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mainbutter
Snake Mite
USA
1 Posts |
 Posted - 20/09/2010 : 04:16:57
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I've been playing around with tropical terrariums for a few of my other herps. We have a dart frog terrarium (sans froggies at the moment, but planted and ready) and a few arboreal terrariums for crested geckos and neonate to year old carpet pythons.
These are WONDERFUL, and lots of fun having a more "natural" look, plus big healthy green plants just add a bit more to the display.
I've been pondering how to provide everything a western hognose snake needs in a planted terrarium. Tropical terrarium design is pretty well documented across the various herpetoculture forums, but more temperate terrarium design seems to be pretty nonexistent.
I'd gladly take any suggestions for how to create a planted terrarium that provides everything my hoggie needs to be happy. My biggest issue right now is what to do about substrate.. usually planting substrates and snake burrowing do not go well together.
Thanks guys! |
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Kazerella
Hognose Admin
United Kingdom
746 Posts |
Posted - 06/10/2010 : 16:01:30
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I would think dry eco earth would be alright as a substrate, but like you say it's hard to think of a good way to make a temperate vivarium that needs to be able to support plant life and stay dry.
You could pot up plants and water them within the pots so that the hoggy substrate remains dry. |
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crazysnakeman
Snake Mite
18 Posts |
Posted - 12/12/2010 : 02:21:40
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Heya,
I was pondering the same thing last march, and I decided to give it a go! Here's what I did, an here are the problems I had.
I put coco fibre matting on the walls, clay balls in the bottom, and then a mesh over the balls to stop soil falling on them. I also put activated carbon in but it's hasn't done a lot! I filled the rest up with organic compost, sunk two of the exo-terra hides into the floor, stuck a heat cable under one hide so it warmed through into the hide (on a thermostat) and left the other as a cool hide. I then filled the hides with aspen, and put the lid back on top of the hides, I've disguised them with cork bark that I just lift up to check if hes in the hides.
I put in a branch and a water bowl, planted ficus pumila up the walls, wandering jew up the branch, with air plants on the branch too, and used babys tears as the floor covering. I also put in a boston fern in the back corner.
It has a tube light for the plants, and a completely mesh lid. the reason I did this is to attempt to minimise humidity and respiratory infections.
Here are the problems I've had - Using a heat mat on the wall only works if you insulate it on the side with polystyrene to direct all the heat into the viv. I use the cable now as I couldn't get the temps accurate on the wall.. I tried using a heat mat under the hide, put the moist soil ruined it..
Also, THEY DIG!!! ha ha, it's a pain trying to find him on feeding day! He hasn't come out much for 2 weeks now, He used to come out every night, So he's going into a normal viv next week for a month to see if he perks up - this is his first winter in the tank and I'm pretty sure he's trying to hibernate..
The way I WAS watering the tank, was to use a funel, and just direct water to the base of each plant, now that the floor is covered etc I just water the entire thing.. He seems ok, I water it really well every two months, and a light watering every other week, just to keep it moist, but without it being constant - stays moist for 3 days usually on the heated side, and never seems to dry on the other side, this is why I have two aspen filled hides - as a constant dry space, but i like the natural look, so they're hidden!
I assumed he'd like the aspen heated hides, but more often then not, hes dug under everything and is sat underneath the hide with the warmth.. I find him by poking down with the feeding tongs untill I hear the hiss, then just coax him out - sometimes this takes 10 mins.. it's not practical, it looks really good, and hes definatley the most intelligent of my snakes, and he loves climbing the branch and walls - up the creepers!
If you decide to do it, be prepared to take him/her out at the first sign of a problem. Mines been in his now for 3 months, and seems ok, except for the past two weeks, but I keep checking for RI's, lethargy etc, he didnt eat this week, but thats the first time since he's moved in!
again, if you decide to try, the buried hides with aspen does give them a dry spot!
OH, and the heat mat on the side does work fine, BUT its hard to know the exact temperature, and I found certain plants wouldnt grow on the area the heat mat coverd! just a little experimenting should do it tho!
Keep us posted! It's not normal to do, zoos have all their snakes in planted vivs, I guess its just experimenting, but keeping a close eye! I've found no one else who's done it, but one suggesting made by a monitor keeper, was to do 50% sand, 50% compost, increase the drainage.. I don't know how that would affect plants though!
oh, and he has a water bowl aswell, that gets soil in it when he goes out on a rampage.. ha ha
Keep us posted! good luck!
josh |
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crazysnakeman
Snake Mite
18 Posts |
Posted - 12/12/2010 : 02:23:22
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oh yeah, and i grew the plants from march to august - just because the hoggy was at uni with me, the planted viv was at home, so I put the planted viv light on a timer, mum watered it every so often, and i let it grow till the summer hols, then brought it all up to uni with me! you dont have to do that, but remember hoggies dig - its easier to get everything rooted without a little monster going and digging it up before its had chance!
josh |
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crazysnakeman
Snake Mite
18 Posts |
Posted - 13/12/2010 : 01:39:56
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he he, and good luck with the carpet pythons ;) they get strong, I got an 8 ft female, she has a full on fake tree in her viv, which is half a garden shed with glass on the front! she lives at home.. Couldn't bring her up to uni! they get strong!! female BCC is getting there too..
Josh |
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Planted terrarium for western hoggies?
