Grass from the garden

[-MARWOLAETH-]

Can clumps of grass from the garden be used inside a vivarium.(My garden is chemical free)

[infernalis]

of course you can. It's called "Bio Active" caging.

[CrazyHedgehog]

I'm sure someone will come back with a sensible answer, but I never have in-case I introduce loads of bugs, mites, micro organisms, bacteria etc.
in the tank it is too easy to get to optimal breeding temp, and its all held in tank.. in the wild, tyou would get frozen areas, too damp too dry etc which keep it under control, and the snake can move away etc...
just personal opinion though, no facts really

[infernalis]

I'm sure someone will come back with a sensible answer, but I never have in-case I introduce loads of bugs, mites, micro organisms, bacteria etc.
in the tank it is too easy to get to optimal breeding temp, and its all held in tank.. in the wild, tyou would get frozen areas, too damp too dry etc which keep it under control, and the snake can move away etc...
just personal opinion though, no facts really

That was a sensible answer.

most bacteria and organisms found in your yard are beneficial, with a large bio active setup, you don't even have to clean up any snake poop, because it breaks down quickly.

[guidofatherof5]

I don't think Inge meant anything but it.
From the looks of the post times Inge was probably composing a post when yours was uploaded.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

I didn't think about the mites and other nasties I'll use grass seed instead and plant them in the substrate to avoid potential parasites.I'll be using potting soil there will most likely be beneficial bacteria all ready in there.

[Stefan-A]

Mites shouldn't be a problem, unless you get the grass from an area with a snake population. Then you might risk getting some external parasites with the grass.

If I may make a suggestion, it's easier and less risky to just buy the seeds and plant the grass. I did something like that a little over a year ago. I collected seeds from a number of wild grasses (over a dozen species), mixed them with some bought seeds and planted them. I ended the experiment when I realized the soil I used had a fungus gnat infestation I couldn't get rid of. And unfortunately, I don't seem to have a single picture of the enclosure when it was at its finest.

edit: hah, you beat me to it.

[Stefan-A]

What I did end up having, was video of it a few weeks after planting. Here's a bad screen shot.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakes2012/enclosures/plantedgrass.jpg

The water bowl is actually a trap for those damn gnats.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

I just had a thought (which is rare:rolleyes:).Growing cultures of grass on a window sill and cutting clumps off to put in the terrarium,replacing when it dries and avoiding the need to wet the substrate and increasing the risk of skin problems and mold.I'll try both methods to see which works the best.My marcianus is still small so won't have to be put into her adult tank until next year.I'll be able to experiment with different plants and such.

[CrazyHedgehog]

That was a sensible answer.

most bacteria and organisms found in your yard are beneficial, with a large bio active setup, you don't even have to clean up any snake poop, because it breaks down quickly.
my apologies Infernalis, this was a cross posting, no-one had replied when I answered, and as I said it was just my opinion, not based on fact, :)

[infernalis]

my apologies Infernalis, this was a cross posting, no-one had replied when I answered, and as I said it was just my opinion, not based on fact, :)

No worries.

I have a bio active cage set up, and it's awesome.

Now that Neeru my baby water snake has decided to take food off the hemostats for me, I am going to set him up on soil also, no chance of aspen sticking to his fish that way.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

Very fitting name for a water snake:D
Do you have pics of your bio-active setups?

[Selkielass]

I planted some back yard moss, grass and weeds (ground ivy) in my bioactive terrarium. Grass died first, then the ivy ans the moss slowly petered out. I think lack of light was the main problem. (It's. A deep cube.)

I did get some small gnat/fly type bugs along with a bunch of good isopods, but they didn't last long.

[infernalis]

Very fitting name for a water snake:D
Do you have pics of your bio-active setups?

http://www.varanus.us/cage/cage.jpg

[ConcinusMan]

Bio setups are a PITA if you ask me. Any number of things can go wrong and it's usually a battle to keep things in balance, then you end up throwing everything out anyway when it doesn't work out. People will tout that it's virtually maintenance free, but if you ask me it's a maintenance nightmare of odors, bugs, fungi, etc.. Even if does work, (which is a balancing act not unlike trying to balance a pin upright on the head of another pin) it's still a PITA and not worth the hassle. Just my opinion.

[Stefan-A]

if you ask me it's a maintenance nightmare of odors, bugs, fungi, etc..
Then you've been doing something terribly wrong.

[ConcinusMan]

Yeah, and I'm pretty sure that "something wrong" was putting anything in there that plants can grow in and adding water so they don't die. That's pretty much all it takes. Then add snake **** and you got yourself a real mess. Then in summer comes the white flies, gnats, other assorted bugs, etc. And as far as odor goes, all it takes is one big fishy **** and its all gotta be dumped or the whole room stinks.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

I'm not planning on having the full bio active substrate with detritus feeding invertebrates.Just soil that will only need to be moist enough to hold burrows yet still have the benefits of aerobic bacteria.I'll put some clumps of grass into produce pockets of higher humidity which she can use if she wants to also it'll make it look great!

[Stefan-A]

Yeah, and I'm pretty sure that "something wrong" was putting anything in there that plants can grow in and adding water so they don't die. That's pretty much all it takes. Then add snake **** and you got yourself a real mess. Then in summer comes the white flies, gnats, other assorted bugs, etc. And as far as odor goes, all it takes is one big fishy **** and its all gotta be dumped or the whole room stinks.
I think you need to look elsewhere for the cause of your troubles. The only problem I ever had was gnats and they came in with the soil and fixing that would have been as easy as tossing everything out and starting over. As far as odor goes, there was none. Even big fishy shits were odorless, not to mention small ones.

[infernalis]

I think you need to look elsewhere for the cause of your troubles. The only problem I ever had was gnats and they came in with the soil and fixing that would have been as easy as tossing everything out and starting over. As far as odor goes, there was none. Even big fishy shits were odorless, not to mention small ones.

I have to say.. If there is a stinkier feces than Monitor Lizards, I am unaware of it. One quick deuce will clear a room.

Now, my two have been crapping in their cage since March, I have not cleaned out one turd.

The inside of that cage is around 100 degrees 24/7 and the humidity is as high as 94% at times.

Not once have I ever opened up the front door and smelled any poop.

The feces literally dissolves in 36-48 hours time, even the urate clumps vanish.

[guidofatherof5]

Snapping turtle poop is right at the top for me. In the water is horrible but out of the water is wretched.

[the_edsta]

Snappers were my first herps! I had rescued a handful of pipping eggs from a construction site I was working on at the time (in a sand pit that the excavator was digging in). I brought them home and raised them up... great pets, but good lord did they stink! They really needed complete water changes every 2 days just to keep it at bay (and as I did complete changes once a week, it was NOT good).

[ConcinusMan]

They do make filter systems specifically for aquatic turtles and they work. Water stays fresh and clear. But of course, they aren't free.