Hey all...
I've posted about my soon-to-be setup before, but it's long off the front page, so hopefully it's ok to do a new thread.
Got heaps of help here so far, thanks all
I have 2 Oedura coggeri on the way, going into a 30x30x45 Exo-Terra tank.
I've set up a globe in the front half of the tank, by putting a screw through a plastic globe base, through the mesh roof, into some timber which is secured on top of the tank (I've run a second screw in the back half, for a second light fitting of some kind if I ever need/want one, but it also secures the timber in place).
I've got a 50W night-glo globe in the front half of the tank, and the thermometer that's on the inside of the tank on the side gets up to 29 degrees, which is pretty close to what I've heard O.coggeri like.
Right down above the substrate I have another thermometer, one of those plastic label strip-type thermometers, and the temp (unless I just can't see it) seems to not even rate on that thermometer, which starts at 20 degrees.
I'm aware of the need for a temp gradient and considering O.coggeri are more arboreal, the globe should help there (plenty of branch area for them to bask for their heat, and have left everything heating for ages to ensure things don't get TOO warm, which they don't).
Now I'm currently unsure whether I've got too little heat throughout the tank for them. I've got a 14W ReptileOne heat mat (I was recommended 10W+ on here as lower wattages apparently don't really put out enough warmth for O.coggeri, which other sources also suggest prefer around 29 degrees Celcius/85 Fahrenheit), but it's 20cmx14cm or something like that, which would cover a large part of the side of the tank, and everything I read in the documentation of heat mats (on the net) say they shouldn't cover more than about a third of the face (again, for the heat gradient)... but surely the other side of the tank would be cooler then? Enough of a gradient?
Now I'm not sure whether I should use the globe only, or both the globe and the mat (maybe between globe and mat would be TOO hot, and their combined effect might make too much of the tank too warm). I've got a thermostat which could run either device, as I assume both together is too much. The globe got the vicinity (as I say, between the middle of the tank and the edge) up to 29/30 degrees without the thermostat involved.
Maybe I'm better just using the mat (would prefer the globe though, as the mat kinda won't look very nice covering another side of the tank, which already has one of those false rock wall backings)?
Any suggestions?
Now the other (quicker!) question I have is how LONG I should heat for. The ambient temp where the tank is is about 15 degrees C when I get home from work in the arvo, but surely gets cooler overnight.
I've seen an Oedura care sheet which recommended heat globe for 8-10 hours a day... what about the rest of the time? With the aforementioned ambient temps, wouldn't they then get too cold? Maybe I should do heat globe during the day, and heat mat (on thermostat at a lower temp) overnight?
Thanks all!
I've posted about my soon-to-be setup before, but it's long off the front page, so hopefully it's ok to do a new thread.
Got heaps of help here so far, thanks all
I have 2 Oedura coggeri on the way, going into a 30x30x45 Exo-Terra tank.
I've set up a globe in the front half of the tank, by putting a screw through a plastic globe base, through the mesh roof, into some timber which is secured on top of the tank (I've run a second screw in the back half, for a second light fitting of some kind if I ever need/want one, but it also secures the timber in place).
I've got a 50W night-glo globe in the front half of the tank, and the thermometer that's on the inside of the tank on the side gets up to 29 degrees, which is pretty close to what I've heard O.coggeri like.
Right down above the substrate I have another thermometer, one of those plastic label strip-type thermometers, and the temp (unless I just can't see it) seems to not even rate on that thermometer, which starts at 20 degrees.
I'm aware of the need for a temp gradient and considering O.coggeri are more arboreal, the globe should help there (plenty of branch area for them to bask for their heat, and have left everything heating for ages to ensure things don't get TOO warm, which they don't).
Now I'm currently unsure whether I've got too little heat throughout the tank for them. I've got a 14W ReptileOne heat mat (I was recommended 10W+ on here as lower wattages apparently don't really put out enough warmth for O.coggeri, which other sources also suggest prefer around 29 degrees Celcius/85 Fahrenheit), but it's 20cmx14cm or something like that, which would cover a large part of the side of the tank, and everything I read in the documentation of heat mats (on the net) say they shouldn't cover more than about a third of the face (again, for the heat gradient)... but surely the other side of the tank would be cooler then? Enough of a gradient?
Now I'm not sure whether I should use the globe only, or both the globe and the mat (maybe between globe and mat would be TOO hot, and their combined effect might make too much of the tank too warm). I've got a thermostat which could run either device, as I assume both together is too much. The globe got the vicinity (as I say, between the middle of the tank and the edge) up to 29/30 degrees without the thermostat involved.
Maybe I'm better just using the mat (would prefer the globe though, as the mat kinda won't look very nice covering another side of the tank, which already has one of those false rock wall backings)?
Any suggestions?
Now the other (quicker!) question I have is how LONG I should heat for. The ambient temp where the tank is is about 15 degrees C when I get home from work in the arvo, but surely gets cooler overnight.
I've seen an Oedura care sheet which recommended heat globe for 8-10 hours a day... what about the rest of the time? With the aforementioned ambient temps, wouldn't they then get too cold? Maybe I should do heat globe during the day, and heat mat (on thermostat at a lower temp) overnight?
Thanks all!
