My First Snake Tank: Opinions?

[InsanePirateDragon]

Now this is my first snake, thus first snake viv, so its a work in progress (Tank under Marley's is the Leopard Gecko tank).

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i234/InsanePirateDragon/IMG_20110914_132137-1.jpg

Its a simple one for the moment with a couple of hides, pool, and other basics, don't want to go all out just yet. Its a simple ten gallon, didn't want to go to big just yet, and Marley's only about 11 inches so far and I read that the big tanks can stress them out too much. I know that she'll have to go bigger eventually and am already planning for the bigger one in a couple of years.

And she seems to enjoy burrowing in the aspen, she's given me a scare a couple of times when I peeked in her house and didn't find her and dug through the bedding to find her.

I sort of borrowed some ideas from my experience with Leopard Geckos, the tiles and the paper towels. Tiles work really well with the UTH since they help conduct heat pretty well. And using one you have to have sort of a thermo on the bottom of the tank to monitor the temp.

And paper towels are great if you're worried about impaction and easy and cheap to change out from under the hides, where she seems to like to poop around(or in her pool, too bad they don't need a poop rock as Leos will go in the same spot so no having to hunt around)

I do want to give her stuff to slither up on and give her some height at the moment.

[kibakiba]

You can give her a larger tnk, but if you do, make sure there are a lot of places to hide. You can go to the dollar store and get some fake plants to put in there and make her feel more comfortable.

She likely hides under the aspen because there aren't enough hides. My snake, Hades is always under his bedding because I haven't been able to buy any plants or find any wood for hides (yet).

[Serpico]

Some thing I am puzzled with, not only observing your tank, but also other pictured ones.
What I see is a glass container, with a missing top, I presume to be covered with mesh screen or other tops, but what I do not see are the customary (at least customary in the tanks I have seen in Italy) vents, traditionally one high up, and the opposite, down at substrate level.
These vents, I have been told, ensure ventilation and the necessary change of air/oxigen.....

Are they there and the pictures do not show them?

[Mrs N1ntndo]

Some thing I am puzzled with, not only observing your tank, but also other pictured ones.
What I see is a glass container, with a missing top, I presume to be covered with mesh screen or other tops, but what I do not see are the customary (at least customary in the tanks I have seen in Italy) vents, traditionally one high up, and the opposite, down at substrate level.
These vents, I have been told, ensure ventilation and the necessary change of air/oxigen.....

Are they there and the pictures do not show them?

vent? Could u please show a pic.
I too think you could get a larger tank. But like what was said you need plenty of hides. When I had Pheobe I had plenty of hides and yet she still would dig and make tunnels everywhere. Her favorite spot to hide was in the coco-fiber but under her hide . Her hide was made from the bottom end of a caprisun box. They seem to love that.

[RedSidedSPR]

More hides would be good. Foliage is alwas good, and youcan get it cheap.

Here's how I do it. All this cost $20 total. You don't even have to go this crazy.
http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/general-talk/9285-new-setup.html

[Serpico]

vent? Could u please show a pic.


A vent is a portion of the viv's side made with screen, netting, or any other material which allows air to pass thru.

This picture of my last terrarium shows the detail of the frontal vent. There is another opposite and above it, so the air circulates, hot air goes upward and exits the enclosure from the top vent, and fresh air enters the enclosure from the bottom front vent. Alternatively, the vents can be placed on the side panels, same layout, one top and one bottom.
Otherwise how the stale air can go out, and how can oxigen enters it?

[InsanePirateDragon]

And now the new and improved house for Miss Marley, she seems to like it,

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i234/InsanePirateDragon/IMG_0082.jpg

And is already chilling out in the trees
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i234/InsanePirateDragon/IMG_0083.jpg

[katach]

That is awesome!! Lots of places to hide and lots to climb on. Good job!

[EasternGirl]

Looks good...thanks for sharing!

[InsanePirateDragon]

Thanks, figured it was time to go all out since I did the same with my Leo's tank, Marley deserved the same treatment.

I at first had just plain bamboo in there but it seemed to slick for her and she wasn't interested, but after a bit of work and vine, she's climbing like crazy and already claimed it as her own by proceeding to poop anywhere.

[guidofatherof5]

Looks good. Lots of place to explore and climb.

[mikem]

very nice! she looks happy! :)

[ConcinusMan]

Some thing I am puzzled with, not only observing your tank, but also other pictured ones.
What I see is a glass container, with a missing top, I presume to be covered with mesh screen or other tops, but what I do not see are the customary (at least customary in the tanks I have seen in Italy) vents, traditionally one high up, and the opposite, down at substrate level.
These vents, I have been told, ensure ventilation and the necessary change of air/oxigen.....

Are they there and the pictures do not show them?

I use glass tanks with screen tops. If the tank is rectangular in shape (longer the better) and you use a heat source only at one far end, you get proper air circulation. Warm air rises from one end, fresh air sinks in on the other end.

I wouldn't use that paper or whatever that is. Snakes tend to get pinned under it. Never place objects such as hides on top of anything. Place them directly on the bare bottom, then add substrate. I see you have objects on top of he substrate. I wouldn't do that. It's dangerous. Snakes can burrow under it and cause it to shift on top of them. Be careful if you use a hot bulb from above. Don't put plants under it. Just getting them hot can cause toxic emissions to come from the plastic.

[InsanePirateDragon]

Quick question, is there a way to anchor the fauliage (faux foliage) down to the bottom of the tank. I'm having trouble with the tall grass one in the corner to stop falling over, I have it pinned with one of the man made limbs to keep it from shifting until I figure out something that I can have no trouble taking out so I when I tank clean.

[chris-uk]

Quick question, is there a way to anchor the fauliage (faux foliage) down to the bottom of the tank. I'm having trouble with the tall grass one in the corner to stop falling over, I have it pinned with one of the man made limbs to keep it from shifting until I figure out something that I can have no trouble taking out so I when I tank clean.

If you want to still be able to remove it securing it gets tricky, I think most temp or semi-perm fixing methods (tape, sticky pads) are things you don't want to have near your snakes.
One method that is safe and will work is to hot-glue it to a piece of slate. That gives the object a wider base which you can put substrate over.
Another method I use for some of my plants is to run a piece of string from a point on the plant to an anchor point outside the viv, but our ExoTerra vivs have removable tops and front opening doors, so once I've secured the string the top doesn't need to be removed.

[guidofatherof5]

Will a hot glue gun work for what you want done?
That glue dries solid and doesn't create a hazard.

[InsanePirateDragon]

Now the hot gluing sounds like it would work and I have plenty of that floating around. I'm just worried about them possibly pinning her somewhere with all the climbing she's been doing since they've been in the tank.

[InsanePirateDragon]

Whats a good enclosure size for and adult female or two? (incase I do get a roommate for Marley, wondering if it would hurt or not) I'm starting to browse and search for a new one before I need a new one so I can have my quarantine tank back. I have some shelving and everything to set tanks so its just finding the right size. It would be nice to have something with doors on the front I think but I'm not sure where to find any of those.

[EasternGirl]

I have two adults in a 30 gallon (a tall not a long) but they are also comfortable in a 20 gallon long. A 20 gallon long is plenty big enough for a adult female...although Cee Cee also likes her 30 gallon...she has done fine in both. She is a big girl...3 feet long. Of course the more room you can give them the better, but plenty of people house more than one snake in 20 gallon long tanks. Cee Cee's 30 gallon has sliding doors on the front...I got it at Petsmart...but I wouldn't recommend it...I had to do a lot of rigging on it because it was not made for small snakes and had lots of gaps and spaces a garter could get out of. Maybe another member could recommend a place to find an enclosure with doors on the front.

[chris-uk]

Nice vivs -
Amazon.com: Exo Terra Glass Terrarium, 36 by 18 by 24-Inch: Pet Supplies (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NOBA2Y?ie=UTF8&ref=aw_bottom_links&force-full-site=1)
If you can find them for a good price.

We have three 2 foot and a 3 foot. So far there's nothing that would stop me getting another apart from the cost and the fear that I'd drop it while moving it.

[EasternGirl]

Ouch! That's pricey though...

[InsanePirateDragon]

That is close to what I had in mind, if its descent one, I don't mind paying money for a good durable tank.

How heavy do you think it is empty and when you have all the decor in? Shelving has a weight limit I want to stay within.