# Ackie Cage



## Chicken (Dec 10, 2010)

Howdy everyone, sorry for all you people looking for pics but i'm after some help. Firstly ill mention that i own a beardie(DID), spotted, green tree frogs, and a thick tailed gecko (yeah bit of variety) so i'm not completely new to reptiles and i think i'm ready for an ackie. So dad said that over these chrissy holidays he'd build up a new enclosure for me. (he's a carpenter) Ok its going to be 6ft long 3 wide by 3 deep. I need some help with the lighting, now dad can intstall all the light fittings ect (hes done it before) (and i know this is going to be hard to understand) For ackies i understand i need a hot basking spot (i aim around 45 - 50c). so what lighting do i use. I have a 60cm long uv fitting with a 10.0 for the cold end of the tank but for the hot end what light fittings do i need (how many fittings,what bulbs and the wattage ect.) to keep it at that temp. Im looking for people that already have them and what they do. And a thermostat.. mention if i need one. And do they need heating through the night? If so then what lighting do i use for night. thanks a lot for you help (in advance lol)


----------



## AllThingsReptile (Dec 10, 2010)

use Ceramic heat emitters for heat, everyone i know who uses heat "lights" and "globes" have them break all the time
use ceramic fittings, you can get them for $10-20 and they can handle the heat really well


----------



## blakehose (Dec 10, 2010)

lizardboii said:


> use Ceramic heat emitters for heat, everyone i know who uses heat "lights" and "globes" have them break all the time
> use ceramic fittings, you can get them for $10-20 and they can handle the heat really well


 
Don't use ceramic heat emitters. They need a very hot basking spot, use flood lights or halogens and aim for 55+ at the basking spot -they love it hot.


----------



## Robo1 (Dec 10, 2010)

I use 2x50W (240V) halogens at a distance of about 200-300mm for each basking spot. I dug up a post showing the enclosure here. I also have a couple of ceramic heat emitters but this is to keep the ambient temp up in winter (not for basking).


----------



## Chicken (Dec 10, 2010)

Robo that enclosure is amazing!! Excellent excellent job on that you must be happy, so are you using any thermostats? Or just leaving them on for the daytime and for night time do you have any heat?


----------



## Robo1 (Dec 10, 2010)

Thanks, very happy with the way that it's turned out. There is a thermostat in there, it runs the ceramics just to make sure that the enclosure doesn't get too cold overnight in winter (set to about 15-20°C). The basking lights were wired with the fluros to start with, but I've since made them separate and run them on a separate timers. Fluros are on a day night cycle, basking lights come on about half an hour after and go off about 2-3 hours earlier than the fluros.


----------



## herptrader (Dec 10, 2010)

For that size enclosure (probably a bit on the large size for accies - I would probably cut it back to 1'6" or 2' deep) I would be using a ceramic fitting and a MVB (from the Herp Shop). For background heat on a thermostat you might want to look at a heat panel.

They need a hot basking spot for at least a few hours during the day but they also need a cooler end and a lower overnight low temperature.

I have an enclosure about 2000(mm) long 600 high and 300 deep which is pretty much ideal for a pair of accies... though I have 4 in a slightly smaller enclosure doing very well but with lots of hiding spots. I have under tile heating in the middle and a stack of bricks on top of this onto which a 100watt MVB shines for about 6 hours per day. 

... and when you are after some accies ad 034-002 on the Herp Trader is what I currently have for sale.


----------



## stephen (Dec 10, 2010)

reptilerookie321,Mate the inclosure u have in mind sounds great 4 maybe a pr of black headed monitors.lve got a pr of 
accies in a 4ftX2ftX2ft inclosure & its perfect 4 them.The lighting is a fluro & a 60watt mushroom globe on their basking rock area during the day.And l also have 2 ceramic heat emitters 4 night heating running on seperate thermostats 1 for day other 4 night.l havent had any probz with the setup & thay breed every season 4 me but its ture that thay love there heat the hotter 
the better.And thay also love there food l feed mine woodies,crickets,meal worms,mince(chicken,beef),canned dog food,
chicken hearts & livers,& thawed frozen mice from time 2 time.


----------



## whyme (Dec 10, 2010)

stephen said:


> reptilerookie321,Mate the inclosure u have in mind sounds great 4 maybe a pr of black headed monitors.lve got a pr of
> accies in a 4ftX2ftX2ft inclosure & its perfect 4 them.The lighting is a fluro & a 60watt mushroom globe on their basking rock area during the day.And l also have 2 ceramic heat emitters 4 night heating running on seperate thermostats 1 for day other 4 night.l havent had any probz with the setup & thay breed every season 4 me but its ture that thay love there heat the hotter
> the better.And thay also love there food l feed mine woodies,crickets,meal worms,mince(chicken,beef),canned dog food,
> chicken hearts & livers,& thawed frozen mice from time 2 time.



Have to say Steve, Two of the best Accies I've ever seen. If anyone can set 'em up, you can. They are absolute stunners!


----------



## stephen (Dec 10, 2010)

Dammo mate u know l'll fix ya up with some as ur a good mate of mine & l always keep my promises 2 a mate champ.


----------



## AllThingsReptile (Dec 11, 2010)

blakehose said:


> Don't use ceramic heat emitters. They need a very hot basking spot, use flood lights or halogens and aim for 55+ at the basking spot -they love it hot.


 um, CHE's in my experience get very hot very fast, i had a thermostat fail, and not turn it off, got to high forty's before i realised
also why do they need low to mid fifty's temps, i mean does it get that hot in there natural habitat....NO
wouldnt mid-high forty's be better just imo i think that 55+ is kinda...an oven


----------



## stephen (Dec 11, 2010)

lizardboii,very ture mate my hot spot sits at around 35 - 38 & there cool area at around 22 - 25 but alot off ppl keep there accies in overly high enclosures 4 some reason.Maybe its just a looks thing but who knows each 2 there own.


----------



## TWENTY B (Dec 11, 2010)

ceramic heat emitters Radiate heat.
a basking spot requires Projected heat.
you don't want a hot end which is what a ceramic will give you

Your after a HOT SPOT of about 65*c.
just the spot directly under the light. 
use a 100-150w flood light or reflector globe, these can be bought from woolies for $5, 
I personally use the Phillips 100w reflectors, 2 for $6 no thermostat, backing spot of 60+ @ 20cm
ps, i'm an electrician, so i know what i'm talking about. unlike some......


----------



## jbowers (Dec 11, 2010)

Just adding something, go outside on a 35 degree day and measure the temperature of a rock or some cement. Yeah. It's that hot.


----------



## Chicken (Dec 11, 2010)

Ok guys heres what i have in plan, ill have a 4ft long 2 deep 2 tall for 1 red ackie. Ill have one fitting for the daytime with a phillips 100w reflector as TWENTY B mentioned, and that'l go off at night and during night ill have one 100w ceramic heat emitter to keep the temps up a bit as during winter as it does drop very low on a cold winter night down here in vic, especially out my garage haha! (or maybe even two 100w ceramics ill have to see) Will that be ok? Or will i need two 100w reflectors to keep the basking spot 50c? And how much could i pick up an ackie for these days from a breeder in vic? cheers Jim


----------



## TWENTY B (Dec 11, 2010)

mate, there is no need to heat them at night, honestly, 
setup with a single 100w, vary the hight of it until your happy with the basking spot temp.
if its getting to low to get the required heat, then up it to 150w.
if you search the threads i've mad you'll find lots of info


----------



## Chicken (Dec 11, 2010)

ok but during winter at night it can fall 2 and below, are you sure the ackies can handle that? What if i use a heat mat just under their hide?


----------



## TWENTY B (Dec 11, 2010)

they will dig a tunnel into the sand substrate, it won't be -2 in there...
make sure you have at least 100mm deep 
mine sleep under the ackie stack, they push the sand out to fill the gaps 
when it's -2 outside they will still be 10-12 in the tank, if not more


----------



## Chicken (Dec 11, 2010)

ok thank you very much, one last question, do you supply u.v? I have a spare uv light and fitting thats 60cm long but its a 10.0.. is that too strong? i heard they don't need it but in the wild they have it so i may as well supply it yeah? Cheers Jim


----------



## TWENTY B (Dec 11, 2010)

it's not 100% nessicary like it is with say, beardies.
but it doesn't hurt to have it, 
use it more for visible light to brighten up the enclosure than for it's uv properties.


----------



## bigi (Dec 11, 2010)

i will throw my 2 bobs in,
i live in melbourne up in the hills, 400 meters above sea level. a cold southern rainforest area
my ackies are kept indoors with no heat at night. This was from 8 weeks old,
The sand will as others have said retain some heat, mine continue to thrive and eating well. 
no thermostat is required as they can handle high heat, but generally a hot spot of 45 to 50 is sufficient.
dont forget a retes stack they love small tight areas, at different temps
uv is noted by many as not a necessity however all my animals receive it


----------



## Chicken (Dec 11, 2010)

thanks bigi, any photos of a retes stack as i have no clue whatsoever what they are? Cheers, Jim.


----------



## bigi (Dec 14, 2010)

google retes stack or heres a pic of one


----------



## TWENTY B (Dec 14, 2010)

retes stack?????????????
try ackie stack


----------

