# getting my vivarium set up for bosc



## elliebarrett (Jan 4, 2007)

i have a 36"x12"x15" viv for a baby bosc and have put in: 

/soil
/i've also ordered a 15" uv tube bulb at 14w 
/and a 7"x12" heat mat at 8.5 watts, 
/will be getting a 60watt r80 spotlamp. 
/also will be getting decor. 

what else will i need and will this be ok for obtaining the correct heat?


----------



## BELIAL (Nov 10, 2006)

always recommend a thermostat....that way you can get a 100w bulb which will create a better basking site but will turn off when correct temp is reached...so your bosc doesn't burn....
habistat thermostats are the most popular..you got a water bowl (quite big one! and food bowl?) get some big flat branches as they like to lie on them and bask under the bulb..(not too close though!)


----------



## mark67123 (Jun 11, 2006)

Stats are definitely a must for both the mat and the lamp.
Microclimates do the job just as well as Habistats and are quite a bit cheaper:

http://www.camzoo.co.uk/pi456430420.htm?categoryId=12


----------



## elliebarrett (Jan 4, 2007)

ok thanks, i forgot to mention the food and water bowls haha

i will look out for a thermostat too


----------



## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

the heatmat is pretty small for the viv size, i would very very much imagine url find a 60w bulb insufficent..id go straight for a 100w OR double the size of your heatmat, but best to go for the larger bulb as they are cheaper to replace...plus you will prolly find that you wont NEED it on a stat at the mo due to the general air temp [unless ur heating is a lot better than ours ofcourse which it may be]
you could prolly get away with just a normal stat asa the bulbs unliekly to need to go off or be dimmed.


----------



## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

oh and incase you didnt know, boscs swim well and like to do so, for a baby a small cat litter tray is good.


----------



## elliebarrett (Jan 4, 2007)

ok thanks, well the heating in my house is pretty good, the bulbs will be on a timer, i guess i can check the temps when its all up and running to see what i need to change.... thanks for the advice yeah i will put a big tray into the viv! haha


----------



## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

oh, itll be fine for night time with the mat anyway as 68-70 degrees is ok.

Just overall day temps will be mildish..which is fine cos like i said url prolly find urll be able to leave the bulb on almost all the tiem keeping a good hot bask.

If you put the thermostat sensor... about 10 inches from the cool end wall and set the stat up at about 85 degrees then if the cool end goes abobve that itll go off... but it prolly wont in the winter so thats a good thing.
if u find its close and occasionaly goes off or dims you may be able to unplug the heatmat entirely and just have the bulb on which again should work well.


----------



## Blazey (Apr 30, 2006)

You know, since don has got bigger I cant find a tray big enough for his viv, that wont take up too much space. I'd like one that filled the centre of the viv completely but how would I go about making something like that, that was easy to clean aswell. The biggest cat litter tray ive ever had isnt that big, though not as big as what he currently has. I also struggling lifting the tray when its full of water  is there a better was for me to create what i want? it drives me crazy


----------



## elliebarrett (Jan 4, 2007)

what about plant pot things? could look at a diy store for some


----------



## basky (Dec 11, 2006)

blazey you could make your own out of perspex. its pretty easy to do. just cut it to the size you need and seal it together with bathroom type sealant.


----------



## welshgaz (Dec 12, 2005)

thats the best solution... tbh though blazey if you want a big enough pool of water for a bosc its going to be big and heavy...


----------



## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

Hi blazey..
Trese can no longer lift the one we now use out of the viv... so agreed on the weight issue.

What i really WANT to do is have a water basin where i can litterally pull the plug and have it drain into a bucket or something so i can then rinse it out and replace the plug and refill..the problem is getting something the right "bowedness" at the bottom.
You can buy plastic sinks for catering untis but are about £40, im thinking about using them in furutre, also for when i get water dragosn, iggys etc, will be much easier... its definetly a mission.


----------



## tombraider (May 6, 2006)

My old baby bath as a plug for drainage at the bottom. They only cost about £15 but it would have to be burried into the substrate well because of the height.


----------



## BELIAL (Nov 10, 2006)

i saw a cool set up once where they had one of those fibreglass ponds but the small ones that you use in rockeries? was about 3x3x1 so not too high. they had gone to b&Q and attached a plug and drain to it (bit of hosepipe to drain water off). there was then a fake floor in the viv and the hosepipe went into it and out through a hole...as the viv was off the floor anyway it then drained into a bucket when the plug was pulled...

pretty neat looking as the fibreglass pond just looked like rocks...very cool.


----------



## Blazey (Apr 30, 2006)

see i havent got enough height to put a fake floor in my viv, though i have seena similar set up before. 

my mums on about starting to have a go at building vivs so i hope to make a fantastic huge set up when don gets bigger and i have more money!


----------



## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

Hi all.
yes have looked at the fibreglass/plastic ponds also.

there are options for sure.

Good luck with the viv building tombraider.


----------



## dinofred1 (Jan 13, 2007)

can't you put a base on and cut the floor


----------



## tombraider (May 6, 2006)

DEANandTRESE said:


> Good luck with the viv building tombraider.


 :lol: Thanks but its going to be a very long time before I pick up the courage to attempt something large. When I was telling chelle I was going to try make my own vivs I meant 18 inch square ones for spiders :lol:


----------



## dinofred1 (Jan 13, 2007)

i am getting ready to bulid a 8x4x4


----------



## Anthony (Mar 12, 2005)

You could connect it to a drainage pipe. Abit like this:
http://www.captivebred.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8072


----------



## tombraider (May 6, 2006)

Anthony I cant see any photos or is it just because im not logged into my account there>? :?


----------



## Anthony (Mar 12, 2005)

Yes i would presume it to b that... sorry :lol:


----------



## Anthony (Mar 12, 2005)

TBH it's not really that usefull, it was just an example of what you could do drainage wise :lol: :lol:


----------

