# Wire managment



## andy jackson (Jan 10, 2015)

Bought and set up a new vivarium for my Royal today. I am really pleased with it so far however, I am not happy with the wires and sensors just dangling in the corner.










What is the best way to tidy things up. Obviously not with gaffer tape. :gasp: Do I run with the wires running down the corner and tidy them somehow? If so what is the best method? Or do I drill holes through the back and just poke the business end of the sensors through? Again if that is the case what method if any, do people employ to secure the sensors to stop them being accidentally pushed back out?


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

feed them in at the bottom, hide under the substrate and just have the probes on the surface, secure them with a heavy piece of décor like drift wood or a rock

I only feed probes in from the top with arboreal setups, and hide the wires behind perches/plants etc


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## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

Drill a hole in the bottom where you want the sensor to be and feed through just a couple of inches as necessary. If you're worried about it coming loose (try to make the hole a snug fit) you can use aquarium sealant (or just tape on the back) to secure it. If using sealant you just want to keep the animal out of the viv for 24 hours even though it's only going to be a very small amount, better to be safe than sorry.


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## sharpstrain (May 24, 2008)

Get some self adhesive cable tie brackets and cable ties - I will find you a link - hang on

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Self-...al_Components_Supplies_ET&hash=item3f3dca9518


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## andy jackson (Jan 10, 2015)

Thanks for the replies guys plenty of food for thought there. For the time being I have put the sensors right at the top out of the way. I have established that it is about 2 degrees warmer there than at floor level. I will sort them out one way or another when I clean it out. :2thumb:


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

andy jackson said:


> Thanks for the replies guys plenty of food for thought there. For the time being I have put the sensors right at the top out of the way. I have established that it is about 2 degrees warmer there than at floor level. I will sort them out one way or another when I clean it out. :2thumb:


as long as you are measuring the temp of the basking area directly above/below the heater, then it doesn't matter to much where you put the probe, that said, the closer you have it to the basking area, the better you will be able to maintain the right temps; with stablity further away from the basking area may see you end up with 10C+/- variations in the temp


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## andy jackson (Jan 10, 2015)

I put the thermometer probe right under the ceramic heater at floor level and let it settle for 24 hours before putting the snake in its home. I then pulled the probe back up to the top and it settled a couple of degrees warmer than the floor level reading. Today while I had the snake out I put the probe back at floor level just to confirm the 2 degree difference. As a result I am fairly happy with the situation until I get round to fixing them proper. :2thumb:


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## Selecta (May 10, 2014)

I would not use that type of heater to be honest, the snake can get right on it and that dome will get hot. Using a ceramic bulb and guard you can feed the flex through the roof inside the guard so none will be accessable to the snake then pin the stat probe to the back wall right above floor level under the ceramic. The stat probe can come in through the back of the viv( just drill a hole) just above where its going to sit so hardly any flex in the viv.


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## andy jackson (Jan 10, 2015)

Thanks for your comments Selecta.

I totally agree with everything you say. I bought the unit out of ignorance presuming that it would be fit for purpose given it was sold as snake suitable.I thought it looked slightly better (not much) than a cage. Having never kept snakes before I had no idea how far they could reach and how well they climb.

Thankfully my viv is tall enough and my snake small enough that this is not an issue yet. The light unit will be soon swapped for a standard fitting and a cage. 

Thank you for confirming my fears. :blush:


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

oo I didn't read "Royal", yes that lamp holder is not suitable for a snake, i assumed it was a beardie for some reason

you want a ceramic E27 fitting, which you just screw into the ceiling of the viv, then get a guard/cage, which is screwed over the top

it can be tricky to screw things upside down, the simplest way to do it would be to empty the enclosure and turn it over, it may well take you just as long to do that, as it will to try and screw it in upside down (I've tried to do it upside down many times, and its nothing but infuriating lol)


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## andy jackson (Jan 10, 2015)

Speaking of infuriating. I bought all the equipment together from a reptile specific shop and was asked what animal did I own. They even said that the viv would be fine for a Royal. So they defo knew. :censor::censor:


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

andy jackson said:


> Speaking of infuriating. I bought all the equipment together from a reptile specific shop and was asked what animal did I own. They even said that the viv would be fine for a Royal. So they defo knew. :censor::censor:


happens all to often unfortunately :bash:


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## andy jackson (Jan 10, 2015)

Ah well looks like somebody will be getting a hardly used, like brand new clamp lamp with wood viv fitting kit for peanuts.:bash:


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## andy jackson (Jan 10, 2015)

Thanks for all the help and advice. I know it is probably a knee jerk reaction and I would have been fine for some time however, i am quickly learning not to under estimate the physical capabilities of even a little snake. :gasp:

I would never have forgiven myself if she would have found her way up to that light.  


Here is heating MK2. Still not sorted out my sensors yet but at least the little lady is safe. :blush:


IMG_8773 by andy jack, on Flickr


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## Pockets (May 27, 2014)

I use those cable tidies clips you hammer in the wall 

Works brill 

I've even replace the nail with a screw make the really secure and cuz there plastic harmless unless you brake it


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

andy jackson said:


> Thanks for all the help and advice. I know it is probably a knee jerk reaction and I would have been fine for some time however, i am quickly learning not to under estimate the physical capabilities of even a little snake. :gasp:
> 
> I would never have forgiven myself if she would have found her way up to that light.
> 
> ...


that's definitely safer

that's quite a distance you have between the floor of the enclosure and the heater, if you have trouble with the temps (in particular cool temps), you might want to consider a platform/shelf to create a basking area closer to the heater, so that the heater doesn't have to work so hard and possibly heat up the enclosure more than you need


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## andy jackson (Jan 10, 2015)

Thanks guys. I have got a piece of slate begging to be used for just that sort of thing. Would slate placed on stones (cleaned of course) be ok for a basking shelf or could that get a little too hot?


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

andy jackson said:


> Thanks guys. I have got a piece of slate begging to be used for just that sort of thing. Would slate placed on stones (cleaned of course) be ok for a basking shelf or could that get a little too hot?


as long as the thermostat probe is on the basking spot, it'll maintain whatever temp you set, but of course check the temp with a thermometer regularly until you are satisfied its the temp you need (IR Gun type is a good investment, you don't need a very expensive one tho)

you'll want a shelf big enough to hold a hide aswell as open basking, I expect

I always run heaters at full pelt (without animal in the enclosure) so that I know what temps to expect if a stat fails, checking both cool and hot end temps, worth doing (wont take more than 1hr to reach full temp)


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## andy jackson (Jan 10, 2015)

All really good stuff, loving the logic. She is due a feed tomorrow and has already been disturbed far too much this week. With that in mind I will make sure the temp is ok at floor level and let her settle for a few days. I will then go in with a shelf and position the sensors at basking level. :2thumb:


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