Question regarding hibernation.

[laurarfl]

minutes??? perhaps you meant to type hours?

 

[Skeetzy]

He's said the minutes thing before. Now while I don't think I'll ever do that myself, I agree with that being the most natural for them. But I have everything automated on my cage for a reason. ADD makes it pretty hard to remember to do something as simple as turning the timer up two minutes a day. It'd probably get done twice a week lol

 

[Roadkill]

Yes, MINUTES. These guys don't inhabit the Antarctic, they're rather close to the tropics. So depending on where in South America you are trying to replicate, the difference between the longest day of the summer and the shortest day of the winter is anywhere from about 0hrs to 4hrs. Now lets go for the max, about a 4 hour time change. That changes roughly over 6 months. So, 4hrs = 240minutes, lets roughly say 6 months = 180 days. 240 min/180 days = 1.33 minutes per day.

 

[TeguBlake]

Dang, give you props to that...."tips hat"

 

[laurarfl]

Just clarifying, no need to be testy.

That's why I like to utilize the natural photoperiod. I will admit that I am probably too lazy and too forgetful to advance my timer 1.33 minutes per day

 

[Roadkill]

Laura, wasn't being testy, just stressing that the change is indeed in minutes. And like you, yes, I'm too lazy to go change the photoperiod by hand by 2 minutes a day. That's why I dropped several hundred on a controller with computer interface so that I could program the changes I wanted and let it do all the work. Technology is grand.

 

[laurarfl]

Yes it it. Wow, I'm trying to convince myself to break down and buy a $250 Solarmeter.

You are the most dedicated tegu researcher.

 

[Roadkill]

If you're after the UVB measuring one, I think if you order directly from Solarmeter themselves the price is $175 now (I have 2 - they're not as useful for me as I'd wish, but everyone keeps wanting to borrow them....). I'm next thinking on getting the UVC meter but that's still $250 and for something I haven't had a real need for would be an expensive trinket.

 

[Skeetzy]

Re: RE: Question regarding hibernation.

Laura, wasn't being testy, just stressing that the change is indeed in minutes. And like you, yes, I'm too lazy to go change the photoperiod by hand by 2 minutes a day. That's why I dropped several hundred on a controller with computer interface so that I could program the changes I wanted and let it do all the work. Technology is grand.

I've seen that controller. It's worth the money? Can it control more than one cage, at two different time zones? It's the last piece of the puzzle to make my cage as automated as I can. Something I've wanted to start a savings for.

 

[Roadkill]

Skeetzy, I utilize several for different reasons, you've kind of hit on one issue that I have. For controlling temperatures and a few other things I've got these:

http://ecozonevivarium.com/products-vivarium-controllers.aspx

They're a bit pricey, but what I like about them is that their electrical outlets are rated for 450W each and while I can set a monthly temperature regime, by engaging one specific function it will transition from one regime to the next in a gradual manner and over a time period that I can assign. These can control more than one enclosure, but for my purposes I use it for controlling different regions of the enclosure (primarily what I consider subterranean zone and "above ground"). This being said, you can use any controller to control more than one cage via the use of power bars, it's a different thing to control more than one cage independently of others. You can also program these with different monthly photoperiod regimes. But this is where these units disappoint me: while you can have a transitional function for the temperature settings, there isn't a transitional function for photoperiod. This irks me as I feel (and want to research the importance of) that the CHANGING of photoperiod, not the length of photoperiod, is what is important in adjusting their biorhythms and hibernation.

So for photoperiod control I use this:

http://aquabiolab.com/en/products/photoperiod_control/index.shtml

A rather pricey device that admittedly doesn't allow for independent control of multiple cages, it allows manipulation of photoperiod like nothing else I've seen at all. You can program it for any region on the planet, or you can create your own stylized year to suit your purpose.

 

[Dubya]

Skeetzy, I utilize several for different reasons, you've kind of hit on one issue that I have. For controlling temperatures and a few other things I've got these:

http://ecozonevivarium.com/products-vivarium-controllers.aspx

They're a bit pricey, but what I like about them is that their electrical outlets are rated for 450W each and while I can set a monthly temperature regime, by engaging one specific function it will transition from one regime to the next in a gradual manner and over a time period that I can assign. These can control more than one enclosure, but for my purposes I use it for controlling different regions of the enclosure (primarily what I consider subterranean zone and "above ground"). This being said, you can use any controller to control more than one cage via the use of power bars, it's a different thing to control more than one cage independently of others. You can also program these with different monthly photoperiod regimes. But this is where these units disappoint me: while you can have a transitional function for the temperature settings, there isn't a transitional function for photoperiod. This irks me as I feel (and want to research the importance of) that the CHANGING of photoperiod, not the length of photoperiod, is what is important in adjusting their biorhythms and hibernation.

So for photoperiod control I use this:

http://aquabiolab.com/en/products/photoperiod_control/index.shtml

A rather pricey device that admittedly doesn't allow for independent control of multiple cages, it allows manipulation of photoperiod like nothing else I've seen at all. You can program it for any region on the planet, or you can create your own stylized year to suit your purpose.

Uh, that's a mighty fancy gizmo. I use these for everything. I invested all the money saved into buying beer.
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100685881/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=timer&storeId=10051#.UMDvD4NZWSo

 

[Skeetzy]

Ohhhhh man. Didn't even realize they made controllers that awesome. I need to start digging again and find the link for the one I was thinking of. But you definitely just made me start a savings list for my tegu. Have a feeling this income check will be going to those. Last year's was the cage hahah.

Here I was thinking I made my cage perfect. I use a Zoo Med Hygrotherm to control my temperatures and humidity. While it makes my life a whole lot easier as far as keeping humidity up and never worrying about temps, it lacks in many simple areas. The light sensor to put the device in night time mode, is on the controller, which is not meant to go in the cage. Greatly defeats the purpose if you ask me. And it doesn't do nearly half the things those controllers do. I feel just as excited about those controllers as a I did when I got my tegu hahah. I love technology.

Now while I would like them to control two different regions, I'm really only concerned about my tegu. It would be cool to have it control my beardies cage too, but not as important. I like your idea of controlling two separate areas inside the cage.

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Almost forgot to add, back to the original topic of my tegu. He's been poking his head out. No idea when though. I honestly think at night. I usually watch the cage all day, since I'm in between jobs at the moment, and it's in my room. He leaves holes in the surface of the dirt going down to where he sleeps. I usually move the top layer around to cover it back up, so I can keep track, but he always makes another. Just wish he'd come out to bask or eat, instead of peaking.

 

[chitodadon]

Give him time to come out put some food by his hide

from Samsung Galaxy S3