Just thought I'd post up an update since the remodelling of the Casa Del Bob.
My Bredli was acquired a month ago. He lived on only a heat mat and newspaper. I knew naught about keeping snakes a month ago.
What I have learnt from these forums 3 weeks before my licence arrived was invaluable.
Now my Bredli lives in a heavily insulated glass tank, with overhead heating and is now being kept at 32c during the day and 24c at night. He never had a hide, now he does and after 4 days he's finally started to use it properly. He wasn't sure so slept half in half out until 6pm last night.
The heat mat was never on a thermostat just running continuously. I never did get a temperature reading before the remodelling though
I've now created an environment where there is a 32c hot spot and a 22c cold spot.
With a 10c gradient over 6 feet, Bob is very active, moving around, stretched out or curled up on his log. Previously he spent all of his time curled up tight over his heat mat.
The previous owner visited on Saturday and said that I had done a great job with the remodelling, new substrate and the heating.
I made one more change last night where I sandwiched some cement sheeting between the CHE mount and the roof of the viv. My temperature gun arrived the other day and the lid that the CHE was bolted to was 40c and I noticed that it had started to buckle hence the need for the mod.
This evening I took the opportunity to install the above plug since the wiring had to be redone to accommodate the cement sheet. Now I can pull the plug and the door comes away without any cord attached to it
I'm happy to report that since the cement sheeting, the temp at the top of the door is the same. No drop in temperature at all
As for Bob, he is moving around heaps, stretched out along his log or curled up in different parts of his palace
He uses the hide when I try to handle him, I can get him out of the viv but as soon as he's out he makes a run for his hide.
The more he's handled the better he'll become?
Hopefully I can teach an old snake new tricks.
I am off to check out a beardie tomorrow. The obsession has kicked in it would seem.