My first snake viv. hints and comments please.

[Morph]

ok so im a week away from getting my first garter snake. I have just put the finishing touches to my viv and i wanted to get some oppinions from people with experience.
The viv is 36"x16"x18". I covered the floor with laminate flooring so that its easier to wipe up any mess and also protects the wood of the viv from moisture/spillages/urine. I screwed a branch to the back of the viv for a bit of interest and something for the snake to play with. I have a large pebble roughly half a foot wide for another bit of interest. The temperatures from the heat lamp alone are 24C-29C from 1 end to the other.
The things i need which are being delivered with the snake are substrate (reptile wood chips) a water dish and hide in 1 and a normal ceramic hide and a cage to go around the basking lamp.

i removed the glass from the viv so that the photo's could be taken.

http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/473/vivfinishedep3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

comments please :)

[Sid]

Very nice setup. Looks great.

Sid

[Thamnophis]

Nice background.
But I would change the red bulb for a normal bulb.

[Stefan-A]

Looks good. :)

[Morph]

Nice background.
But I would change the red bulb for a normal bulb.


is there any particular reason for changing the colour of the bulb or is it just personal preferance?

[abcat1993]

Yeah, just aesthetics. The red bulb would be for heating things at night, or that don't like bright light.

[Todd6494]

looks great.

[adamanteus]

Nice looking set-up Dan. Look forward to seeing it occupied!

[Morph]

Nice looking set-up Dan. Look forward to seeing it occupied!

i look forward to it too :P. the only reason i have to wait another week is because im skint until then. i'm trying to sell my fish tanks to raise the cash early but noone seems to be interested. never mind... i'm sure the wait will just make it that bit more exciting.

[adamanteus]

Have you decided what species you're going to get yet, Dan?

[Morph]

i have decided on the exact snake i am going to have, its an albino checkered, 3 month old male and i put a small deposit down yesterday.

[adamanteus]

Checkereds are nice snakes. I have a few, although all mine are normal coloured, no albinos.

[ScimitarX]

i just recently brought a proven pair of 05 albinos, they are really nice, i think you'll enjoy keeping yours. i also have a couple of normals. I think chequereds are one of the best garter species to keep.

[Morph]

i think they are beautifull. my wife isn't so sure. she likes small fluffy animals so she probably wont like opening the freezer after i fill it full of pinkies lol. I have a 2 year old son who is lucky enough to have handled snakes from a very young age at my brothers house. i'm hoping that the garter that i am getting has the same temperament as my brothers corn. either way, i'm sure he'll be my new "favourite" pet and take over from my turtle as king of the house.

My wife has just bought rats... i'm trying to convince her that the corns would like them much more than she does :p

[ScimitarX]

ive never known a chequered to have a bad temperament, so im sure theyll love him just as much as you do when he gets settled in his viv. The corn has prob already got its eyes on the rats, our snakes know when its their dinner time, they all suddenly wake up when we get the defrosting tubs out!!

[Morph]

ive never known a chequered to have a bad temperament, so im sure theyll love him just as much as you do when he gets settled in his viv. The corn has prob already got its eyes on the rats, our snakes know when its their dinner time, they all suddenly wake up when we get the defrosting tubs out!!


yer, same as my tiger salamanders. only difference is that when the sal's aren't expecting food, they are begging for food lol

[Snaky]

Personally I would change the bulb into a spot. I find it easier to create a temperature gradient, with a warm part directly under the spot.

But it looks already good:)

[drache]

i look forward to it too :P. the only reason i have to wait another week is because im skint until then. i'm trying to sell my fish tanks to raise the cash early but noone seems to be interested. never mind... i'm sure the wait will just make it that bit more exciting.
don't sell your fishtanks yet - they'll be great for more snakes. I once had seven fishtanks - and I still do. Only one of them has fish in it though. And then I had to go get more enclosures and in a few weeks I'm getting still more . . .
I swear if you sell those tanks, you'll be sorry some day.
unless you're much better at restraint than I am
very nice looking viv
and good luck raising money

[chris87]

good setup looks grand

[jompiej]

nice viv. :)

[Elliot]

Cool setup and good luck with your new snake!

[Morph]

its a new, new snake now, the original 1 escaped, much to my dissapointment (and my wifes horror)

its been eating the food ive left down for it but i havnt seen him yet

[poissonguppy]

Good luck finding your snake! If he's eating, you're bound to see some traces.


p.s. Nice setup!

[Morph]

Good luck finding your snake! If he's eating, you're bound to see some traces.


p.s. Nice setup!

thanks. i laid down some flour in the living room doorway last night and left a pinky inside the living room. he's eeaten the pinky but theres no trail in the flour so i know he's in here somewhere!

[adamanteus]

Looks like you're in for an all night vigil!

[KITKAT]

thanks. i laid down some flour in the living room doorway last night and left a pinky inside the living room. he's eeaten the pinky but theres no trail in the flour so i know he's in here somewhere!

Try lighting your room with an ultraviolet bulb, and take a nap on the sofa. Set your cell phone to vibrate and set the timer to go off sometime between midnight and 2 AM.

A night-time visit is how I once found my male that had been missing for six months!:eek:

[Morph]

yer well it looks like i got to do something.... maybe i should just leave my wifes mice in a cage on the floor.... i'm sure he'll be around soon after :)

[Josh]

how much money was it?