Valentine_Tort
New Member
Hello! I have a roughly 4 month old leopard hatchling that I have recently moved into a new closed chamber enclosure. Previously I was using a makeshift plastic tub while waiting for the closed chamber to ship. Now that I have it somewhat setup, I would love to hear some advice and or feedback on how to tweak it to make it perfect for my tiny Valentine.
The enclosure is 5x2x2. I am using a combination of additive free topsoil, EcoEarth, and playground sand as substrate. I have added some spots of cypress mulch and sphagnum moss in the hide and a couple corners. Mainly the moss in the corners was just to give a bit of variety and decoration.
I currently have a 10.0 UVB strip running most of the length and then a 65 watt incandescent flood for heat and basking. The UVB is on a timer for 12 hours a day. The current ambient temp of the enclosure is 81F and my basking spot is reaching about 90-92F. According to the Zoo Med temperature humidity gauge, the enclosure is at 71% humidity.
One of the issues that I am struggling with is how to regulate my current heat light. I attempted to use a dimming thermostat, but since the heat source is a light, the thermostat would never switch into night mode shutting the light off. I currently have a different thermostat connected, but I can’t figure out what I need that will have a timer AND a thermostat to regulate my light. However, I obviously don’t want my light to come on if the night time temp drops below 80F. I considered the use of a CHE but the manufacturer(Toad Ranch) stated on their site that CHE aren’t recommended in closed chambers. Any thoughts on that? I have another ceramic fixture inside the enclosure but it is on the opposite side as my current hot side. I am not overly concerned about night temps though because my house never goes below 74F.
I suppose my main questions are, what do you think about my current temps/humidity? Do I need a thermostat for the daytime heat/basking light or is a timer sufficient? If so, is there a thermostat that works with a light that can be programmed to go off at night? Any other tips or suggestions for my enclosure? Thanks!!
The enclosure is 5x2x2. I am using a combination of additive free topsoil, EcoEarth, and playground sand as substrate. I have added some spots of cypress mulch and sphagnum moss in the hide and a couple corners. Mainly the moss in the corners was just to give a bit of variety and decoration.
I currently have a 10.0 UVB strip running most of the length and then a 65 watt incandescent flood for heat and basking. The UVB is on a timer for 12 hours a day. The current ambient temp of the enclosure is 81F and my basking spot is reaching about 90-92F. According to the Zoo Med temperature humidity gauge, the enclosure is at 71% humidity.
One of the issues that I am struggling with is how to regulate my current heat light. I attempted to use a dimming thermostat, but since the heat source is a light, the thermostat would never switch into night mode shutting the light off. I currently have a different thermostat connected, but I can’t figure out what I need that will have a timer AND a thermostat to regulate my light. However, I obviously don’t want my light to come on if the night time temp drops below 80F. I considered the use of a CHE but the manufacturer(Toad Ranch) stated on their site that CHE aren’t recommended in closed chambers. Any thoughts on that? I have another ceramic fixture inside the enclosure but it is on the opposite side as my current hot side. I am not overly concerned about night temps though because my house never goes below 74F.
I suppose my main questions are, what do you think about my current temps/humidity? Do I need a thermostat for the daytime heat/basking light or is a timer sufficient? If so, is there a thermostat that works with a light that can be programmed to go off at night? Any other tips or suggestions for my enclosure? Thanks!!