My Set Up

[ChrisPull]

Just finished adding the last touches to my Rieppeleon brevicaudatus vivarium. I installed a small 8W flourescent bulb today; much better now I can see them! I was a bit worried it would be too bright for them, but they have quite a few shaded places to retreat to. What do you guys do for lighting? I also added more substrate so that the female can lay her eggs when she is ready. This made the heat mat redundant, so I've hooked up a desk lamp to keep one end at 24 degrees C. I've seen most people don't bother with heat, but my house get's quite cold.

Here's some photos:



Let me know if you have any feedback,

Chris

 

[hallenhe]

Looks like a nice viv! For light, I use a Reptisun 5.0; the general recommendations I've seen for pygmies are this or the 2.0, and some people stipulate an older 5.0 (I haven't had trouble with buying new). Is your fluorescent providing UVB? - They need that to properly synthesize Vitamin D3 and metabolize their calcium.
24 C is reasonable in the daytime; they appreciate a temperature drop at night and pygmies are generally more susceptible to injury from high temps than low (they don't really want to be much above 80 F/26.7 C). Heat mat is unnecessary, but it sounds like that's already been put out of use by the substrate.
Looks like they've got lots of plants and nice places to hide.

 

[ChrisPull]

Thanks for the comments. Yeah, the heat mat wont be used again. The deak lamp is working well, the temperature is more or less a steady 24. I set it to 18 degrees at night, (not that it comes on, but I like to be safe), which I think provides an ample drop. The blub isn't UV; I've read so much conflicting adivce about whether or not they really need it. I actually brought a 5% exoterra, after a 15 minute internal argument in the shop about wether or not it would be safe. On getting home I found it didn't fit the starter unit I had anyway. Long story short, seeing as I couldn't get a 2% anywhere, I just brought a standard white light blub for the time being, rather than risking a 5%. Will probably invest in a UVA bulb in the not so distant future.