Northern BTS enclosure arrived / question

[Angel_BTS]

Hi To my surprise yesterday, I ended up getting my 4 foot Northern BTS enclosure! I have attached a picture of what it looks like - it’s a little bit underdone at the moment, but I’ll be getting some more decor to add in to it a little later on.

If all goes well, I’ll be picking up my new BTS tomorrow!
I do have a question though:
- Would it be a good idea to have a heat globe (without a red light) to keep the tank warm overnight?

Thanks!

[Whnthsungoesdwn]

I don’t believe that heat is needed over night unless it gets unusually cold in your house.

[Angel_BTS]

I don’t believe that heat is needed over night unless it gets unusually cold in your house.

Ok thanks. If it does get cold overnight, the heater is left on in my house so it wouldn’t get too cold for my lizards.

[Y33T]

Not to sound mean or anything but please do not use red lights. They can cause stress/agitation in reptiles because all they see is red and it can damage their eyes.

[kingofnobbys]

Not to sound mean or anything but please do not use red lights. They can cause stress/agitation in reptiles because all they see is red and it can damage their eyes.

I agree --- the red "infrared" globe needs to go be tossed into the bin.

Any heat source that throws off visible light over night needs to be go. The light will disturb the skink's sleep.

If you are using red heat globe as the basking globe during the day , this is also not a good idea as BTs have excellent colour vision and they will tint everything an unnatural colour and make it harder for your skink to see it's food (ie greens will look black rather than green). A Philips par38 incandescent or a halogen spot globe of appropriate wattage is an excellent source of visible light and heat during the day. Plus the skink will think it is perpetually late dusk.

If the skink you have is a species indigenous to your location, no overnight heating is needed (except in winter or on the most frosty nights if it's a baby of a smaller juvenile).
If it gets very cold in the room where the viv is overnight, then a ceramic heat emitter (mushroom shaped globe) that gets hot but never emits visible light is a very good addition and can be run 24/7 if you have it on a dimming thermostat or the basking globe on a dimming thermostat & timer.

I'll also inject that the UVB tube is WAY TOO FAR AWAY even if it is a 12%UVB T5HO Arcadia to be effective WITHOUT A REFLECTOR behind it. If the luminaire is only a T8 or even a T10, then your skink WILL NEVER get enough UVA and UVB from even a 12%UVB T8 tube even with a slip on reflector behind it if your viv is 2ft tall.

I strongly recommend investing in a proper reflector hood for the UVB tube for your NBTS, upgrading to a T5HO 12% UVB or even a T5HO 14% UVB tube and ensuring the basking spot is no farther than 12 inches from the tube.
The new T5HO 12% or 14% UVB tube needs to positioned so one end of it is right next to the basking globe - this will ensure the skink gets maximum UV while basking. The tube length is about right/

Otherwise your skink will not get enough UVB to make enough natural VitD3 to be able to metabolise it's dietary calcium (sorry by VitD3 fortified calcium will never compensate) and it will develop MDB

[Angel_BTS]

Not to sound mean or anything but please do not use red lights. They can cause stress/agitation in reptiles because all they see is red and it can damage their eyes.

I agree --- the red "infrared" globe needs to go be tossed into the bin.

Any heat source that throws off visible light over night needs to be go. The light will disturb the skink's sleep.

If you are using red heat globe as the basking globe during the day , this is also not a good idea as BTs have excellent colour vision and they will tint everything an unnatural colour and make it harder for your skink to see it's food (ie greens will look black rather than green). A Philips par38 incandescent or a halogen spot globe of appropriate wattage is an excellent source of visible light and heat during the day. Plus the skink will think it is perpetually late dusk.

If the skink you have is a species indigenous to your location, no overnight heating is needed (except in winter or on the most frosty nights if it's a baby of a smaller juvenile).
If it gets very cold in the room where the viv is overnight, then a ceramic heat emitter (mushroom shaped globe) that gets hot but never emits visible light is a very good addition and can be run 24/7 if you have it on a dimming thermostat or the basking globe on a dimming thermostat & timer.

I'll also inject that the UVB tube is WAY TOO FAR AWAY even if it is a 12%UVB T5HO Arcadia to be effective WITHOUT A REFLECTOR behind it. If the luminaire is only a T8 or even a T10, then your skink WILL NEVER get enough UVA and UVB from even a 12%UVB T8 tube even with a slip on reflector behind it if your viv is 2ft tall.

I strongly recommend investing in a proper reflector hood for the UVB tube for your NBTS, upgrading to a T5HO 12% UVB or even a T5HO 14% UVB tube and ensuring the basking spot is no farther than 12 inches from the tube.
The new T5HO 12% or 14% UVB tube needs to positioned so one end of it is right next to the basking globe - this will ensure the skink gets maximum UV while basking. The tube length is about right/

Otherwise your skink will not get enough UVB to make enough natural VitD3 to be able to metabolise it's dietary calcium (sorry by VitD3 fortified calcium will never compensate) and it will develop MDB

Hi Thank you for all of the helpful information - I am a relatively new reptile owner so I’m learning as I go along.
The UVB tube light that I am using is a repti glow, 18 watt, 150 UVB dessert terrarium light - pretty much the strongest one that is on the market, apart from the extreme heat one. I have added in more decor that will help my new BTS to be able to get closer to the basking lights, as well as the UVB light. Does 150 UVB sound alright? (Sorry, I’m not good with percentages)
Also, speaking of heat lights, I will be going to my local reptile store tomorrow to pick up my new lizard, and will purchase new lights that don’t emit a red glow. Also, would aluminium foil tape act as a good heat reflector?? Thanks for letting me know that this isn’t good for Blueys

[Angel_BTS]

Not to sound mean or anything but please do not use red lights. They can cause stress/agitation in reptiles because all they see is red and it can damage their eyes.

Thank you for letting me know I’m going to my local reptile store tomorrow to pick up my new lizard, and will be purchasing new heat lights that don’t emit a red glow.

[kingofnobbys]

Not to sound mean or anything but please do not use red lights. They can cause stress/agitation in reptiles because all they see is red and it can damage their eyes.

I agree --- the red "infrared" globe needs to go be tossed into the bin.

Any heat source that throws off visible light over night needs to be go. The light will disturb the skink's sleep.

If you are using red heat globe as the basking globe during the day , this is also not a good idea as BTs have excellent colour vision and they will tint everything an unnatural colour and make it harder for your skink to see it's food (ie greens will look black rather than green). A Philips par38 incandescent or a halogen spot globe of appropriate wattage is an excellent source of visible light and heat during the day. Plus the skink will think it is perpetually late dusk.

If the skink you have is a species indigenous to your location, no overnight heating is needed (except in winter or on the most frosty nights if it's a baby of a smaller juvenile).
If it gets very cold in the room where the viv is overnight, then a ceramic heat emitter (mushroom shaped globe) that gets hot but never emits visible light is a very good addition and can be run 24/7 if you have it on a dimming thermostat or the basking globe on a dimming thermostat & timer.

I'll also inject that the UVB tube is WAY TOO FAR AWAY even if it is a 12%UVB T5HO Arcadia to be effective WITHOUT A REFLECTOR behind it. If the luminaire is only a T8 or even a T10, then your skink WILL NEVER get enough UVA and UVB from even a 12%UVB T8 tube even with a slip on reflector behind it if your viv is 2ft tall.

I strongly recommend investing in a proper reflector hood for the UVB tube for your NBTS, upgrading to a T5HO 12% UVB or even a T5HO 14% UVB tube and ensuring the basking spot is no farther than 12 inches from the tube.
The new T5HO 12% or 14% UVB tube needs to positioned so one end of it is right next to the basking globe - this will ensure the skink gets maximum UV while basking. The tube length is about right/

Otherwise your skink will not get enough UVB to make enough natural VitD3 to be able to metabolise it's dietary calcium (sorry by VitD3 fortified calcium will never compensate) and it will develop MDB

Hi Thank you for all of the helpful information - I am a relatively new reptile owner so I’m learning as I go along.
The UVB tube light that I am using is a repti glow, 18 watt, 150 UVB dessert terrarium light - pretty much the strongest one that is on the market, apart from the extreme heat one. I have added in more decor that will help my new BTS to be able to get closer to the basking lights, as well as the UVB light. Does 150 UVB sound alright? (Sorry, I’m not good with percentages)
Also, speaking of heat lights, I will be going to my local reptile store tomorrow to pick up my new lizard, and will purchase new lights that don’t emit a red glow. Thanks for letting me know that this isn’t good for Blueys

UVB150 is a very weak compact UVB globe , even weaker if it's a 13W version. It only comes in 13W and 26W.

Your skink will literally have to ware the dome fixture or compact hood as a hat to enough UVA & UVB from even a 26W UVB150 (which is only rated at 5% UVB MAX).
In your viv , it will be way too far away from the skink even when basking to be help it stay healthy.

I believe Northerns require 10%UVB so again the 13W UVB150 wont be adequate and it will wind up suffering MBD.

I STRONGLY RECOMMEND at the very least upgrading to a 26W UVB200 (these are twice as powerful in UVA & UVB) and the skink will need to be able bask about 20cm from the 26W UVB200 if it's mounted in a reflector dome or nano-style reflector hood.
Even better is a 24W T5HO 12%UVB Arcadia tube mounted in a good reflector hood , and in this case the skink needs to be able bask inside 30cm of the 12% UVB tube .
More information see : https://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/vi ... 4&t=235611 graphs of UVB verses distance for some compacts and t8 and t5HO tubes .

[Angel_BTS]

I agree --- the red "infrared" globe needs to go be tossed into the bin.

Any heat source that throws off visible light over night needs to be go. The light will disturb the skink's sleep.

If you are using red heat globe as the basking globe during the day , this is also not a good idea as BTs have excellent colour vision and they will tint everything an unnatural colour and make it harder for your skink to see it's food (ie greens will look black rather than green). A Philips par38 incandescent or a halogen spot globe of appropriate wattage is an excellent source of visible light and heat during the day. Plus the skink will think it is perpetually late dusk.

If the skink you have is a species indigenous to your location, no overnight heating is needed (except in winter or on the most frosty nights if it's a baby of a smaller juvenile).
If it gets very cold in the room where the viv is overnight, then a ceramic heat emitter (mushroom shaped globe) that gets hot but never emits visible light is a very good addition and can be run 24/7 if you have it on a dimming thermostat or the basking globe on a dimming thermostat & timer.

I'll also inject that the UVB tube is WAY TOO FAR AWAY even if it is a 12%UVB T5HO Arcadia to be effective WITHOUT A REFLECTOR behind it. If the luminaire is only a T8 or even a T10, then your skink WILL NEVER get enough UVA and UVB from even a 12%UVB T8 tube even with a slip on reflector behind it if your viv is 2ft tall.

I strongly recommend investing in a proper reflector hood for the UVB tube for your NBTS, upgrading to a T5HO 12% UVB or even a T5HO 14% UVB tube and ensuring the basking spot is no farther than 12 inches from the tube.
The new T5HO 12% or 14% UVB tube needs to positioned so one end of it is right next to the basking globe - this will ensure the skink gets maximum UV while basking. The tube length is about right/

Otherwise your skink will not get enough UVB to make enough natural VitD3 to be able to metabolise it's dietary calcium (sorry by VitD3 fortified calcium will never compensate) and it will develop MDB

Hi Thank you for all of the helpful information - I am a relatively new reptile owner so I’m learning as I go along.
The UVB tube light that I am using is a repti glow, 18 watt, 150 UVB dessert terrarium light - pretty much the strongest one that is on the market, apart from the extreme heat one. I have added in more decor that will help my new BTS to be able to get closer to the basking lights, as well as the UVB light. Does 150 UVB sound alright? (Sorry, I’m not good with percentages)
Also, speaking of heat lights, I will be going to my local reptile store tomorrow to pick up my new lizard, and will purchase new lights that don’t emit a red glow. Thanks for letting me know that this isn’t good for Blueys

UVB150 is a very weak compact UVB globe , even weaker if it's a 13W version. It only comes in 13W and 26W.

Your skink will literally have to ware the dome fixture or compact hood as a hat to enough UVA & UVB from even a 26W UVB150 (which is only rated at 5% UVB MAX).
In your viv , it will be way too far away from the skink even when basking to be help it stay healthy.

I believe Northerns require 10%UVB so again the 13W UVB150 wont be adequate and it will wind up suffering MBD.

I STRONGLY RECOMMEND at the very least upgrading to a 26W UVB200 (these are twice as powerful in UVA & UVB) and the skink will need to be able bask about 20cm from the 26W UVB200 if it's mounted in a reflector dome or nano-style reflector hood.
Even better is a 24W T5HO 12%UVB Arcadia tube mounted in a good reflector hood , and in this case the skink needs to be able bask inside 30cm of the 12% UVB tube .
More information see : https://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/vi ... 4&t=235611 graphs of UVB verses distance for some compacts and t8 and t5HO tubes .

Thank you for your quick response. If I purchase a 26 watt UVB200 tube from the store tomorrow, as well as some heat reflector foil tape, would that be a good solution? Also, in my other BTS enclosure, she has a “coil” style UVB light - should I switch her light to a different one? Also, should I use 2 60 watt ceramic heat lamps for both tanks, instead of the infared ones?Sorry I’m so lost with lighting and heating - I was following what the reptile store instructed me to do.

[kingofnobbys]

I'm not sure the heat reflector tape is so good at reflecting UV.

I'd spend a few more $ and buy one of these http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/compact_top.php , I swapped over from reflector domes to these and they are very good .

The best things about them are
>> very easy to attach to your viv's ceiling , all you need do is unscrew 4 screws , drop the reflector out temporarily , drill a couple of holes for a couple of hex head wood screws to go through , then fasten to the ceiling of the viv, replace the reflector and the install the 26W UVB200 in the nano-hood making sure the skink can bask about 8 inches from the globe
>> they hold the the UVB200 in a sideways manner hence spreading the UV over a larger area (much better than for the skink than dangling in vertical mode and having only a very narrow focused beam of UV
>> they are very light
>> they have a reflector that is designed to reflect UVA & UVB.
>> cost about the same as dome reflector.

get rid of all the red infrared globes.

Pet stores are hopeless when it comes to advise on lizard husbandry and too keen to sell the stuff they make the most $ on.

[Angel_BTS]

Once again, thank you for all of the info you’ve given me - I really appreciate it.
I am planning to use a 75 watt instense basking spot heat globe by exoterra. It’s an affordable price as I’ll be needing to purchase 4 - does it sound suitable?
Other than that, I will be purchasing a new UVB light for my Northern BTS enclosure, and I have found a pet store close the me that has a reflector that’s perfect for my Eastern BTS enclosure.
Thank you again for all your help.

[kingofnobbys]

Once again, thank you for all of the info you’ve given me - I really appreciate it.
I am planning to use a 75 watt instense basking spot heat globe by exoterra. It’s an affordable price as I’ll be needing to purchase 4 - does it sound suitable?
Other than that, I will be purchasing a new UVB light for my Northern BTS enclosure, and I have found a pet store close the me that has a reflector that’s perfect for my Eastern BTS enclosure.
Thank you again for all your help.

ExoTerra are pretty good gear in the main.

Just make sure to tune the distance from the ExoTerra spot globes to the basking spot to ensure the temperatures are in the correct range before the lizards get to enjoy them. Will need a little trial and error to get basking spot temperatures right unless you have each basking globe on a dimming thermostat .
Most set the wattage and basking globe to basking spot distance by trial and error and then leave it be (ie set and forget) for summer and have a higher wattage globe for winter and do the same for it.

[Angel_BTS]

Sounds good! Was able to get the new globes and new UVB light today, as well as my new Northern BTS!
Thank you for taking the time to help me with lighting and heating

[kingofnobbys]

Sounds good! Was able to get the new globes and new UVB light today, as well as my new Northern BTS!
Thank you for taking the time to help me with lighting and heating

Photos of the new scaley child.... we all want to see him or her.

I hope he/she is a very friendly and curious little skink and likes it's new home.

[Angel_BTS]

Thank you! He’s been enjoying investigating his new home, and loves to chow down on some crickets and snails - they’re his favourites! I named him Beau, and he’s 5 months old.
Here are some photos:

[kingofnobbys]

Handsome boy.

Got him a bit older than I'd've , I got George and Mildred at about 2 months old and they were still small enough to curl up in my polo-shirt's pocket.

Keep the crickets and snails coming , silkworms are a great food for then too. Much better than mince or cat or dog food by a very long shot.

I'd be ditching the local pet shop and ordering in his live insects from
>>> Livefoods Unlimited (crickets, woodies, silkworms, BSFL)
>>> Aussie Fauna (silkworms)
>>> I've given up on Frog Arcade - they've had lots of live insect availability issues over the last 12 months - I used to buy superworms , mealworms and crickets from them for years).
>>> I'd hunt up on the yellow pages a local snail breeder (for edible live or fresh / frozen snails). I sometimes buy in a punnet of live French cooking snails for treats for my 2 big EBTS and they make very fast work of them.

[kayla990]

Gorgeous! Enjoy your new friend Beau looks very cute

[Angel_BTS]

Handsome boy.

Got him a bit older than I'd've , I got George and Mildred at about 2 months old and they were still small enough to curl up in my polo-shirt's pocket.

Keep the crickets and snails coming , silkworms are a great food for then too. Much better than mince or cat or dog food by a very long shot.

I'd be ditching the local pet shop and ordering in his live insects from
>>> Livefoods Unlimited (crickets, woodies, silkworms, BSFL)
>>> Aussie Fauna (silkworms)
>>> I've given up on Frog Arcade - they've had lots of live insect availability issues over the last 12 months - I used to buy superworms , mealworms and crickets from them for years).
>>> I'd hunt up on the yellow pages a local snail breeder (for edible live or fresh / frozen snails). I sometimes buy in a punnet of live French cooking snails for treats for my 2 big EBTS and they make very fast work of them.

Thank you for the info of where to get live insects and feeders from! I’ve been wanting to feed them live insects for a while, so I will see what I can find on the websites At the moment, I’m trying to get both my Blueys off of cat food (I have to mix it in with their other insects, vegetables and fruits because they were brought up on cat food and won’t eat anything else otherwise). They enjoy things like cucumber, brocollii, banana, carrot, crickets, snails and berries - just tying to get them off of that cat food! Luckily, owning a cat myself, I use a high quality cat food brand (royal canin) and give them the wet food with no fish.

[Angel_BTS]

Gorgeous! Enjoy your new friend Beau looks very cute

Thank you so much!

[Janella]

Congratulations on Beau. Very handsome. Enjoy your new friend :-).