light/heat help

KarenSoCal

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Hi i have everything sorted now frame wise and light/heat wise. All the wood is cut to size, just need to attach the last few bits.
also sorted a large sheet of plexiglass. just got to figure out how to cut it ( for the bottom)
have cut wood to enlarge his hide too
Now just need at attach thr last few bits of wood and sort the cover! ive found some plastic half as thick again which i think may do
if its slightly opaque if we set up a camera to see him when away would t see through the opaque bit?

Wow! This is wonderful news! I can't wait to see your modifications.

Hopefully that plastic will work well for you.

I would set up the camera inside the plastic. There could be condensation on the plastic that would obstruct the view. I have a wi-fi camera in my tort's enclosure, and the high humidity so far has not been a problem. It's nice to be able to check on them any time and from anywhere.

You said you don't have a smartphone...who is the techie in your household? :D
 

rafsmum

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Wow! This is wonderful news! I can't wait to see your modifications.

Hopefully that plastic will work well for you.

I would set up the camera inside the plastic. There could be condensation on the plastic that would obstruct the view. I have a wi-fi camera in my tort's enclosure, and the high humidity so far has not been a problem. It's nice to be able to check on them any time and from anywhere.

You said you don't have a smartphone...who is the techie in your household? :D
My kids ( 26 and 22) have phones so I asked them if theyd be able to do this and they said theyd look in to it. I would be worried having something inside the plastic though. its bad enough having all these lights and heats etc!!! i feel as though there is an electrical disaster waiting to happen. My son is an apprentice electrical fitter, 2 yrs in, I doubt he will be impressed!!!! xx
 

KarenSoCal

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My kids ( 26 and 22) have phones so I asked them if theyd be able to do this and they said theyd look in to it. I would be worried having something inside the plastic though. its bad enough having all these lights and heats etc!!! i feel as though there is an electrical disaster waiting to happen. My son is an apprentice electrical fitter, 2 yrs in, I doubt he will be impressed!!!! xx

I don't know if this helps or not, but the only fires I've ever heard of were when lights fell into the substrate because people trusted fixture clamps.

I'm sure other things have happened, but it's not common.
 

rafsmum

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I don't know if this helps or not, but the only fires I've ever heard of were when lights fell into the substrate because people trusted fixture clamps.

I'm sure other things have happened, but it's not common.
I m a terrible worrier karen!
Right just want to show you this. can you confirm it will be safe. So I have made a structure tht goes over the enclosure. It sits on both sides. I have added a piece of wood to one side for extra strength. It isnt screwed down yet, but i will be adding a small corner bracket at the top at each side to secure the wood to the sides, plus there will be a screw screwing the front piece to the wood added to the front for even more.
Tern i haver 4 pieces of thin wood to go from both sides to meet at the top which the polythene will go over. ive added a thin piece of wood on top of the wood right down at the bottom where the stairs start. so i have something to lea the sticks on. It was a piece of skirting board and if was the perfect width! (You can see it bottom right of 3rd pic. I've also modified the back piece so it was the same height as the front where the light holder goes)

So the uvb is screwed in under the piece of wood on the right ( another piece of skirting board lol) Its very firmly in, i have double checked and the skirting is attached by 6 screws to the pieces above.
The CHe will then hang from the other side ( its over his present enclosure atm) and that will balance the weight both sides
The uvb is about 19 inches from the floor with no substrate down, so am hoping that will be about right
His existing house, as you know will go on the left, sideways on with the glass removed.
Are these both in an OK position?
Am I best to leave his water away from the lamp in case he ever turns over or will is make no difference as light's evenly distributed?

Picking my plexi up tomorrow, and just need it cutting to size.This is taking forever lol! ( we do both work tho)

At least it is taking shape. I hope thats all looking ok so far :)
The first pic shows the uvb attached upside down, the other 2 show it in situ :)
 

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rafsmum

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by the way, where is the best place for the stat to go? (bit worried about that in a humid place too!)
 

KarenSoCal

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Wow! You really did have to be creative to figure all that out! One thing for sure...it's sturdy!! ? I think it will work just fine.

The water dish should not sit right under a heat source, because it can get really hot. Put it somewhere cooler.

The stat's probe will go in the coolest place in the enclosure, farthest from any heat source, at tort level.

You've come so far...it will be all done before you know it.
 

rafsmum

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Wow! You really did have to be creative to figure all that out! One thing for sure...it's sturdy!! ? I think it will work just fine.

The water dish should not sit right under a heat source, because it can get really hot. Put it somewhere cooler.

The stat's probe will go in the coolest place in the enclosure, farthest from any heat source, at tort level.

You've come so far...it will be all done before you know it.
thank you! I should go on the Krypton factor! haha
When you say tort height, do you mean the height of his shell?
will the positioning of the light/CHE within that enclosure be ok? :)
 

KarenSoCal

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thank you! I should go on the Krypton factor! haha
When you say tort height, do you mean the height of his shell?
will the positioning of the light/CHE within that enclosure be ok? :)
Yes, the height of his shell.

I think the positioning will be good, but you'll have to see when it's done. Usually, something ends up having to be adjusted in some way. Just the nature of enclosures.
 

rafsmum

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Yes, the height of his shell.

I think the positioning will be good, but you'll have to see when it's done. Usually, something ends up having to be adjusted in some way. Just the nature of enclosures.
-;i dont mean the height I did guage that tbf, I mean in relation to where theyre positioned within the enclosure. Are they ok both sort of left/centre and right/centre :)
 

rafsmum

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oh thats what i meant to ask
Remember i asked if the silicone would defo be ok as long as it was dry? My mate who is cutting the plexi said to me it could leach chemicals into the moisture from the substrate and that i hsoukldve used an aquatic one or something :/ But worried now as i have done it all
 

KarenSoCal

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-;i dont mean the height I did guage that tbf, I mean in relation to where theyre positioned within the enclosure. Are they ok both sort of left/centre and right/centre :)

Yes, I think they will be fine left/center and right/center.

oh thats what i meant to ask
Remember i asked if the silicone would defo be ok as long as it was dry? My mate who is cutting the plexi said to me it could leach chemicals into the moisture from the substrate and that i hsoukldve used an aquatic one or something :/ But worried now as i have done it all

You dried it for a week as I remember. It will be fine...the tort doesn't drink the substrate water. Once it's dry so little of anything could leach out...not a worry.
 

rafsmum

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Yes, I think they will be fine left/center and right/center.



You dried it for a week as I remember. It will be fine...the tort doesn't drink the substrate water. Once it's dry so little of anything could leach out...not a worry.
Yes it has been dry a week, I will have to reseal the plastic but the guy is giving me some aquarium stuff to do that :) thank you
 

rafsmum

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Yes, I think they will be fine left/center and right/center.



You dried it for a week as I remember. It will be fine...the tort doesn't drink the substrate water. Once it's dry so little of anything could leach out...not a worry.
Hi karen
what do you think? this is before ive put plastic over
 

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rafsmum

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rafsmum

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I got the video...thank you so much for inviting me to be a part of his first time in! You made my day!
Such a joy...he'll love it once he gets settled in.

Thank you again!
No, Thank YOU for your patience and all the help and advice.
Does it look ok to you?
I am a little concerned as the temp doesn't seem to be going over 21 degrees. Wondering if i need another CHE
how high off his back is the minimum height for the che to be btw, as he was sitting under it earlier!!
Did you see the pictures?

Thanks so much again :)
 

KarenSoCal

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No, Thank YOU for your patience and all the help and advice.
Does it look ok to you?
I am a little concerned as the temp doesn't seem to be going over 21 degrees. Wondering if i need another CHE
how high off his back is the minimum height for the che to be btw, as he was sitting under it earlier!!

Thanks so much again :)

Now that you mention it, you did occasionally try my patience...????

I think it looks fine.

You might need another CHE...it's a pretty good amount of space for just one. They can both go on the same thermostat if you got one with 2 plug in thingies.

This is when a temp gun is really useful. You just point it at Raf's shell and it instantly tells you the temp of his shell. The only other method is to put something about his height directly under the CHE and leave it there for an hour with a thermometer laying on it. You could use a rock, or brick, or a piece of slate.

I don't think it should be too hot where it is, but only a thermo can be sure.
 

rafsmum

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Now that you mention it, you did occasionally try my patience...????

I think it looks fine.

You might need another CHE...it's a pretty good amount of space for just one. They can both go on the same thermostat if you got one with 2 plug in thingies.

This is when a temp gun is really useful. You just point it at Raf's shell and it instantly tells you the temp of his shell. The only other method is to put something about his height directly under the CHE and leave it there for an hour with a thermometer laying on it. You could use a rock, or brick, or a piece of slate.

I don't think it should be too hot where it is, but only a thermo can be sure.
the therm only has one socket unfortunately. I havent plugged the che into it yet as i cant find the blimmin booklet!! But as the temp is low it isnt as if it needs to be in to make sure it doesnt get too hot. How high above his shell is the minimum it can be without harming him? Do you know?

Sorry if I was a pain. It was a big shock to find that he needed so many things. I have spent a fortune!
My hygrometer is only showing 60 too, but if it isnt warm enough yet i guess thats par for the course.
It is quite cold under the stairs so i am thinking he may need 2 ches in winter and only one in summer.
I also want to find some of that bubble foil stuff to put on the walls which will retain heat inside which I think may help :)
 

rafsmum

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or could i buy a 150w bulb for when its cold and switch to a 100w in summer?
 

rafsmum

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whats a temp gun by the way? ( i understand what it does, but never heard of one for reptiles)
 

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