Interested in ATB

Ok, I have the cage set up, except I haven't put the plexi glass on yet, I'm doing that tomorrow. I put the light on top that i have and it's a 60W bulb. I put the thermometer close to the bottom of the cage and the hygrometer is still at the top hanging. It's been on for a couple hours because I wanted to just see what it's at and the thermometer reads 95 degrees and the hygrometer reads 46... So I need some suggestions on what to do again, I know the plexi-glass will help with the humidity but will it help keep the temp down or should I just get a lower wattage bulb?

Zack

You'll want to tone that 95 down. Figure a nice 85 with humidity peaks around 80. Temp and humidity will fluxuate between day and night from 75 - 85 and humidity should run 60-80. You'll know you're doing it right when it has a nice full shed.

Ok, so now that I know what it needs to be at, how do I get it there? Lower watt bulb? Move it further from the tank (it's sitting right on top of the tank right now), and as for humidity, misting regularly?

Well you best bet is a heat pad or panel ,, someone gave me one of those cages a couple of years ago and I had a chondro in it for a while.. I have pictures somewhere I'll see if I can find one and post it so you can see the set up I used a heat panel.. Randy

This is all I could find which doesn't show much, the heat panel is right above her I used plexi and just cut it to fit around a small heat panel.

For an ATB I'd use a heat pad mounted low on the side, with the temp inside next to the heat panel around 85.. These guys don't like getting to hot and will need a gradient of around 85 to the low to mid 70s.. Lights are something I don't like to use as they are more dangerous and more difficult to set up right. They also dry things out which you don't want to do.. Randy

Thanks Randy, I'm going in to work today to return a couple things and I'll see if I can't get a heat panel or is it the same thing as a heat pad? Could I just put it under the substrate? Or should I somehow mount it on the side? And I didn't see a picture on your post.

zack

Heat tape or an under tank heater (UTH) mounted on the outside. Don't electrocute your ATB, it won't take much. Heat tape may be your better bet. Don't let it drop below 70 at night.

I have a few of the electronic thermometer/hygrometers. They cost about $25 each and have a min/max display so that you can see what it gets at it's lowest without staying up until 4am watching the thing.

Be sure to read about ventilation as well. One of those difficult things is being able to maintain humidity and temperature while providing some airflow. Those enclosures are pretty popular, so they can't be too bad to maintain or people wouldn't use them.

Ok, so I talked to a guy from work who used to own his own reptile and fish store and he helped me out. He said he tries to stay away from heat pads when dealing with amazons, not sure why but I just said ok, he hooked me up with a 50W infrared heat glo bulb, and said I wouldn't have to worry about turning it off and losing heat. I also went and got some thing plexi glass cut to fit on the top screen. I got it cut in 4 pieces in case for some reason I need to ventilate the tank more I can just pull pieces off one at a time. The airflow should be pretty good though. There are vents in the front not to mention small cracks around the door that some air can circulate. I set up the light a few hours ago and the tank is around 83 and humidity is 60, without me misting the tank. So it's looking good so far. Turns out that the guy I'm getting this orange one from is going to just throw in a garden phase as well. I'll be ordering them tomorrow and getting them tuesday!

Zack

Make sure it's got a day/night (light / dark) cycle. Their eyesight is poorer than ours, but not non-existant. Infrareds are good for keeping heat at night, but don't forget some daytime hours for the doods.

Edit: You should be able to control the day/night temperatures to within limits, do not rely on the non-light heat control for that. They really do need a day and night cycle. Think about yourself in a heat controlled chamber. What's day? What's night? They are living things.

60 is good, get it a bit higher, 80 peak in the daytime. 60 is fine for the middle of the night.

Don't subject this living creature to conditions that you don't think that you can keep. The whole "hiding it from everyone else" thing can be manageable, but don't make this living creature give up it's comforts because of it.

I've killed my fair share of animals due to inexperience. It sucks.

Hey Erik, I totally understand where you are coming from. I've actually moved the cage on top of my desk right behind my computer in front of the windows so that I can see it more often. I'll be fine if anyone sees it, just as long as the dean doesn't. My RA is cool with it. So if I have lights on in my room and the infrared heat bulb does that count as a day and night cycle? Cuz he will have other light than just the infrared during the day, just not a heat light. If that still isn't good enough, I'll go back and get the heat pad, is that the same as a heat panel? Oh and the humidity is just without me misting it, I plan on doing it, I was just giving some stats. I'm ordering them today!