Advice.......again...(did warn you there would be questions)

[mark cope]

I am going to build martha a new viv....(L)800mm x (D)585 x (H)400.......And i have a few questions
Q1. I'm going to build it out of white furniture board ...will it freak the snake out in a white enclosure?
(if not what do you suggest?)
Q2. Bigger enclosure how do I heat it......wooden enclosure ..heat mat would have to go inside viv....would a light be better?
(what light should I use?)
Q3. What is the purpose of a U.V. light?
AS always your help and expertise is always appreciated
Mark and Joe
:)

[guidofatherof5]

Keep in mind what effect moister/water will have on the wood. It will get wet.;)

#1 The white color shouldn't make any difference.
#2 I heat my wood enclosures with flex-watt heat tape from under the enclosure.
#3 Don't use any. Garters don't need U.V. as a rule.

[infernalis]

No the white will not "freak out" the snake.

I use small wattage basking lights inside wood enclosures, works great.

and like Steve said, UV is not needed.

[EasternGirl]

Mark...sounds like I great plan...I can't give you any help with the building plans...but I'm sure that Chirs, Greg, Steve, and Rod will have lots of advice for you on that. I don't think white will necessarily freak Martha out...but I did want to mention that I have put background scenery paper made for reptiles on the outside of my tanks that gives them the illusion of forest scenery or the like...you can purchase it in rolls or sheets and then cut it to your specifications. I purchased mine online at a reptile store...and my snakes really seem to like it. I'm sure they have it available over there too. It is usually made to tape on the outside of glass tanks...but I'm sure you could cut it and glue it onto the board you are using. Let me see if I have a pic...

Here..you can see it on the back of the enclosure in this pic... 47590


Some people believe that UV helps with the health of the garter...provides vitamin D, helps aid in digestion, increases activity and helps in breeding. I use a UVB bulb for my easterns. I have it set on a timer. But many people don't use them...like Wayne and Steve said, there is nothing to suggest that they are necessary.

[mark cope]

Thanks everyone
I've already got plans
Marnie ....just ordered some backing film:)
But sorry to keep on what are uv lights for? would Neo benifit from one?.......was thinking of putting small strip light in purely for looking .... it would be high up so martha could not get to it..
Also bonus feature ...Wifey has got the bug ....She has got her eye on an Anery corn snake:)

[kibakiba]

UV lights are for simulating sunlight. But, garters do not need them at all. Most lizards and such need some sort of UV I believe, though.

[EasternGirl]

Mark...look at the end of my last post...I edited it and added something about UV lights...I think it was after you read it. Stefan posted a couple of articles a while back about research done on the possible benefits of UV light for garters...anyone know where that thread is?

Cool that you ordered the backing paper...my snakes really like it! :)

[mark cope]

Thanks again,
one more question....can I use a light bulb socket that you get from the hardware shop or does it have to be a specialist one?
mark

[Natrix]

I'v just used a normal bayonette type angled one, but I think it is probably better to use a ceramic one.

[d_virginiana]

I would think a hardware socket would be fine so long as the wattages match up. I used a floodlight type outlet with a heating bulb in it to keep the roaches my frog eats warm for quite a while, and never had any technical issues. You may want to wait for someone else to chime in on that. I don't know much about that sort of thing, so I may have just been lucky.

[chris-uk]

As long as you don't plug a bulb into the socket which gets too hot you should be fine. I'd imagine most bayonet fittings are designed for up to 100W bulbs, and you shouldn't need anything that hot in your viv.
The most important thing is using an appropriate guard to stop your garters getting close enough to burn them.

[mark cope]

Thanks again you guys.....
Man I love this site:)
Mark

[nitrogen15]

Sounds like a cool idea, please post pics! You could look into an exterior use non-toxic paint or lacquer to add water-resistance.

[ConcinusMan]

UV lights are for simulating sunlight. But, garters do not need them at all. Most lizards and such need some sort of UV I believe, though.

No, they're not for simulating sunlight exactly. They're for vitamin D3 (needed for absorption of calcium) synthesis. Reptiles, and even people, can synthesize D3 in their skin but UV exposure is needed to accomplish that.

People and snakes can get all the D3 they need from their food and so UV exposure isn't absolutely necessary as long as there is enough D3 in their food. The reason for UV output bulbs is that many lizards, especially desert species, can only get D3 by sythesizing it in their skin. For those species, without UV exposure they cannot get the D3 they need, so they can't absorb calcium, and so they end up with soft bones and other health problems, and ultimately, they'll die.

You can simulate natural daylight for garters without the UV output by using common white or "daylight" florescent bulbs. I would recommend that you use one of those, even if you use and incandescent bulb for heat.

Personally I think it's safer if you use a florescent for light and an undertank heater. I never did see how people could put hot bulbs directly in an enclosure. Every time I've tried that, snakes inevitably get burned, water spashes the bulb and breaks it, and numerous other hassles.

[Didymus20X6]

Which is why you don't put the bulb IN the tank, but overhead or to the side.

[ConcinusMan]

And yet I keep seeing enclosures with sockets/bulbs hanging from the ceiling inside the enclosure. I don't get that. It's no problem if they're on top of a screen with a ceramic socket lamp and deflector. I do that.

[mark cope]

I have thought about it ...I don't really want to put a bulb in, I would rather use a heat mat .....spoke to another guy and I'm thinking of adopting his idea ....which is put the heat mat in the viv ....then secure a piece of 3mm hard board on top of the heat mat ....then set stat probe above that to make sure it never gets too hot.

[d_virginiana]

Wouldn't putting the heat mat on the side/bottom of the viv be easier? I've only used the very little ones for my frog, since my house never gets cold enough for the garters to need extra heat, but it doesn't get hot enough to burn. The larger ones might though, idk.

[mark cope]

Wouldn't putting the heat mat on the side/bottom of the viv be easier? I've only used the very little ones for my frog, since my house never gets cold enough for the garters to need extra heat, but it doesn't get hot enough to burn. The larger ones might though, idk.

Heat has to 15mm of furniture board and through substrate if i put it on the outside
Inside it would only have to pass through 3mm hardboard and substrate,....the hard board and stat would stop snake from getting hurt

[d_virginiana]

Heat has to 15mm of furniture board and through substrate if i put it on the outside
Inside it would only have to pass through 3mm hardboard and substrate,....the hard board and stat would stop snake from getting hurt

Sorry, I was thinking about a glass aquarium when I wrote that :p

[FireRedGarters]

hay just a thought if ur gona make a planted viv then u will need uv light for the plants to grow

[EasternGirl]

I think that sounds like a good idea for the heat mat. You didn't say anything about using real plants in the enclosure did you?

[gregmonsta]

Heat has to 15mm of furniture board and through substrate if i put it on the outside
Inside it would only have to pass through 3mm hardboard and substrate,....the hard board and stat would stop snake from getting hurt

Another option is having it inside the viv under a thin plastic membrane. I know some use self adheasive floor tiles to cover heatmats and then seal the edges with silicone ;).
Zoo-med heatcable is a good product too - already sealed and waterproof. I currently heat four vivs with one 100watt 12m cable. Shorter lengths are available.
Just remember a thermostat, of course.

[mark cope]

hay just a thought if ur gona make a planted viv then u will need uv light for the plants to grow

No planting as gardening is definitly something I suck at:)
Plastic greenery all the way

[mark cope]

Another option is having it inside the viv under a thin plastic membrane. I know some use self adheasive floor tiles to cover heatmats and then seal the edges with silicone ;).
Zoo-med heatcable is a good product too - already sealed and waterproof. I currently heat four vivs with one 100watt 12m cable. Shorter lengths are available.
Just remember a thermostat, of course.

Can the heat cable go outside the viv?

[EasternGirl]

Ha ha...as I was carrying a dead plant out to the garbage the other day...I said to my mother, "How is it I can keep a child and several animals alive and well cared for, but every plant I have ever had, I manage to kill??"...Lol...

[gregmonsta]

Can the heat cable go outside the viv? Probably, but you would have the same issues as with a heat mat. I fed mine into the vivs, mounted it on radiator reflector foil and then covered it with repti-carpet to keep it out of sight. It is designed to be wrapped around viv ornaments/hides/etc, so the best place for it is inside the viv.

I use mine with a pulse stat.

[ConcinusMan]

hay just a thought if ur gona make a planted viv then u will need uv light for the plants to grow

plants do not require UV. just a somewhat balanced visible spectrum. almost any florescent bulb with "white" light output will do.