# Ackie Monitor heating and uv questions.



## Cookaaaaay (Mar 8, 2009)

Well, after two years of asking for a reptile my parents have finally said I can have one! :mf_dribble::mf_dribble::mf_dribble::mf_dribble:

I've decided that I want an Ackie Monitor.

How do you heat your Ackie vivarium?
Do you use a heat bulb for 12 hours and then a ceramic heater for the next 12 hours?

Some people say that Ackies don't need UV, but some people say the do need it. What UV do you use? 

Sorry for the stupid questions. I thought I knew all about heating, but it turns out I don't! haha. :blush:


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## ShaneLuvsMonitors (Sep 27, 2008)

Cookaaaaay said:


> Well, after two years of asking for a reptile my parents have finally said I can have one! :mf_dribble::mf_dribble::mf_dribble::mf_dribble:
> 
> I've decided that I want an Ackie Monitor.
> 
> ...


A ceramic and a heat bulb for daytime tempts and use the ceramic for nightime temps. 

Use the heat bulb or bulbs depending on your viv size for the hot spot and use the ceramic for ambient temps : victory:

for monitors i use a 10.0UVB light.


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## Whosthedaddy (Nov 29, 2009)

A lamp for basking under and a ceramic to provide a background ambient temp. Why not uv? They wont see the light of day so try a d give them the next best thing. 

Ackies are ace.


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## Cookaaaaay (Mar 8, 2009)

ShaneLuvsMonitors said:


> A ceramic and a heat bulb for daytime tempts and use the ceramic for nightime temps.
> 
> Use the heat bulb or bulbs depending on your viv size for the hot spot and use the ceramic for ambient temps : victory:
> 
> for monitors i use a 10.0UVB light.





Whosthedaddy said:


> A lamp for basking under and a ceramic to provide a background ambient temp. Why not uv? They wont see the light of day so try a d give them the next best thing.
> 
> Ackies are ace.



Sorry if I've read this wrong, but are you both saying that you have the ceramic on all day? and the heat lamp/bulb on until nightime?


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## ShaneLuvsMonitors (Sep 27, 2008)

yes otherwise theres no way realistically of getting 90F in the hot end 80F in the cool end :2thumb:


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## Cookaaaaay (Mar 8, 2009)

ShaneLuvsMonitors said:


> yes otherwise theres no way realistically of getting 90F in the hot end 80F in the cool end :2thumb:


Thanks. :blush: :notworthy:


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## Whosthedaddy (Nov 29, 2009)

Bulb on dimmer, ceramic on pulse.


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## Cookaaaaay (Mar 8, 2009)

Is 3ft x 2ft x 2ft ok for an adult?


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## Chuckwalla (Nov 6, 2008)

Cookaaaaay said:


> Is 3ft x 2ft x 2ft ok for an adult?


Hi Buddy
A 4x2x2 is the minmum for an Ackie the get to nearly 2ft very active little monitors : victory:: victory:


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## ShaneLuvsMonitors (Sep 27, 2008)

Chuckwalla said:


> Hi Buddy
> A 4x2x2 is the minmum for an Ackie the get to nearly 2ft very active little monitors : victory:: victory:


and in my opinion bare minimum at that


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## Benjii (Mar 28, 2009)

I run a 12 hr UV cycle and 24 hr halogen bulb for all heating needs. This works fine for many people (need completely dark burrows/hides to retreat to).


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## Cookaaaaay (Mar 8, 2009)

Yeah, I thought it was 4ft x 2ft x 2ft.

I just got a bit confused because some care sheets say 3ft. :devil:

Thanks.


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## ShaneLuvsMonitors (Sep 27, 2008)

Benjii said:


> I run a 12 hr UV cycle and 24 hr halogen bulb for all heating needs. This works fine for many people (need completely dark burrows/hides to retreat to).


So no periods of nighttime? with a halogen on all the time hes never going to have a proper photoperiod.


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## Cookaaaaay (Mar 8, 2009)

Benjii said:


> I run a 12 hr UV cycle and 24 hr halogen bulb for all heating needs. This works fine for many people (need completely dark burrows/hides to retreat to).


Thanks.
But, I think I'd rather get a ceramic and a bulb, instead of just the halogen bulb.


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## toad650 (Feb 9, 2009)

Over night i have a AHS heater thingy but its set at 70 so hardly ever comes on. When i was doing my research i couldn't find much info on night time heating and when asked the question on here there wasn't much response, so i deduced that as there an australian species, that live in an arid/desert type place, that night time heating wouldn't be needed just like in beardies.

Mine have been like this for the year i've had them and seam fine. I have 2 lots of spot lights on one spot to slowly bring the basking temp up over a couple of hours, in the attempts of simulating a more natural morning warm up. I'm also using a 10% uv tube.


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## Cockys Royals (Jun 28, 2008)

We are new to Ackies ourselves, but we use basking bulb during the day with uv, night time he has a heat mat, if he needs a different set up be good to know we only got him Saturday as the reptile shop closing down & used what spares we had for him.


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## ShaneLuvsMonitors (Sep 27, 2008)

Cockys Royals said:


> We are new to Ackies ourselves, but we use basking bulb during the day with uv, night time he has a heat mat, if he needs a different set up be good to know we only got him Saturday as the reptile shop closing down & used what spares we had for him.


Same prinicipals for a beardie when it comes to heatmats think heat from above not belly heat. 

But so long as its keeping temps and not dropping below 70/75 at night you probs wont need a heatmat no probs :2thumb:


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## Cookaaaaay (Mar 8, 2009)

toad650 said:


> Over night i have a AHS heater thingy but its set at 70 so hardly ever comes on. When i was doing my research i couldn't find much info on night time heating and when asked the question on here there wasn't much response, so i deduced that as there an australian species, that live in an arid/desert type place, that night time heating wouldn't be needed just like in beardies.
> 
> Mine have been like this for the year i've had them and seam fine. I have 2 lots of spot lights on one spot to slowly bring the basking temp up over a couple of hours, in the attempts of simulating a more natural morning warm up. I'm also using a 10% uv tube.





Cockys Royals said:


> We are new to Ackies ourselves, but we use basking bulb during the day with uv, night time he has a heat mat, if he needs a different set up be good to know we only got him Saturday as the reptile shop closing down & used what spares we had for him.


Thanks!:2thumb:


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## Benjii (Mar 28, 2009)

ShaneLuvsMonitors said:


> So no periods of nighttime? with a halogen on all the time hes never going to have a proper photoperiod.


No, but it doesn't seem to matter. In theory it is important - especially for breeding, but in practice many people have raised and bred super healthy monitors this way. Proexotics and Frank Retes in the US for example. Mine spends the night in his burrow, where it is completely dark, just the same as when I had a light cycle.


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## GT4788 (Jan 7, 2010)

ShaneLuvsMonitors said:


> and in my opinion bare minimum at that


Im just on with building my 2 a 6x3x3 so they have got plenty of room to chase eachother around ad do their stuff, crackers little guys lol


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## Cookaaaaay (Mar 8, 2009)

Sorry for bothering you all again :blush::bash: ... but I would be really grateful if you could answer the questions on this thread:

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/equipment-supplies/495497-what-wattage-what-thermostats.html

I know they are probably really simple, but I'm new to this... kinda.


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