Tall tank?

[tress29]

My friend recently rescued a fish tank with stand from a garage of a friend. His son left it there and man is it gross! Anyway, from the dimensions, it appears to be a 20 extra high. It has the same floor space as a ten gallon, but is almost 24" high. Do you think it could be setup for a single garter by adding shelves and lots of vines/plants to climb? Would you use the heat mat on the side to provide better warmth overall? Or use the premise that heat rises? Any thoughts?

[guidofatherof5]

Sounds like a good find.
I heat on the bottom.

[katach]

Great find. I would do a single snake and just give it lots of stuff to climb on. Like Steve said, just heat the bottom. You could do a lamp too if your temps seem low. Pics are a must of coarse. :D

[Selkielass]

I keep my adult Butlers in a tall tank- they love to climb and spend much of their days up on branches near the light.
Plants and vines that hang on the back wall also get lots of use.

[EasternGirl]

Yep...I would just add a lamp with the heat mat...that way they can bask if they want. I have both in my tanks so that my snakes can also bask...they seem to like to curl up in their hides over the heat mats, but also enjoy basking under the lamps as well. Just make sure to keep an eye on the temps so that it doesn't get too warm if you have both.

[tress29]

I keep my adult Butlers in a tall tank.
How many? A pair? Do you have a picture of that tank? Do they climb up to greet you or beg for food?!

[Selkielass]

OK- heres my forst attempt at habitat photography with my new/old sony cybershot. (Kodak wasn't up to this.)

I think my tank is a 20 tall. It was purchased used, with a working under tank heater taking up about half the floorspace. It is covered with a slab of marble to diffuse the heat.
On top of the marble are two hides- a coconut shell and a Hersheys coco box full of wet spaghnum moss.
At the right is a rock shaped hide that holds to the glass with magnets. Doesn't get a lot of use unless Trax is looking for a little privacy. Behind that is a pet food dish with cut out handles that provides another hide.

Over all this is a large sturdy multi branched pece of wood that is their favorite basking area.
Hanging from suction cups on the back wall are two artificial plants. These are very popular when their are little ones, but the bigger snakes don't seem to feel secure in the bendy little branches. Trac is about 20 inches long, Rooster about 16. Trax weights about 45 grams.

Disadvantages- must remove branches to pull out and change water and damp hide. Small floor space means the floor sarts looking poop filled fairly quickly.

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/thumbs/DSC00001.JPG (http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/showphoto.php?photo=10623&title=butler-tall-habitat&cat=500)

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/thumbs/DSC000041.JPG (http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/showphoto.php?photo=10624&title=butler-tall-habitat&cat=500)

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/thumbs/DSC000062.JPG (http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/showphoto.php?photo=10625&title=butler-tall-habitat&cat=500)

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/thumbs/DSC00009.JPG (http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/showphoto.php?photo=10626&title=butler-tall-habitat&cat=500)
This is Trax Begging.
She knows food gets delivered to this spot on the floor, usually right after I've cleaned the cage or handled them.
This is her 'OK, where's the food' attitude. Rooster is still learning the routine.

They don't climb up to meet me, but they spend much of the day coiled in knots on the driftwood in the middle of the cage, and they seldom bolt in reaction to the presence of a person. Trax usually doesn't bolt when the lid is moved and usually reacts calmly to being touched or picked up. She has occasionally taken worms from tweezers, but the Butlers seem to prefer head sweep hunting, and that works better on the ground.

OH yes!! Because of all the handy vines and limbs, clips or heavy Rocks on the lid are VITAL. They love to wedge their bodies on the tiny ledge just under the warm metal lid and won't hesitate to press any advanatage they can find in their explorations.

[tress29]

Hanging from suction cups on the back wall are two artificial plants. These are very popular when their are little ones, but the bigger snakes don't seem to feel secure in the bendy little branches.
Ha, my radix is the biggest and he was up in the plants after eating a huge worm last night. I'm pretty sure he ate more than his fair share!

Thanks for the pics. They've got my brain thinking about what I need to get this tank up and running.

[guidofatherof5]

Ha, my radix is the biggest and he was up in the plants after eating a huge worm last night. I'm pretty sure he ate more than his fair share!

Thanks for the pics. They've got my brain thinking about what I need to get this tank up and running.

Good radix, Good radix.

[tress29]

Last night he had a big fat piece of worm. He squeezed it really hard, then started ingesting it, folded into a U shape. Don't know how he got it down w/o gagging!

[tress29]

Yep...I would just add a lamp with the heat mat...that way they can bask if they want.What kind of bulb do you use? I know Possum has red, cause he's albino...

[Selkielass]

I love it when they dive into a dish full of garden worms and come upwith ahuge mouthful of wriggling 'spaghetti '!
I don't know how the manage such a huge mouthful, but they obviously relish it.