Enclosure - Work in Progress

[Faye&Senna]

So the enclosure I bought for Senna is quite the palace. It is 1200x1200x600. It is a homemade cabinet that the guy I bought it off put together. I am fine with the size, but he has the uvb attached to the top. Way too high? I believe it is a T5 too. So we are lowering it and suspending it for now until I can get a T8 to install inside the enclosure. He also had two domes with heat lamps. One white and one red. I took out the red and when I looked at the white it was a 250W. Way too hot. So I changed it for a 100W. The temps are now about 38° in the basking. 34°-32° warm end and 25°-28° cool end. Is this sufficient? They do fluctuate a little bit according to the digital thermometers I have in there though. I still have some other changes to make. He had vinyl tiles stuck on with heavy duty adhesive (don’t know what, I had to peel off and take out screws and dissolve before cleaning). Same with the flooring. He had rocks. I have Lino covered with paper towels at the moment (I’m thinking of using adhesive to glue sand to it for traction later?) It was a mess in other words. I am just going to put cork tiles on the back with double sided tape and hopefully they stick, otherwise just paper to cover the wood, another basking rock and some more driftwood. She currently has a nice big piece of gum to climb and bask on, a hide, a hammock and her bowls and some fake plants and ivy to hide in. I’ve also placed a shirt of mine in there to get her used to me. Goodness! Sorry for the novel. But is this all ok do you think?

 

[Sadie]

So the enclosure I bought for Senna is quite the palace. It is 1200x1200x600. It is a homemade cabinet that the guy I bought it off put together. I am fine with the size, but he has the uvb attached to the top. Way too high? I believe it is a T5 too. So we are lowering it and suspending it for now until I can get a T8 to install inside the enclosure. He also had two domes with heat lamps. One white and one red. I took out the red and when I looked at the white it was a 250W. Way too hot. So I changed it for a 100W. The temps are now about 38° in the basking. 34°-32° warm end and 25°-28° cool end. Is this sufficient? They do fluctuate a little bit according to the digital thermometers I have in there though. I still have some other changes to make. He had vinyl tiles stuck on with heavy duty adhesive (don’t know what, I had to peel off and take out screws and dissolve before cleaning). Same with the flooring. He had rocks. I have Lino covered with paper towels at the moment (I’m thinking of using adhesive to glue sand to it for traction later?) It was a mess in other words. I am just going to put cork tiles on the back with double sided tape and hopefully they stick, otherwise just paper to cover the wood, another basking rock and some more driftwood. She currently has a nice big piece of gum to climb and bask on, a hide, a hammock and her bowls and some fake plants and ivy to hide in. I’ve also placed a shirt of mine in there to get her used to me. Goodness! Sorry for the novel. But is this all ok do you think?

Please do not replace the T 5 w/ the T 8 they are a less strong bulb -- if the enclosure is real high I would invest in a Arcadia 14% bulb -- they require a distance of 24" so w/ the height of yours not sure what it is -- the 1200 is cm? As far as the flooring you do not want adhesive but NON adhesive the heat will cause the glue to melt and smell fumes -- the 38 C is good for basking 34 C is ok you want it 36 C or so -- I would invest in a hide for her -- if you can post a pic of the enclosure that would be good

 

[Faye&Senna]

Please do not replace the T 5 w/ the T 8 they are a less strong bulb -- if the enclosure is real high I would invest in a Arcadia 14% bulb -- they require a distance of 24" so w/ the height of yours not sure what it is -- the 1200 is cm? As far as the flooring you do not want adhesive but NON adhesive the heat will cause the glue to melt and smell fumes -- the 38 C is good for basking 34 C is ok you want it 36 C or so -- I would invest in a hide for her -- if you can post a pic of the enclosure that would be good

Hi Sadie, yes sorry I’m in Australia so Australian measurements. 1200mm high. I think I got them mixed up. I think it’s the T8 in there. So will be upgrading the bulb and fixture.
What can I use to adhere sand to the Lino? If anything? I bought 2m of the stuff to have back up so hopefully that’s not wasted.
Another trip to the hardware store for things to suspend the uvb light fitting from today to lower it.

 

[Faye&Senna]

Hi Sadie, yes sorry I’m in Australia so Australian measurements. 1200mm high. I think I got them mixed up. I think it’s the T8 in there. So will be upgrading the bulb and fixture.
What can I use to adhere sand to the Lino? If anything? I bought 2m of the stuff to have back up so hopefully that’s not wasted.
Another trip to the hardware store for things to suspend the uvb light fitting from today to lower it.
View attachment 27331

Please remember this is just the start of her enclosure and that I am going to make a lot of changes to it with the decor. I don’t want to stress her out more by changing too much at once though but the lighting is my main concern.

 

[Sadie]

Please remember this is just the start of her enclosure and that I am going to make a lot of changes to it with the decor. I don’t want to stress her out more by changing too much at once though but the lighting is my main concern.

Yes the lighting is the most important thing in the tank but to be honest its way to high --- dragons need floor space not height---- if she fell in the tank now she would really get hurt --- you could put a shelf in there and have the bottom part the cool end of the tank and the top part basking heat and UVB -- your T 5 needs to be 12-15 inches directly above the basking decor --- as of right now shes going to be climbing to get to that UVB - T 8's require a distance of 6-8 inches and if there is a cover over that bulb take it off --- it looks like a regular house hold fixture -- and I am guessing there is NO reflector in it so at this point shes not getting any UVB--- I would invest in a UVB fixture like this https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Arcadia...676867&hash=item42125ba6a1:g:znsAAOSwEYRePpRG
you do not want the same length of the tank for the UVB -- '
you will need a basking bulb that keeps temps 95-100-- taken w/ a digital probe thermometer and its going to be trial and error w/ the bulbs --- but I would get that UVB off the ceiling now and lower it but I am really wondering how to do that w / the T 8 --

 

[Faye&Senna]

Yes the lighting is the most important thing in the tank but to be honest its way to high --- dragons need floor space not height---- if she fell in the tank now she would really get hurt --- you could put a shelf in there and have the bottom part the cool end of the tank and the top part basking heat and UVB -- your T 5 needs to be 12-15 inches directly above the basking decor --- as of right now shes going to be climbing to get to that UVB - T 8's require a distance of 6-8 inches and if there is a cover over that bulb take it off --- it looks like a regular house hold fixture -- and I am guessing there is NO reflector in it so at this point shes not getting any UVB--- I would invest in a UVB fixture like this https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Arcadia...676867&hash=item42125ba6a1:g:znsAAOSwEYRePpRG
you do not want the same length of the tank for the UVB -- '
you will need a basking bulb that keeps temps 95-100-- taken w/ a digital probe thermometer and its going to be trial and error w/ the bulbs --- but I would get that UVB off the ceiling now and lower it but I am really wondering how to do that w / the T 8 --

That would make a lot of sense with the fitting the uvb is in. I will go hunting for a new fixture today if I can find one ASAP rather than order one online and wait for it. We will figure out how to mount it inside on the side or suspend somehow.
I like the idea of a shelf with a ramp in there. I might see if my dad can make something up for her.

 

[Sadie]

That would make a lot of sense with the fitting the uvb is in. I will go hunting for a new fixture today if I can find one ASAP rather than order one online and wait for it. We will figure out how to mount it inside on the side or suspend somehow.
I like the idea of a shelf with a ramp in there. I might see if my dad can make something up for her.

Please try and suspend on the side wall or back wall is not good placement - you want it directly above her-- you don't want the UVB shining in her eyes- I can post some things the best stuff I have found you would need to find there in your home improvement store - but I am gonna see if I can find it in Amazon tomorrow

 

[Faye&Senna]

I went out and got a T5 39W reflector and bulb for her and suspended it 90cm from the base (well, I didn’t, my partner and BIL did). I’m going to get my dad to build her a shelf and ramp half way up the enclosure so she can get closer that way and some different driftwood but her branch for now goes pretty close but not too close so I’m happy for now. As long as this is close enough? Also a nice basking rock. Please don’t mind her lunch remnants I’m hoping she is going to finish those. Plus the backdrop will go once the shelf goes in

 

[Sadie]

I went out and got a T5 39W reflector and bulb for her and suspended it 90cm from the base (well, I didn’t, my partner and BIL did). I’m going to get my dad to build her a shelf and ramp half way up the enclosure so she can get closer that way and some different driftwood but her branch for now goes pretty close but not too close so I’m happy for now. As long as this is close enough? Also a nice basking rock. Please don’t mind her lunch remnants I’m hoping she is going to finish those. Plus the backdrop will go once the shelf goes in View attachment 27332

So the shelf should be 12-15 inches directly underneath the basking decor -- she is not going to want to sit under that UVB all the time -- I would get rid of that long stick and get your shelf in so she can sit and bask under the heat lamp and UVB -- I would make a ramp going from the floor to the shelf but try not to have it so steep-- at a angle - you want the shelf w/ some sort of texture so she doesnt slip climbing like reptile carpet or some textured NON adhesive shelf liner - that would be easiest to clean --the carpet would be a pain -- I would put a hide in the bottom part of the tank -- the hammock would work good under the UVB -- your going to need to use the digital probe thermometer to get accurate basking temps especially off the hammock -- as far as the green carpet thing on the back wall I dont know if you want to leave it there -- what is the purpose of the carpet ?

 

[Faye&Senna]

So the shelf should be 12-15 inches directly underneath the basking decor -- she is not going to want to sit under that UVB all the time -- I would get rid of that long stick and get your shelf in so she can sit and bask under the heat lamp and UVB -- I would make a ramp going from the floor to the shelf but try not to have it so steep-- at a angle - you want the shelf w/ some sort of texture so she doesnt slip climbing like reptile carpet or some textured NON adhesive shelf liner - that would be easiest to clean --the carpet would be a pain -- I would put a hide in the bottom part of the tank -- the hammock would work good under the UVB -- your going to need to use the digital probe thermometer to get accurate basking temps especially off the hammock -- as far as the green carpet thing on the back wall I dont know if you want to leave it there -- what is the purpose of the carpet ?

It’s not carpet. It’s fake leaves in like panels. It’s temporary to hide where i had to tear off the vinyl tiles that were there until I decide what to put there long term after we finish building inside there.
And regarding the shelf - that was the plan so thank you for reinforcing my ideas about that. I can move the basking lamp up or down the wall too if needed. I have the hammock and the hide to one side so she can chill out away from the uvb if she wants to currently. It will have to wait about a week at least (the shelf) until my dad can come and measure it up.