Lola's new home

[Laura]

It most definately pays to watch out for things listed on ebay! Picked this 60cmx60cmx40cm exoterra in pristine condition for £20

http://www.thamfriends.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=91&pictureid=1638

Climby Climby

http://www.thamfriends.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=91&pictureid=1639

ALSO got this 4ft tank for freeeee, love the dungeon wall complete with door knocker!
Going to be an absolute pain in the arse to clean though


http://www.thamfriends.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=91&pictureid=1640

[guidofatherof5]

Sounds like you got a good deal
10 to 1 water/bleach mix will kill any potential problems, then a good rinsing with water and air dry and you're good to go.
Nice find.

[Laura]

Thanks Steve, I'll try that when I get home :D

[ConcinusMan]

The exo terra is very nice but I find that much of it is wasted on vertical space when it comes to garters. It would be much better if it was turned on it's side so that you can place heat emitters and/or basking/florescent lights no more than 18 inches above the substrate. For garters, think big area, low ceiling. Mostly, I buy low profile 10-40 gallon long slide-lock tanks through craigslist, for about a dollar a gallon. Also picked up plenty of dome light fixtures for around $5 each. By far, the most expensive equipment is the bulbs (ceramic heat emitters and basking bulbs) and remote wireless digital thermometers I have.

[Laura]

Very true on the vertical height, however it was cheap and I love the glass, looks fantastic in my living room :D
For some reason Lola likes to climb everything :/ lol kinda like a small child.
She's already been on the top of the wall and amongst the vines.
Not entirely finished with the set up, going to put some more plants/log things in there so she can climb about with a bit more ease.
Already came with a temperature on the side and ive vertically mounted a heat mat on one of the sides next to her favourite hide but there's really no need to turn that on at present as our house has been so hot lately, averaging 27 degrees!

[infernalis]

Yes Laura, Garters will climb when they can.

I saw an eastern basking on a tree limb once behind my house, the snake was a good 5 feet up off the ground at the time.

[Laura]

Yeah she showed a preference for climbing when she was in the nursery so I thought some vertical height may do her some good :) and perhaps stop her getting up on my shoulder coiling round my hair and effectively getting stuck!

[ConcinusMan]

I'm just saying, if you want to use basking lights or heat emitters, those tall tanks are kinda, well, dumb. You either have to use way higher wattage, or your snake is ALWAYS up on a branch to get closer.

If I had to use that tank I'd put a good sized undertank heater in the bottom, plenty of stuff to climb on and maybe even a platform (treehouse) about 12 inches below a 60-75 watt basking bulb at the top. Just some suggestions.

Oh hey, hang a cardboard tube or two up there. Garters love to "hang out" in those.

[Laura]

Very good suggestions! I'm totally for the treehouse and hanging tubes, I'm sure she'll go crazy for those.

Im not too worried about heating it at the moment because it's so warm, I was thinking of perhaps getting an under-tank heater but was curious as to the effects of using it for a glass viv?

[Laura]

As for basking bulbs, I'm going to need to go with ceramic right?

[justme]

Greetings Laura and everyone here,

Nice tanks and finds! I think your snake will enjoy her new home. My garters have always utilized height in their enclosures and will bask way up high. Sometimes I could swear they were arboreal. ;-) I have tanks of all sizes including exoterra (although on past threads it appears most members here are not fond of them due to various reasons). Make sure to seal the tubing and wiring holes on your exoterra so Lola doesn't escape. I have built 2nd level platforms in my exoterra and used fish airline tubing around the edges. My tanks are still under construction. Hehe... Make sure everything is safe for falling and don't be afraid to get creative. Congrats on your new enclosures! Below are pics of my exoterra that is still in progress.

Link to my Oregon Red Spotted video (anyone here with youtube video.., friend request and subscribe please!) ;-)

Karen

YouTube - Flesh of the Red Devil (Garter Snake) Part One (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YuTVJ9xrlA)
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http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/th.ea936d87c3.jpg (http://www.freeimagehosting.net/image.php?ea936d87c3.jpg)
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http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/th.8be70bfb97.jpg (http://www.freeimagehosting.net/image.php?8be70bfb97.jpg)

[Laura]

Wow your setups are absolutely stunning! Where ever did you get such a massive piece of drift wood??
I'd love to see pictures of them when they're done :D
I've still got some bits and pieces in the mail for mine too, lol don't worry about me getting creative, I'm just getting started on this one :P

[justme]

Sorry, going to repost the pics one more time so they're not tiny thumbs...

http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/b280a138ef.jpg (http://www.freeimagehosting.net/)
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http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/0c0d8da7fd.jpg (http://www.freeimagehosting.net/)

[justme]

Thanks. I bought the wood from reptile stores. In the smaller tank to the right, I used two pieces of wood. I used Great Stuff expanding foam to secure the pieces together. After that dried (to cover the foam) I put a thin layer of aquarium sealant over the hardened foam and sprinkled it with fine saw dust from the driftwood and dusted off excess. Looking forward to seeing more pics of your setup when it is finally finished! ;-)

[Laura]

What a great idea, how have you secured it to ensure it stays upright?

[mustang]

nice setups mines drying now ill get a waterfall flown into a 6in. deep pond in a 4ft tank! ill post some pics when it dries

[drui9201]

As for basking bulbs, I'm going to need to go with ceramic right?
No, you don't need to use ceramic. Ceramic bulbs emit no light, so I'd go with a basking bulb that produces light as well as heat, just make sure your temps stay good; don't get one too high wattage.

[ConcinusMan]

Very, very nice Justme. Great setups.


No, you don't need to use ceramic. Ceramic bulbs emit no light, so I'd go with a basking bulb that produces light as well as heat, just make sure your temps stay good; don't get one too high wattage.

Good advice. I do use ceramic on my albinos and they get no additional light other than ambient natural light from the room window. They hate light and mostly come out at night anyway so I leave ceramic heat emitters on for much of the day and night. I also use ceramic heat emitters just to give the light-loving snakes a nice warm night but saves much energy. For about 10 hours a day, all but the albinos do get UVA basking bulbs to create a hot spot that gets up to around 85 degrees F but ambient air temperature away from the basking area doesn't usually exceed 74 degrees. That's what you want. Also, keep your water dishes very clean and on the coolest area of the tank. An 8 hour drop in temperature (turn off all heat and light sources) at night down to 70 degrees F is a good idea for adult garters. Use timers! have the day and night cycle naturally like it would outside.

[drui9201]

What he said. ^^ The ceramics are great for night as well as any kind of animal that can't tolerate very bright light, however, since you've got an undertank heater the ceramic probably won't be needed for night and the day time basking light will be a good choice as the light cycle helps psychologically.

[ConcinusMan]

Yup. What "the newbie" said.^^^ ;). Ceramics are very efficient and very good for radiant heat from above. Can be combined with a small florescent tube also. No energy wasted on light. but heck, for normal garters that love to bask in the sun, a good basking bulb with UVA output and sun-like heat and light is good during the day. It really helps them feel more at home and helps to keep them active, alert, and stimulates appetite.

If for some reason you need or want to keep your garters (or any herp) warm at night in darkness, ceramics are great but I also use them on light-loving garters where a little more heat is needed. If you're using undertank heaters make sure they aren't getting too hot under the substrate. If they are, you can place them vertically at ground level to provide a warm wall. If your undertank heater only covers a fraction of the bottom or side like it should, you can leave it on 24/7 and just provide basking light/heat in daytime.

My opinion is that for breeding or gravid snakes, don't use surface heat. Provide radiant heat / basking bulbs from above to warm the snakes and ambient air, and let the temperature drop a bit at night. "drop the shades" (provide complete darkness) and cool them down at night. They'll sleep better, and have better appetites during the day.

[Laura]

The reason I enquired as to whether I should be using ceramics is because she is albino :D

[charles parenteau]

Very nice set up Laura!!!:)

[ConcinusMan]

The reason I enquired as to whether I should be using ceramics is because she is albino :D


Then the answer is yes. It's a very efficient way to warm your snake, the substrate and provide a "narrow beam" of heat for providing a hot spot while not overheating the rest of the tank. Albino's generally don't like the bright light put out by basking bulbs and they should never be exposed to UV radiation. They will sunburn! Ambient light from a nearby window is all they need to get a good day/night awareness. Be sure to pick the right wattage when using ceramic heat emitters. Generally, 60 watt for 10 gallon, placed 12 inches from the substrate, on one end of the enclosure is enough. You could use 100 watt for tall enclosures but make sure the snake can't get too close to the bulb. Provide at least 10 hours of heat, but also make sure they get at least 8 hours of dark cool time. Young growing babies can be provided with heat 24/7. It will help them grow and enhance immunity. If your snake room tends to get hot in the summer (over 74 degrees F) for cryin' out loud, invest in a reptile thermostat so that the bulb will turn off when it gets too warm.

Keep in mind that I'm not an authority here, just offering up years of experience and these guidelines have worked for me. I had a pair of concinnus that lived a very long time. male was 18 when he died, the female was 21. I think that perhaps says just a little bit about the husbandry they received.

[Laura]

Lol I know you're good to your albinos which is why I was hoping you'd reply with some advice :D

Yeah the room gets rather hot but I don't have any warming aparatus on at the moment for obvious reason, I'll get the ceramic when it starts cooling down a bit here ;)

[lestat]

That is a good bye. Some garters like to climb. I try to let them. I had a tank like that once but had to get rid of it as it had been badly maintained before i got it. It had my first Floridor blue in it and she liked it.

[Laura]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y102/lauracellis/Lola1.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y102/lauracellis/lola2.jpg

[Laura]

As you can see, Lola is becoming a bit of a beast :P

[kibakiba]

She's a big cutie. :D

[guidofatherof5]

Lola is looking good.

[Laura]

Lol yes she is adorable, 3ft or so now, time has flown by!

[ScimitarX]

Aww, shes awesome. Good job! :D

[Laura]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y102/lauracellis/lola3.jpg

Do I got sumfing stuck in my teefs?

[kibakiba]

What a cute picture. She looks a bit like an albino dragon (that happens to have no legs ;)) :D

[Laura]

Hahaha she does actually, clearly she doesn't find me very entertaining as she felt the need to come over and yawn in my face :P

[kibakiba]

Runt does that too, although, she probably cant tell where I am. She's always knocking into all of the stuff in the tank, and she's at least partially blind. It kind of keeps things interesting in the tank, but after running into everything, including the glass.. She's always tired and yawns a few times, before ramming her head into a hide or a water dish! Haha :D

[Laura]

Hahahaha awwww bless her

[Laura]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y102/lauracellis/lola4.jpg

[kibakiba]

She's a good little snake. She's just a bit nippy, because she thinks anything soft that touches her is food, and a bit musky, when she cant tell I'm in the tank. She's very loved though. And, like I said.. She keeps it interesting in here, especially when the snakes are snoozin' :D


Now she's sticking her tongue out like "nah nah nah!" Heheheh. Cute little snakie. Even though I don't like albinos much, she is quite the looker.

[Laura]

Well you can understand the nippiness :)

Lola only bites my boyfriend for some reason :/ she's quite content to sit on him, or if we are together on the sofa she will go to him for a while but still seems to get a kick out of biting him when he isn't paying attention :P

[kibakiba]

Well my new guy, Hades is like that. I put him in my bra while I was helping my mom cook... That didn't turn out nicely for me. Haha. My boyfriend is scared that if he visited (he's 2000 miles away) my best mannered snake, Big Mama, would take a nice bite out of his hand. He'll learn to be their pet, one day.. Muahahaha. :D

And yes, Runt is a pig, so her gnawing on my fingers is common... But, that's usually when you can tell they really want food.

[Laura]

That's Lola's favourite spot, she always curls up in my bra and pokes her head over the top of my top so she can see what's going on. Either that or a dressing gown pocket :D

[kibakiba]

Haha, a lot of my snakes enjoy riding around in my bra with their heads poking out. Sometimes, though, they have "accidents"... Ick. But, I guess that comes with being a snake mom. Hehehe :D

[Laura]

Urgh yes I know all about that, I have a white leather sofa too :P

[kibakiba]

Most of the time, it's urates in my bra (I usually can tell, because it's very gritty!), but on some certain occasions... They seem to enjoy thanking me for the frequent treats in the most vulgar of ways. Hades, after biting me as a "thanks for letting me get warm in your bra" pooped green in my bra. :eek: It was a week after I got him out of the wild, so I'm not sure what exactly he ate... But it was kind of gross.

[Laura]

Lol oh dear, that sounds delightful!

[kibakiba]

Oh it absolutely was! He's not allowed in my bra anymore :D But, he's supposed to be left alone anyways, since he's new. He has an injury on his face, though, so I do check on him. My mom just loves asking me to help with dinner in the middle of that... Hah.

[Laura]

How long ago did you find him? Any pictures? :D

[kibakiba]

A couple weeks ago, I believe. (all my days blend together)I thought he was a girl at first, because he had an oddly bulky face, and a pretty chubby body. He was named Aphrodite, because he was such a pretty little guy, but then I realized he was a boy, and was probably pissy because I had called him such a girly name. :D
Here's the thread I made about him.
http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/general-talk/8908-meet-aphrodite.html