New redfoot enclosure - give me your opinions

[CandyApple]

I got my baby redfoot Kronos in June and we've upgraded him to a 75 gallon tank. It had a DIY mesh lid that I covered with plastic drop cloth and tape. I just added a second CHE and mounted them and my 18 inch UVB bulb to a 1x2 with zip ties as pictured. Both CHEs are on their own thermostat and the light is on an auto timer. I added fake plants higher up because he tries to nibble them. I also got this eco earth substrate because I want to add some topsoil and try to grow live plants in the enclosure.

I'm not sure I like the eco earth? It gets the water dirty and it's sticking to his face and looks like it is getting in his eyes and mouth This was running a steady 90-99% humidity and was 88 degrees surface temp under the lamp when I only had one but only 72 in the corners, and ambient temp was 84 in the middle and 77 in the corners. I'm keeping an eye on it now with the second CHE seeing where the temperatures stabilize. I turned the thermostat temps down a little so I can turn them up as I need to until I get the perfect temps.



Please let me know if you have any other suggestions or see something I need to change.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

You can do away with the Eco Earth and use Cypress mulch if you wanted. It's much cleaner and holds humidity well. I recently converted a 75 gallon for my yearling too. Only thing I'd recommend is a lot more plants and cover. Great idea to hang the light and CHE's! A background for the tank makes it look cooler too.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Nice looking enclosure, yes, more plants and i too like cypress mulch. Just sort it a bit for any super sharp pieces.

One thing i see which i would change is the use of those plastic wire ties for your CHE dome. Just fine for lighting, but that dome will get pretty hot with your CHE bulb and over time either melt or make it brittle and cause it to fall. Id just use some real wire that can easily be twisted in place to hold your CHE.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

You could also get rid of the domes for the CHE's if you wanted to. They're really not necessary being that it's a closed chamber. Most of them just screw off the fixture.

 

[Maro2Bear]

You could also get rid of the domes for the CHE's if you wanted to. They're really not necessary being that it's a closed chamber. Most of them just screw off the fixture.

But, the fixture still needs to be attached - anyhow, it’s just best to double check & be safe! Dint want that CHE somehow melting the wire tie.

 

[DJ Kirk]

IMHO, your redfoot will grow out of that tank very quickly.

 

[Yvonne G]

You can do away with the Eco Earth and use Cypress mulch if you wanted. It's much cleaner and holds humidity well. I recently converted a 75 gallon for my yearling too. Only thing I'd recommend is a lot more plants and cover. Great idea to hang the light and CHE's! A background for the tank makes it look cooler too.

Or just add cypress mulch or fir bark on top of the eco earth. Pat it down with your hand and it's easier for him to walk on.

I like that you used zip ties to hold the lights in place. I have heard that the black zip ties stand up to UVB better than the white ones, but that may not be a problem indoors?????

 

[CandyApple]

Thanks everyone should I worry about the fake plants getting under the CHEs? I don't want to create any fire hazards. I know young ones spend a lot of time sleeping but he seems to be exploring a lot and if I had to guess, I'd say he likes it. He had himself burrowed in the substrate last night with his head poking out.

I actually do have some wire I could attach the CHEs with. I double zip tied everything for security.

Next step is to plant my seeds. I do have a tray to plant in outside of his enclosure in case he just tramples them all inside.

 

[CandyApple]

Or just add cypress mulch or fir bark on top of the eco earth. Pat it down with your hand and it's easier for him to walk on.

I like that you used zip ties to hold the lights in place. I have heard that the black zip ties stand up to UVB better than the white ones, but that may not be a problem indoors?????

Hmm, I haven't hear this. Honestly I only have white ones because I ran to the dollar store to pick them up and it was all they had. I double zip tied everything just in case and have plenty extra if I need them. I didn't want to overdo it for when I need to unmount the light fixture to change the bulb Haha. By the time it needs changed, though, he'll need a new home.

 

[Alex Z]

Try and create sight barriers. The outside of the tank walls, get some green color paper and cut up fake grass. Tape it or glue it on. Reptiles seeing out, will stress them out.