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Thread: Elevated basking spot over a hide box?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Queen Creek, AZ
    Posts
    38

    Default Elevated basking spot over a hide box?

    Hello,

    Planning the inside of my adult enclosure for my future tegu. I used this setup with my blackthroat monitor a while back.

    Placing an elevated basking spot over a permant hide box, it offered direct heat and anoother heat spot inside the box about 15 degrees cooler.

    On the cool side I am planning on a recessed hide spot with a door installed for cleaning. I figured it would allow more space above the recessed hide for a feeding stone or water bowl.

    Would this work? I am planning on giving the power sun a try for heat and uv, along with a 10.0 zoomed flourecent bulb for supplemental uv. Is a powesun sufficient for heat or should I get a halogen as well?

    Ceramic heat emitter for night with a reostat to keep the night temp above 80, is another idea I have been throwing around as well.

    Tear my ideas apart and tell me the truth if they suck, my friends.

    Thanks

    Tony

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    136

    Default

    I use a solar glo MVB, the power suns work great too from what I've read. During the winter I also use a CHE to keep the temps from going too low. The solar glo bulbs I use are all the 160 watt. The single bulb heats up my males enclosure which is a 7x5x3.5x3.5. I have to use 2 bulbs in my females enclosure, theirs is 7.5x5x3.5. Adult tegus generally brumate in the winter but if your hatchling stays up all winter its first year you might need to add an extra (smaller) heating bulb if it gets really cold where you live.


    I don't see any issues having a basking area over a hide, as long as you're sure its not able to catch fire lol. My male tegu (when he was younger) had a half log and over the half log he had some branches, he was able to climb to where he felt he needed to be.

    My female enclosure has a basking spot that is an elevated piece of plywood and below that is a small animal igloo lol. It's working fine for them as well.Is that kind of what you were thinking?

    I've seen some black throat (and other monitor) enclosures that have a wood looking tower with holes and slots in it so they can go up and down as needed and it looks like it kind of doubles as a hide, is that more what you meant?

    If you've done it successfully before I don't see it being an issue. You tegu will let you know if its working, if its not spending any time in the basking area it could be too hot, if its spending all of its time under the light it could be too cool.
    2.0.0 Argentine Black and White Tegus (Rango & Guru)
    1.0.0 Red/Blue Tegu (No Name)
    1.1.0 APBT (Conan & Riley)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Queen Creek, AZ
    Posts
    38

    Default

    Yeah, that is what I was thinking. I used a "rete's stack" for my bt when he was a juvie but witched to an elevated spot as an adult, as the stack wasn't very practical.

    My bask spot was 140 degrees and it did not catch fire lol. I suppose I will give powersun a shot and just build in an extra fixture for a halogen if its not warm enough.

    I am looking at the enclosure being 8lx4dx3t. I am hoping to have it build in a month or so and am able to play with the temps and humidity until the hatchling I don't yet have gets larger. I can probably put some ackies in it for the mean time...

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    136

    Default

    Yeah I'd definitely add an extra fixture or two just in case. I started with just one in my males enclosure but found it was kind of a pain to add another once all the substrate and decorations were in there lol. That sounds like a great size, I would make sure to seal it with drylock or something similar too so the wood (assuming its wood) doesn't rot with the humidity. Exciting stuff! Keep us posted as you build it, I love watching these sort of things come along.
    2.0.0 Argentine Black and White Tegus (Rango & Guru)
    1.0.0 Red/Blue Tegu (No Name)
    1.1.0 APBT (Conan & Riley)

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Central FL
    Posts
    4,349

    Default

    I prefer the PowerSun. The wattage depends on your ambient temps. I was using a 160watt, but I need to back down to a 100watt for summer. Just too hot. My night time drops are mid 70's to 80 in the summer as well. Sounds like a nice set-up!
    Laura R (FL)
    1.0.0 Colombian Tegu
    1.4.0 Argentine B&W Tegu
    1.2.0 Red Tegu
    1.2.0 B/WxRed Tegu
    1.0.0 Green Ameiva (yet another teiid)
    7 other lizards
    1 little gator
    3 FL box turtle
    1 Sulcata tortoise
    16 snakes
    5 fuzzy pets
    4 little frogs
    a bunch of creepy bugs
    and a partridge in a pear tree

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    rockport, Massachusetts
    Posts
    391

    Default

    I built a large hide out of field stone the basking spot is on top of the hide. The top rock is 24" across. I also have a seperate hide on the cool side.
    0.1 beardie Penelope
    1.0 beardie Rosie
    0.01 CBB northern blue tongue skink lucy
    0.0.1 blue spot timor monitor evie
    0.1 b&w & red hybrid loo loo
    0.0.1 quince monitor
    1.0 b&w tegu Cosmo

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