Hi there
Just after some advise about tempature gradients in a flexi.
My adult male is in a wood/mesh viv roughly the same size as a 100gallon flexi, and i'm happy with his temperature distribution in there. Now, today I've moved my 7 month old female into a 100 gallon flexi from her temporary smaller wood/mesh viv. I did check the temps before I moved her - but the plants came with her from her old viv and have created quite a bit of shade in there!
Under her basking area, I have a basking spot of 85'F - which is what I was hoping for after adjusting the vine height several times. Don't want to go any higher as I want to keep her from cycling until I decide she can when she's bigger! (as recommended on "raising kitty"). Trouble is, off the basking spot, the temperatures drop quite sharply to ambient (low 70's), so only a small area of the flexi is that warm. There is another lower vine below the basking spot which is at roughly 80, and I also have heat cables twined randomly round the viv and my IR thermometer is also reading 80 in the vicinity of these. Is this enough heat?
I'm worried that if I change to a higher wattage bulb, the temperature at the mesh under it will rise (this is already hovering at 95-100), meaning I'll have to raise it up further, probably losing the point of increasing the wattage!
When I had problems with male's viv basking spot, I ended up adding a second, identical wattage bulb to the basking area which upped the temps a bit and increased the size of the basking area. Is it worth doing this for my girl?
Just to say - given she moved house today AND is grumpy cos she's shedding, she's looking very calm and green and has been exploring lots, so she herself seems unfazed!!
Sorry for the essay, I'm afraid I'm a bit of a 'Monica' about these things!
Just after some advise about tempature gradients in a flexi.
My adult male is in a wood/mesh viv roughly the same size as a 100gallon flexi, and i'm happy with his temperature distribution in there. Now, today I've moved my 7 month old female into a 100 gallon flexi from her temporary smaller wood/mesh viv. I did check the temps before I moved her - but the plants came with her from her old viv and have created quite a bit of shade in there!
Under her basking area, I have a basking spot of 85'F - which is what I was hoping for after adjusting the vine height several times. Don't want to go any higher as I want to keep her from cycling until I decide she can when she's bigger! (as recommended on "raising kitty"). Trouble is, off the basking spot, the temperatures drop quite sharply to ambient (low 70's), so only a small area of the flexi is that warm. There is another lower vine below the basking spot which is at roughly 80, and I also have heat cables twined randomly round the viv and my IR thermometer is also reading 80 in the vicinity of these. Is this enough heat?
I'm worried that if I change to a higher wattage bulb, the temperature at the mesh under it will rise (this is already hovering at 95-100), meaning I'll have to raise it up further, probably losing the point of increasing the wattage!
When I had problems with male's viv basking spot, I ended up adding a second, identical wattage bulb to the basking area which upped the temps a bit and increased the size of the basking area. Is it worth doing this for my girl?
Just to say - given she moved house today AND is grumpy cos she's shedding, she's looking very calm and green and has been exploring lots, so she herself seems unfazed!!
Sorry for the essay, I'm afraid I'm a bit of a 'Monica' about these things!
