Soon to be Northern BTS owner. Lots of questions
Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 7:57 am
First off. Thank you for helping me with these questions in advance. I've done a lot of research and this is my first reptile but with research, more questions come up. So I thought I'd describe what I'm planning on doing and if there are improvements that can be made please tell me. I'll soon be adopting a Northern BTS baby. I'd like to buy supplies as DIY/cost efficient as possible without skimping on quality. I have read the care sheet but I do better with links to specific products.
Enclosure - I plan on starting him off in an old 75 gallon fish tank. It's been suggested that this might be too large for a baby at first so I will put a divider in to cut the area down quite a bit and then expand it as he/she grows.
Top - I was considering leaving it open top for now since it is a baby and a very deep tank (appx 24 inches tall). I also have some glass lids that will cover about 25-75% of the top. I also have some egg crate tops that i've cut that I can also use. Alternatively, there is this i could order. https://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Screen ... B00LV41V84 . If there is a cheaper option i'm all ears. I know the open top/egg crate would be difficult to keep the humidity in check but with it being a northern would it still be manageable?
Substrate - Cypress mulch from lowe's/home depot . I know to make sure it's not a blend and no chemicals
Rocks for basking/nails - I've got several slate rocks I've used in various fish tanks over the years. I know to bury these into the substrate to make it easier for them to climb across
Hides - I'm thinking 1 or 2 cork hides. I can also create hides from the large amount of rocks I have if that would be an option. Cork hides I'm thinking of are something like this
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Natural- ... 000QFR6AQ/
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Natural- ... 000QFSNY4/
Hygrometer/Temp gage - Something like this? Do I need 2? Do i need a special thermometer one for the basking spot?
https://www.amazon.com/Thermometer-Temp ... 07SKVLV9D/
Heat gun - Looks like COVID19 has whiped these out but something like this
https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergr ... 00DMI632G/
Lighting
This is where I need the most help. I'm completely lost here. I know I want to do UVB and a heat lamp. But do i need general lighting or will the UVB be enough? I've got plenty of old fish tank lighting that can provide general lighting. As for heating lamps, i think it's probably going to be smart to do one on a dimmer that I can adjust considering i have a deep tank and I don't want to buy 3 or 4 different ones and guess. Any suggestions on UVB lights, heat lamps and domes, and general lighting would be appreciated.
Thank you for looking through this. If I'm missing something please let me know.
Enclosure - I plan on starting him off in an old 75 gallon fish tank. It's been suggested that this might be too large for a baby at first so I will put a divider in to cut the area down quite a bit and then expand it as he/she grows.
Top - I was considering leaving it open top for now since it is a baby and a very deep tank (appx 24 inches tall). I also have some glass lids that will cover about 25-75% of the top. I also have some egg crate tops that i've cut that I can also use. Alternatively, there is this i could order. https://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Screen ... B00LV41V84 . If there is a cheaper option i'm all ears. I know the open top/egg crate would be difficult to keep the humidity in check but with it being a northern would it still be manageable?
Substrate - Cypress mulch from lowe's/home depot . I know to make sure it's not a blend and no chemicals
Rocks for basking/nails - I've got several slate rocks I've used in various fish tanks over the years. I know to bury these into the substrate to make it easier for them to climb across
Hides - I'm thinking 1 or 2 cork hides. I can also create hides from the large amount of rocks I have if that would be an option. Cork hides I'm thinking of are something like this
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Natural- ... 000QFR6AQ/
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Natural- ... 000QFSNY4/
Hygrometer/Temp gage - Something like this? Do I need 2? Do i need a special thermometer one for the basking spot?
https://www.amazon.com/Thermometer-Temp ... 07SKVLV9D/
Heat gun - Looks like COVID19 has whiped these out but something like this
https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergr ... 00DMI632G/
Lighting
This is where I need the most help. I'm completely lost here. I know I want to do UVB and a heat lamp. But do i need general lighting or will the UVB be enough? I've got plenty of old fish tank lighting that can provide general lighting. As for heating lamps, i think it's probably going to be smart to do one on a dimmer that I can adjust considering i have a deep tank and I don't want to buy 3 or 4 different ones and guess. Any suggestions on UVB lights, heat lamps and domes, and general lighting would be appreciated.
Thank you for looking through this. If I'm missing something please let me know.