Simon_Archibald
Very Well-Known Member
Hi all,
Thought I'd post some pics of these Spencers Monitor pits I just built yesterday and finished today in my garage.
The whole unit is 2.4m long x 1.5m wide x 92cm high. This is then split in half, giving each monitor an enclosure measuring 1.5m x 1.2m x 92cm.
The sides are just sheets of Mini-orb bought from Bunnings (they call it Ripple Iron) which are screwed to large-sized garden stakes. The pointed end of the stakes is at the top which the mesh roofing anchors onto.
On each enclosure there is 2 pieces of mesh roofing...one fixed to the stakes (at the back above the heat lamps) and the front section hinges upwards for access.
For heating the domes are currently running a 275watt heat lamp (as used in bathroom heating lights or food cookers). This gives an excellent hot spot and the rest of the enclosure has a nice temperature. I've been running these 2 lamps for the last week while the garage has been shut and the heat buildup in the garage is pretty much perfect.
Substrate is bagged dried sand. I have removed some enclosure furnishings for the photos, just to give better idea of size.
The female is housed in the left enclosure and the male in the right enclosure. Many people have asked me why I housed them separately if they are a pair. Quite simply because the female is slightly larger than the male and will attack him if they were introduced. It took her all of 1 second to have another female by the throat, literally thrashing her everywhere over the enclosure before I was able to separate them.
Interestingly, this enclosure cost me less than it would for 1 6x2x2 MDF enclosure with glass and all. Far more economical (although takes up space )
Simon Archibald
Thought I'd post some pics of these Spencers Monitor pits I just built yesterday and finished today in my garage.
The whole unit is 2.4m long x 1.5m wide x 92cm high. This is then split in half, giving each monitor an enclosure measuring 1.5m x 1.2m x 92cm.
The sides are just sheets of Mini-orb bought from Bunnings (they call it Ripple Iron) which are screwed to large-sized garden stakes. The pointed end of the stakes is at the top which the mesh roofing anchors onto.
On each enclosure there is 2 pieces of mesh roofing...one fixed to the stakes (at the back above the heat lamps) and the front section hinges upwards for access.
For heating the domes are currently running a 275watt heat lamp (as used in bathroom heating lights or food cookers). This gives an excellent hot spot and the rest of the enclosure has a nice temperature. I've been running these 2 lamps for the last week while the garage has been shut and the heat buildup in the garage is pretty much perfect.
Substrate is bagged dried sand. I have removed some enclosure furnishings for the photos, just to give better idea of size.
The female is housed in the left enclosure and the male in the right enclosure. Many people have asked me why I housed them separately if they are a pair. Quite simply because the female is slightly larger than the male and will attack him if they were introduced. It took her all of 1 second to have another female by the throat, literally thrashing her everywhere over the enclosure before I was able to separate them.
Interestingly, this enclosure cost me less than it would for 1 6x2x2 MDF enclosure with glass and all. Far more economical (although takes up space )
Simon Archibald