bought dry cricket food (called Bug Grub in UK), and also a variety of fruit and veg cores and peelings. Carrots, cucumber (v popoular), halved grapes (also popular), and apple cores. These are the ones I have most frequently, but have also tried squash. I think there are a couple of things you shouldn't use (tomatoes being one), but otherwise, give it a try. Check first, obviously. I also pop in a piece of wet kitchen towel to complete the cricket keeper.

Sorry it's a long reply, but I hope it helps.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

I do recommend glass tanks, but with screen tops. Then the under tank heater can be placed underneath the glass on the tank's bottom. Best to have an UTH to provide belly heat. An overhead dome is recommended too to up the air temperatures on the warm end.

Tony Perkins' Leo Setup Video:
Click: Leopard Gecko Setup - YouTube

What are the measurements of your vivarium?

Here's a link to my Cricket Guidelines which includes a clarification about gutloading. I feed my crickets and dubia Albers All Purpose Poultry Feed. I add collard greens and/or pesticide-free dandelion flowers/greens to the side for moisture and a needed calcium boost.

Click: http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...feeding-issues-/68574-cricket-guidelines.html

Feeding the Feeders
If you use Albers, Purina Layena Sunfresh Crumbles, or Zoo Med's Natural Adult Bearded Dragon Food all the time, I suggest reducing the frequency of any powdered supplements.

Feed your feeders a nutritious diet 24/7. Lightly dust insects with a wee pinch of a plain (no D3) multivitamin containing vitamin A acetate ~2x monthly and (separately) a phosphorus-free calcium with low D3 levels 1-2x weekly.

In the UK you can get Nutrobal vitamins and Pro Rep Calci Dust. I recommend both. Your leo needs to be supplemented with vitamin D3 as well as vitamin A acetate.

 

[mecoat]

If you have a wooden viv, you place the UTH (and thermostat controller probe) inside, so you can still have the belly heat needed. This is what it suggested by the UTH instructions.

Here's a pic of my wooden (home-made) viv:

The warm side is on the right, you can't see the UTH, but it's inside under the hides and substrate. You can just see the thermostat cable going under the hide. The thermostat probe for the CHE has been moved back a little (closer to the CHE) since this pic was taken, but I hope you get the idea.

 

[HelderSS]

Nice solution. I have a wooden viv too and think wasn't possible to use UTH.
But reading some stuff I wont use... i'm purchasing a ceramic lamp for the hot side.

My viv is filled by lots of rocks and I think will provide heat enough for him.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

If you have a wooden viv, you place the UTH (and thermostat controller probe) inside, so you can still have the belly heat needed. This is what it suggested by the UTH instructions.

Here's a pic of my wooden (home-made) viv:
View attachment 22544
The warm side is on the right, you can't see the UTH, but it's inside under the hides and substrate. You can just see the thermostat cable going under the hide. The thermostat probe for the CHE has been moved back a little (closer to the CHE) since this pic was taken, but I hope you get the idea.

mecoat ~

Just curious cuz I've never had a wooden vivarium. Do your UTH instructions for placing the UTH inside a wooden vivarium include any mention of ventilation for the UTH? What I am wondering is if the UTH is covered (so the leo does not get too warm), how does it get ventilated?

UTH ventilation is an important detail when keeping an UTH stuck underneath the glass bottom of the tank to eliminate overheating of the UTH.

 

[mecoat]

mecoat ~

Just curious cuz I've never had a wooden vivarium. Do your UTH instructions for placing the UTH inside a wooden vivarium include any mention of ventilation for the UTH? What I am wondering is if the UTH is covered (so the leo does not get too warm), how does it get ventilated?

UTH ventilation is an important detail when keeping an UTH stuck underneath the glass bottom of the tank to eliminate overheating of the UTH.

Hi Elizabeth,

I've just checked the instructions. It says you can use inside or out of a glass or plastic viv, and inside only for wooden or melamine vivs. Either way, it should be controlled by a thermostat, and with a substrate less than 1cm deep.

 

[Hilde]

I have some melamine enclosures for my leopards, maybe you could make a set-up like this in post #2 It's easy to make, no special tools needed.
http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...hieve-1-5-inch-thick-melamine.html#post364127
It provides belly heat if they sit on the tile, or top heat if they're underneath, and there's lots of ventilation for the UTH.

I use a temp gun to check the heat, but if you decide to use a thermostat, you can thread the wires through the same hole as the one for the UTH.