Setting up my vivarium.

[Anyfoot]

Bought this 3x6ft vivarium for my baby redfoots. It’s 2ft high. Comes flatpacked, very easy to assemble the 7 pieces.
I’ve sealed all corners with caulk then put first coat of chlorinated rubber paint on. I’ll put second coat on tomorrow and let it air out for a wk. The paint isn’t cheap but a 1ltr tin will do 2 coats easily. Time will tell how well it protects the vivarium.
Not much to look at yet but I’ll post my progress.

https://provivs.co.uk

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chlorina...d-Paint/222006604561?var=&hash=item33b09ff311

 

[Yvonne G]

That's going to be pretty nice. I'm looking forward to watching your progress. Be sure to include babies in the 'finished product' picture!!

 

[Anyfoot]

All complete.
A quick summary.
Viv is 3x6ft at 2ft high. I’ve sealed and painted with chlorinated rubber paint, two coats. I’ve also but a plastic sheet on the bottom. All 4 vents are blocked off with insulation foam. The viv is sat on 2” thick insulation foam to stop cold coming through the floor.

2 150w CHE in wire cages with a metal shield underneath to stop concentrated heat spots.
A 30” 10.0 Arcadia uvb light. Reading is 1.4 at substrate level on the Ferguson zone. I usually use 5.0 but with it been a big viv and I want it high up I went with a 10.0.
Substrate is coir with some cypress mulch around the feeding area.
No hides, I’ve got 2 piles of spagnhum moss for beds.
2 water dishes.
Temperature is at 82/84f throughout the enclosure.
Humidity is at 92% for now. I aim to keep it above 90%, more like 99%.
Feeding mainly greens and weeds. Withsone mushroom and fruit occasionally. Nutrobal sprinkled on 3 times a wk.
Soaked daily for 20 minutes.
Let’s see if I can get them all to grow smooth. Got 25 babies in total. 20 in here. others just coming out of eggs.
Photography not my strong point

 

[Anyfoot]

@Tom.
Something puzzling me.
When I set this viv up the brand new Arcadia 10.0 uvb gave me a reading of 2.1. After having the light on for about 3 hours whilst I was setting everything up I checked it again in the exact same spot. It read 1.4. Is it normal for a new light to deteriorate very fast in first few hours of use?

 

[Pearly]

All complete.
A quick summary.
Viv is 3x6ft at 2ft high. I’ve sealed and painted with chlorinated rubber paint, two coats. I’ve also but a plastic sheet on the bottom. All 4 vents are blocked off with insulation foam. The viv is sat on 2” thick insulation foam to stop cold coming through the floor.

2 150w CHE in wire cages with a metal shield underneath to stop concentrated heat spots.
A 30” 10.0 Arcadia uvb light. Reading is 1.4 at substrate level on the Ferguson zone. I usually use 5.0 but with it been a big viv and I want it high up I went with a 10.0.
Substrate is coir with some cypress mulch around the feeding area.
No hides, I’ve got 2 piles of spagnhum moss for beds.
2 water dishes.
Temperature is at 82/84f throughout the enclosure.
Humidity is at 92% for now. I aim to keep it above 90%, more like 99%.
Feeding mainly greens and weeds. Withsone mushroom and fruit occasionally. Nutrobal sprinkled on 3 times a wk.
Soaked daily for 20 minutes.
Let’s see if I can get them all to grow smooth. Got 25 babies in total. 20 in here. others just coming out of eggs.
Photography not my strong point
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Wow! Craig! You’ve been busy!!!! Look at all those adorable babies!!!! That makes me want to get another[emoji6][emoji38] love the viv!

 

[Tom]

@Tom.
Something puzzling me.
When I set this viv up the brand new Arcadia 10.0 uvb gave me a reading of 2.1. After having the light on for about 3 hours whilst I was setting everything up I checked it again in the exact same spot. It read 1.4. Is it normal for a new light to deteriorate very fast in first few hours of use?

I hold the button down and move the meter around a bit to try to get the highest reading. Are you doing that?

No, not normal to drop that much. Are you measuring the same spot along the tube?

Is it a T8 or a T5 HO?

 

[Anyfoot]

I hold the button down and move the meter around a bit to try to get the highest reading. Are you doing that?

No, not normal to drop that much. Are you measuring the same spot along the tube?

Is it a T8 or a T5 HO?

It’s a T8. I moved it up and down the length of the tube. Do you think humidity could give a lower reading? The 2.1 reading was before I added any substrate, and the 1.4 reading was with the viv fully set up.

 

[Tom]

It’s a T8. I moved it up and down the length of the tube. Do you think humidity could give a lower reading? The 2.1 reading was before I added any substrate, and the 1.4 reading was with the viv fully set up.

I'm stumped. Maybe the dark substrate is absorbing more of the refracted rays that were bouncing around before you added it. Time consuming, but easy to check that theory...

 

[Anyfoot]

Just checked it again and it’s still 1.4.
I noticed when I first switched it on you could see what looked like gasses mixing together in the tube.

 

[Pearly]

Just checked it again and it’s still 1.4.
I noticed when I first switched it on you could see what looked like gasses mixing together in the tube.

I’ll be interested to know the verdict on this

 

[Anyfoot]

This viv has settled at 82/82.5f throughout. Humidity is at 99%.
You can see the walls and ceiling collecting humidity as it condenses.

I wonder if it would be worth making the ceiling have upside down pyramids on it so the condensation would drip to the points of the pyramids and then drip back into the enclosure all over instead of just running down the walls.
Like a full cycle of how rain works.

 

[Anyfoot]

Every day after work I come and bathe the babies before I see to the adults and juveniles.

Routine is fill 2 tubs with warm water.
Pop the 3 radiated in the smaller tub and place in their viv.
Check time. Today 7.09pm.
Search for the 24 redfoots. Pop them in the bigger tub and place back in their viv.
Check time. Today 7.33pm.
Soak all babies for minimum 20 mins.

It took me 24 minutes to find the baby redfoots in a 3x6ft viv. They not only dig under the moss, they also dig into the moist coir so I cants see them at all. I had to take all the moss out to find the last one and carefully prod my fingers systematically through the coir. I nearly gave up at one point.
Their carapaces are always moist with the damp coir and moss.

 

[Anyfoot]

Mushroom treat

 

[Anyfoot]

Daily soak

 

[Markw84]

It’s a T8. I moved it up and down the length of the tube. Do you think humidity could give a lower reading? The 2.1 reading was before I added any substrate, and the 1.4 reading was with the viv fully set up.

Craig, I hadn't seen this earlier and don't know if you've solved the issue. Sounds like it may be a bad ballast in the fixture to me.

 

[Anyfoot]

Today I’ve added an upgrade to my vivarium. Having had many discussions with @Markw84 I’m now back to thinking they must have moisture on the carapace whilst babies to try and imitate them hiding in the wild.
Mark always seems to have the knack of bringing me back down to earth when panic kicks in lol.

They seem to dig in piles of moss for first 4 months ish. Then get brave and start laying on the moss. All these babies now have no fear of me, quite the opposite, all come scurrying to the window when they see us humans now.

I’ve added a mesh shelf about 3” high from the substrate. Mesh is 1” square and plastic coated.
The idea is to have moss on the shelf so it hangs through the mesh and creates a very humid hide that also allows contact with wet moss on the carapace regardless to wether they dig in or not.
Also if needed I can lightly spray the moss from time to time and it will drip through.
I’m also hoping the evaporation from the moss below will hit the moss on the shelf and drop back down.
It’s a bit crude but o knocked it together with bits I had in the garage. Just an experiment at this stage. If they come out in the morning with moisture on the carapace then it’s doing it’s job. I need to go out tomorrow and get a lot more moss.
A few photos below. 1st 3 show them laying on the moss and not digging in.

 

[Markw84]

I love it, Craig!

 

[Flores93k]

Could you please tell me where you got that wire cage with metal shield I’ve been looking for something to help me with my CHE’s hot spot

You have a dream setup lol
@Anyfoot

 

[Anyfoot]

@Flores93k

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wire-Cla...hash=item1c4ff4280e:m:mt4W81r289-XnpWUrXGOraw

 

[Anyfoot]

@Flores93k
This set up is almost too good. The evaporation from water trays has created such a high humid environment that it has sodden the coir.
Yesterday I took the substrate out and squeezed every bit by hand. I reckon there was at least 1 gallon of water I squeezed. Right nightmare job to do. There’s room for improvement in this set up. Needs a method of drainage somehow.