40 gallon breeders (show me pics please)

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Mushu-02.jpg


Mushu-14.jpg


Sorry about the junk in the pics but I was getting ready to clean poop from the tanks. Gotta love baby wipes lol
 

Youkai

Hatchling Member
diamc":0e7f4 said:
That looks great, so nice & neat. I do have a concern though if you don't mind. The clamp light holder looks like it is resting on the screen top and I would be afraid that it would melt the rim of the screen as they get very hot. Is it a mercury vapor bulb or a reptile basking bulb? Is the light in the strip holder a UVB or just a standard fluorescent tube (non UVB)?


Actually, I'm freaking out a little about that also...
I had the dome hanging from the lamp stand you might be able to see in the background but I couldn't get the temps in the basking area above 80ish so I decided to let it sit on the screen for a while and see what happens. (after a few hours, the temps are in the mid 90's)
I've checked it a few times and the screen really isn't getting hot at all. The rim of the screen is a metal of some kind. Either aluminum or a very thin sheet metal. It may warp over time, but I don't believe it's going to melt.. (or "hope" it won't melt! :mrgreen: )
I've read that the thermometers can take 45 minutes or so to register the correct temp, so I have no idea if I'm just rushing things or if the bulb isn't strong enough to warm the tank. I'm no where near the right basking temp and the "cool" side is barely reaching mid 70's.

The bulb is the Zoo Med Basking Spot Lamp, 100watt. The light strip has a ReptiSun 10 in it.
I'm waiting on a MegaRay which I plan to have hanging from the lamp stand. When that comes in, I'll take out the ReptiSun tube and put a regular fluorescent light back in there for normal LUX.

I've only had the tank setup for a few hours now, just got my shipment from PetMountain today... so we'll see what tomorrow brings.
 

diamc

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My 40 gallon breeder has a screen that slides forward & I made the mistake of leaving one of the bulbs too far forward & part of the metal attached to the screen melted a little. I smelled something hot, otherwise I don't think I would have caught it in time. :oops: That's why I posted what I did. I live in NY and have noticed that the temps are actually higher during the afternoon in the house, so I can't get a good reading at night here in the northeast. If you needed to, you could always put a few bricks under the basking surface to raise it a little higher, that should help. Is the distance from the UVB within the 6 to 8" recommendation? Sorry for all the questions, just want everything perfect for your beardie when he/she arrives. :wink:
 

Youkai

Hatchling Member
That sounds exactly like the screen on my tank also. Ok, thanks for the heads up!! :D I'll make sure I don't leave the light sitting on the screen too long!!

Umm, no, the distance from the UVB is probably close to 17" at this point. I read the 6-8" recommendations but there are so many places that say the ReptiSun 10 is good for "up to" 20 inches...so I had hoped that would be ok for a little while.

I'm going to try raising the basking tree up a little tonight as you suggested. I hope that helps a little.
The good thing is, I know I have time because I'm not bringing the lil dude home until his viv is as perfect as I can get it :mrgreen:

And thanks for all the suggestions/questions!!! I don't mind at all, I'm glad someone is thinking of things I might be missing!!
 

diamc

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James, the Repti-Sun fluorescent does need to be 6 to 8" from him in order to get the benefits of it. You have to also consider that the rays will be going through the screen so that cuts out some of the ultraviolet rays. So, I suggest you work on raising that area to get him closer to the UVB. Let us know what temps you get when you raise the basking area.
iibrandyii, I love the back wall in your tank & the tiles. 8)
 

Youkai

Hatchling Member
I'll work on that tonight. I should be able to get the basking branch a little higher.

(forgot to mention, the ReptiSun is about 16" or 17" up from the bottom of the tank but only about 8" or 9" diagonally from the basking branch.)
I can move that a little further towards the back of the tank and raise it a little. That should get it closer to both the basking lamp and the ReptiSun.

Thanks again! :mrgreen:
 

diamc

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Staff member
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Yes, that should help James. How old is the beardie you're getting?
 

Youkai

Hatchling Member
diamc":a361c said:
Yes, that should help James. How old is the beardie you're getting?

I'm not entirely sure. I was told about 6 months old but he/she's only about 5 or 6 inches long (nose to tail.)
I haven't sexed it yet either, so I'm not sure if it's a lil prince or a lil princess.. :lol:

All indications show good health. Color is good (creamy/vanilla-ish with some darker brown), appetite is excellent, the lil dude is very active in the tank at the pet store. It's attentive when I walk up to the tank, turns and looks at me. When feeding, it's chasing the crickets around the tank, and I've seen it munching on greens as well.

I should have him/her sometime this week, as soon as I can get the tank straightened out. Pics will follow, of course.. hee hee!
 
My 40 looks a lot like RedHandFilms'.... it's an actual 40 but is a little...busy. Plenty of things to climb on, go under, bask and get close to heat/UV... I'll post pics when I remember to bring my camera back from the office. But, to build a pic in your head... I'll save you the trouble. haha

I really don't understand the need for a larger "tank". I think that a better idea for a bigger enclosure is a custom-made one that becomes part of the furniture/decor of the house, rather than a big glass...box placed on whatever stand we can find. Not to mention that Bigger tanks require, like any other, bigger spaces.
 
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