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Post by dradyz on Oct 16, 2013 1:36:54 GMT 10
Hi
my green cheeck conures are sitting on their first batch of eggs, I would like to pull them at 2-3 weeks and handraised but I don't have a brooder to keep them warm however I have a few small-medium fish tanks can anyone help with what I can do please. Can I use a heat mat under the tank? Or do I have to use a box and a lamp
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Post by avinet on Oct 16, 2013 11:47:34 GMT 10
Hi my green cheeck conures are sitting on their first batch of eggs, I would like to pull them at 2-3 weeks and handraised but I don't have a brooder to keep them warm however I have a few small-medium fish tanks can anyone help with what I can do please. Can I use a heat mat under the tank? Or do I have to use a box and a lamp Whether you will need to keep them warm depends on where you live - if in Queensland you will probably not need to worry about heat - unless in Stanthorpe! Green cheek babies have a reasonable amount of down feathers, and by 3 weeks they have developed good temperature control in their bodies. However if you are in the south of Australia then some heat will be needed. A fish tank with a heat mat of the type used by reptile owners, that goes under the tank is suitable. For a clutch of Green-cheeks, a 45 cm aquarium is plenty big enough until they can move into a cage. It is very desirable to also use a reptile thermostat to ensure the temperature is not too high - various types are on Ebay but be cautious with the very cheap ones - I have heard a couple of horror stories about them - buy from an Australian source and not direct from Asia. I have a couple of articles on hand rearing at scas.org.au/html/articles.html the first of which talks about brooders and how to set them up, amongst other things. cheers, Mike |
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Post by dradyz on Oct 16, 2013 20:48:58 GMT 10
Hi my green cheeck conures are sitting on their first batch of eggs, I would like to pull them at 2-3 weeks and handraised but I don't have a brooder to keep them warm however I have a few small-medium fish tanks can anyone help with what I can do please. Can I use a heat mat under the tank? Or do I have to use a box and a lamp Whether you will need to keep them warm depends on where you live - if in Queensland you will probably not need to worry about heat - unless in Stanthorpe! Green cheek babies have a reasonable amount of down feathers, and by 3 weeks they have developed good temperature control in their bodies. However if you are in the south of Australia then some heat will be needed. A fish tank with a heat mat of the type used by reptile owners, that goes under the tank is suitable. For a clutch of Green-cheeks, a 45 cm aquarium is plenty big enough until they can move into a cage. It is very desirable to also use a reptile thermostat to ensure the temperature is not too high - various types are on Ebay but be cautious with the very cheap ones - I have heard a couple of horror stories about them - buy from an Australian source and not direct from Asia. I have a couple of articles on hand rearing at scas.org.au/html/articles.html the first of which talks about brooders and how to set them up, amongst other things. cheers, Mike I live in Bathurst NSW, what's the best age to pull green cheeks I heard some say 2 weeks no longer if you want to handraise but others say upto 3? I'd prefer to pull them at 2 weeks can you recommend how many feeds and at what time? And what temperature do I want the aquarium from 2 weeks on? What wattage heat mat and what's the preferred brand or a hint to a website that sells them thank you kindly |
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Post by avinet on Oct 16, 2013 22:14:06 GMT 10
2 weeks is a good time for Green-cheeks, my experience with them is that the later they are taken out the more chance of them being a bit nippy as they wean. If you read my articles I linked to you will get all the information on frequency of feeding (5 times a day at 2 weeks) and temperatures to keep them at. It will also recommend what to use in the bottom of the tank for them to sit on. At two weeks they won't need a night time feed - last feed at 10 pm and the first in the morning, after weighing them, at 6 am. By three weeks they will be down to 4 feeds a day. The size of the heat mat depend son the size of the tank - generally you will cover about 66% of the base of the tank so that there is a cooler end they can move to if they are too warm. So buy purely on size needed not by wattage since wattage purely depends on the area to be heated. There is one on Ebay at www.ebay.com.au/itm/Reptile-heating-pad-heat-mat-with-built-in-temperature-adjuster-warms-tank-base-/350762319643?pt=AU_Pet_Supplies&hash=item51ab103f1b that includes a thermostat and may be suitable - however I don't have personal experience of this model. When we had our pet shop we sold Reptile One brand but their mats have changed in design since then so I can no longer comment on them from personal experience - but they are a reputable brand. Maybe check out your local pet shops - those that sell reptile products should be able to advise you. Set up your aquarium several days in advance so that you have time to adjust the thermostat to give the correct temperature at the location the babies will be in the brooder - see my articles for temperature details. You will of course need a reasonable thermometer to check the temperature. I personally use the Jaycar one at www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=QM7216 - you will also need a thermometer such as this to check the temperature of the hand rearing mix - about 42°C is usually OK for Green-cheeks. cheers, Mike |
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Post by dradyz on Oct 16, 2013 22:25:44 GMT 10
2 weeks is a good time for Green-cheeks, my experience with them is that the later they are taken out the more chance of them being a bit nippy as they wean. If you read my articles I linked to you will get all the information on frequency of feeding (5 times a day at 2 weeks) and temperatures to keep them at. It will also recommend what to use in the bottom of the tank for them to sit on. At two weeks they won't need a night time feed - last feed at 10 pm and the first in the morning, after weighing them, at 6 am. By three weeks they will be down to 4 feeds a day. The size of the heat mat depend son the size of the tank - generally you will cover about 66% of the base of the tank so that there is a cooler end they can move to if they are too warm. So buy purely on size needed not by wattage since wattage purely depends on the area to be heated. There is one on Ebay at www.ebay.com.au/itm/Reptile-heating-pad-heat-mat-with-built-in-temperature-adjuster-warms-tank-base-/350762319643?pt=AU_Pet_Supplies&hash=item51ab103f1b that includes a thermostat and may be suitable - however I don't have personal experience of this model. When we had our pet shop we sold Reptile One brand but their mats have changed in design since then so I can no longer comment on them from personal experience - but they are a reputable brand. Maybe check out your local pet shops - those that sell reptile products should be able to advise you. Set up your aquarium several days in advance so that you have time to adjust the thermostat to give the correct temperature at the location the babies will be in the brooder - see my articles for temperature details. You will of course need a reasonable thermometer to check the temperature. I personally use the Jaycar one at www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=QM7216 - you will also need a thermometer such as this to check the temperature of the hand rearing mix - about 42°C is usually OK for Green-cheeks. cheers, Mike Thank you for all your help it is greatly appreciated  |
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