Everyone's tank setup.

[GarterGuy17]

Well Maybe it's just me that I havent looked in the right place but I thought it would be nice for everyone to share how their setup's look and cool creative things they came up with to make it more appealing and make your garter feel more at home :)

Here is my a 30gal.
3977

[EasternGirl]

Let me get back to you on that when I can get some pics of each of my tanks....;).

[guidofatherof5]

I found a couple threads for you to look at. Hope it helps.

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/general-talk/9005-tanks-hides.html

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/enclosures/5472-heavy-duty-enclosure-2.html

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/enclosures/3274-exo-terra-enclosures.html

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/enclosures/10-what-type-enclosure-do-you-have.html

[GarterGuy17]

They did actually thank you , but now I have just one question Steve , How many radixes do you own ? O.O

[guidofatherof5]

I have no idea and don't care. We are all happy. :D

?.?.?

[PINJOHN]

but now I have just one question Steve , How many radixes do you own ? O.O
you got that the wrong way around there John...Steve own's no snakes not a one, BUT those rascally radix have got themselves a slave, a pliant obedient abject slave ...i don't have to tell you the slaves name do I ;)

[EasternGirl]

Let's just say it's not called the t.radix ranch for nothin! ;)

[GarterGuy17]

Let's just say it's not called the t.radix ranch for nothin! ;)

I guess your right it's just I wanted to know when I was reading through he said about 2 - 3 thousand of them so over that number , how does someone feed that many snakes ?

[EasternGirl]

Here is a pic of Cee Cee's tank with Cee Cee posing pretty...you can see Seeley in there for a visit...hiding in the log on the left...lol.

3978

[GarterGuy17]

Very nice! , how big is Cee Cee because she seems comfortable in her tank and i'm trying to figure out if I can house 2 or maybe 3 snakes in my tank. Whats the size of yours ?

[EasternGirl]

Cee Cee is a pretty big girl...she is almost 3 feet long and a good size around. She shares the tank with Seeley a lot and he is about 2 and a half feet long...I think that tank is technically a 30 gal...but it would be a 30 gal tall because it is the same length as my 20 gal long tanks...but it is taller than the 20 gal long tanks....it is almost 17 inches high. You could comfortably house 2 or 3 snakes in a 30 gal, in my opinion. I will be housing 2 in each of my tanks. My other two tanks are 20 gal longs. I think Kat has 5 small garters in one 20 gallon tank. I think there is some rule of thumb about if the snake is smaller than the length and the width of the tank, then it's good. I figure if the snake can stretch across the length of the tank comfortably...you're good to go. I mean, if I measure my tank in length...I think it actually measures 31 inches across...and if I stretch Cee Cee out, she is longer than that...but when she slithers through the tank, she is not stretching herself completely out...you know what I mean? So, she never looks cramped or like she doesn't have enough space to move around and explore...she has plenty of room even with stuff in there and even if Seeley is in there with her. I could put another snake in there and they would be fine.

[GarterGuy17]

Yea so we have the same size tanks actually. I feel as this will be drifting off topic but I Just got musked for the first time , I picked jade up pretty fast and yea you know the rest it was funny because it didnt actually land on me so she musked herself ;) it really didn't smell so so bad , it had a tuna fish scent actually. other then that back to the tanks I wanted to know if I had to get another tank for another snake or two that I want , but if not then I cant wait for the summer !

[Light of Dae]

Here is Georges current set up, he'll be moving to a big tank soon as I get it done.

3979

This is an older picture of Babs' tank with her guardian Pig lol Sorry for the poor quality of this picture, it was taken with my webcam from my laptop before I got my camera.
3980

[EasternGirl]

Lol...so she finally tried to musk you huh? Cee Cee musked so bad at the vet's the other day...she had the entire exam room reeking....I mean it was bad! And when I picked her up my hands smelled so bad I had to wash them in the middle of my conversation with the vet because it smelled so bad I couldn't stand it. She doesn't musk me very often...I guess she doesn't like strangers...she musked the heck out of the vet as soon as he picked her up. Lol...Yeah, I think you will be fine with another snake in your tank...maybe even two more depending on how big they are.

Dae...nice pics!

[angrygamer]

heh, I have yet to be musked. I've been pooped on but no musk was involved.

[guidofatherof5]

heh, I have yet to be musked. I've been pooped on but no musk was involved.

You don't know what you're missing. One of the real joys in keeping garter snake. :D

[chris-uk]

Lacrimosa musked me earlier this week between eyes clearing and shedding, the only time she gets temperamental nowadays. It was pungent and I could only see a really small drop on the floor. Made my office uncomfortable for 20 minutes.

[guidofatherof5]

Good Lacrimosa, goooooood lacrimosa.

[EasternGirl]

Go smell my veterinarian's right now...whole place reeks of Cee Cee...a few of the vet techs are going to smell all day...heh...heh...She may not make a big entrance, but she sure knows how to make an exit!

[guidofatherof5]

Go smell my veterinarian's right now...whole place reeks of Cee Cee...a few of the vet techs are going to smell all day...heh...heh...She may not make a big entrance, but she sure knows how to make an exit!

Way to go Cee Cee.

[chris-uk]

Back on topic, rather than re-post my recent photos, I'll link to the thread :
http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/enclosures/9906-chris-chars-vivs-terariums.html

[angrygamer]

http://i.imgur.com/SVN0j.jpg

Sorry for the ugly pic, it's an old 2 megapixel camera.

This is what I've got going right now, but it's going to change a bit. Now, before you say anything about the light, it's only got a 60 watt bulb. Also, the front is covered with a screen. It gets warm but it's not as warm as you'd think. There isn't anywhere on it that you can't put your hand on that feels hot. There's no way I'd put Glyph in there with a hot lamp. The reason it's like that is because of the fact that it's a tall tank and when I put the light over the lid the distance to the floor is very far and the temps don't get up to where I'd like. This isn't a permanent solution either, I am still working on a few other things for it (read: $$$) but I really don't want to use a heat pad unless I have to.

The middle is cordoned off as a feeding area without aspen because I've heard so many impaction stories, and if you go to youtube sometimes you see people feeding their garters and substrate sticks to their food...kind of scary.

Also, I've got a homemade reptifogger that I am going to put in, some time this week I imagine.

[EasternGirl]

I like the idea of the middle being sectioned off to protect from the substrate...very nice. If you could get some close-up pics of that, I'd love to see it in more detail.

[GarterGuy17]

I wouldn't be able to do that anyway because jade picks her food up and runs a way. I have to get a substrate that isnt loose like aspen.

[angrygamer]

I like the idea of the middle being sectioned off to protect from the substrate...very nice. If you could get some close-up pics of that, I'd love to see it in more detail.

I'll do that this week when I put the fogger in...I'll proly wind up taking screen caps from my video camera, which shoots in 720p. I have no idea what that is in megapixels.

Or even better, tomorrow is feeding time, I'll post some then.

[angrygamer]

I wouldn't be able to do that anyway because jade picks her food up and runs a way. I have to get a substrate that isnt loose like aspen.

I used part of a windshield visor...easy to clean up. Newspaper works just as well. I was wondering what you've got going on there, what you laid down and if you are just going to go with that or if you are going to add some loose substrate.

I'm not entirely sure about the aspen, I might look at reptibark...I know that stuff is expensive though.

[GarterGuy17]

I have paper towels , she seems to like it and it works very well for monitoring poop. That's one of the main reasons why I took out my aspen.

[angrygamer]

I have paper towels , she seems to like it and it works very well for monitoring poop. That's one of the main reasons why I took out my aspen.

Oh, yeah, I remember that now.

[GarterGuy17]

I want to switch though since im trying to give my tank more of an earthy look , the paper towels don't help at all.

[EasternGirl]

As I have said before, the best thing to do in situations like yours John...is to use a feed tank. Go to the dollar store and get a small plastic storage container and poke some holes in the top and put some paper towels in the bottom and a hide and a fake plant in it and then just move Jade to that when you want to feed her. Then it doesn't matter what type of substrate you use in your tank.:)

[GarterGuy17]

I should have got the 10 gallon the guy offed me when I bought the 30 :T. Even so the aspen made my tank look tropical hahaha

[angrygamer]

I should have got the 10 gallon the guy offed me when I bought the 30 :T. Even so the aspen made my tank look tropical hahaha

How come? I feel kind of bad now, as I was trying to talk you into a bigger tank.

[GarterGuy17]

Oh that came out wrong , I meant I should have gotten both it was only $5 more but I had no space in the car :( I would have used it for feeding.

[angrygamer]

Oh that came out wrong , I meant I should have gotten both it was only $5 more but I had no space in the car :( I would have used it for feeding.

Oh I see :p

Still, do what Marnie said, I don't think you'll have a problem. If you have the time and the money I'm sure you can find another tank.


Hey, what do you guys think about carefully covering the tank at night? Sometimes I'm up late in my apartment and with even the lights off the computer monitor is usually on and it is bright. Right now the tank light is set for 6:00 am - 6:00 pm.

[acovert]

I decided that I have to share my tank before my headache forces me to go to bed xD
It's a 10gal that I had for three green anoles back in high school. I used to have climbing plants and stuff for those guys, but I feel like they got tossed out, so I got new stuff for Cuddles.

3987
That's the full tank. There are three hides, a fake medium leafy plant, some plastic grass that was technically meant for a fish tank, an assortment of heat-treated sticks taken from Montana, and a rock I found on campus back at school. The big cave hide is huge, so i stuff some extra snake bedding in there. He just loves that cave. Even though the log hides were his original hides, he definitely prefers the larger one.

39883989
These are some close ups of the smaller log hides. One is up near the glass, and you can see where he's created his own hide underneath the log as well. The other one is in the back, hidden behind sticks and the leafy plant. They're made out of cork. When I originally bought it at Petco is was one whole log, but I had to cut it in half because it was too big to fit in his original tank.

He likes to curl up under the rock that's in between the water dish and the cave hide, near the back of the tank. It was meant to be a sunning rock, but as I don't have a lamp right now it's just a rock he can hide under.

Something I noticed was that he also loves to find ways underneath the water dish. Apparently it's nice and cozy under there. However, it became a problem when he also decided to use that spot as a bathroom and it stuck to the cage bottom. Now I have paper towels underneath the aspen bedding xD

[chris-uk]

I like the way you have the fake grass "growing" out of the substrate.
Embed your water bowl so that it is sitting on the bottom of the tank and the is no substrate under it. Full of water they can be heavy enough to pin a snake if the substrate shifts when they tunnel under, which isn't a good thing.

[acovert]

The water bowel is embedded! Sneaky Cuddles still finds ways under there sometimes.
But he's stayed out recently so maybe I've got enough places for him to hide that he doesn't think about it xD

I bought the grass for a fish tank (a really small fish tank!) only to find that it would work right because my fish was a total spazz and just knocked 'em over. So i cleaned them and stuck them in with Cuddles. He LOVES the grass. And it was made with a base to have gravel covering it, so I just put substrate over it instead xD

Cuddles will move substrate, too. I caught him at it once; he completely covered the entrance of a log hide by moving substrate with his tail. So now I cover part of it for him.

[EasternGirl]

Looks really nice Ashley! I really like what you have done with the tank.

@Angrygamer...see if you can find a way to cover the tank and still leave a little bit of air circulation. I have often suggested to members that they cover tanks for feeding when snakes are skiddish, or like in your situation, to make it darker for the snake...my only concern would be to make sure that there was still some air coming through. Although, I don't think some light from the computer monitor should disturb the snake too much.

@John...just go buy a cheap plastic container from the dollar store to use...other members use them for feeding...just make sure to have some air holes in it.

[angrygamer]

@Angrygamer...see if you can find a way to cover the tank and still leave a little bit of air circulation. I have often suggested to members that they cover tanks for feeding when snakes are skiddish, or like in your situation, to make it darker for the snake...my only concern would be to make sure that there was still some air coming through. Although, I don't think some light from the computer monitor should disturb the snake too much.


Call me Travis...oh I'll definitely leave room for air, I was more concerned about the psychological aspect of it.

[EasternGirl]

Travis...nice to know your name. I think it would probably be good to have some consistency with light/dark cycles...from what I understand it is important for their health, digestion, activity level, etc. So, if you feel it is too bright with the computer, I would say go ahead and put a towel over the tank to make it darker, and try to do it at the same time each night. The best thing to do is to mimic the natural light/dark cycles outside at this time of year...from what I have heard. I can't say I am always great about following that...I really need to get a timer for my tanks. Does anyone know if they make timers for multiple power sources?

[angrygamer]

Travis...nice to know your name. I think it would probably be good to have some consistency with light/dark cycles...from what I understand it is important for their health, digestion, activity level, etc. So, if you feel it is too bright with the computer, I would say go ahead and put a towel over the tank to make it darker, and try to do it at the same time each night. The best thing to do is to mimic the natural light/dark cycles outside at this time of year...from what I have heard. I can't say I am always great about following that...I really need to get a timer for my tanks. Does anyone know if they make timers for multiple power sources?

That is why I'm concerned, but I was wondering if y'all think there would be adverse effects from it. For instance, I wonder if a Garter would get skittish under those circumstances. I know they are deaf but they feel vibrations, would it freak him out if he heard things but couldn't see them? Maybe I could partially cover it and give him some room to look out if he wants. He's always looking out at the room, he always wants to know what's going on.

Also, I took some screencaps from my video camera, and they look great! I've loaded them into an album here and I've followed the instructions on how to post from an album, but it doesn't work! The instructions say

Go to "Gallery", then "My Photos", then select the photo you wish to post. Scroll down to the bottom of the pic until you find the box "Copy to Clipboard"

well, I can't find anywhere on the page where it says "copy to clipboard". I'm sure it's something, I'll keep looking. arg, I've been messing with this for an hour.

And Marnie, they make multi - outlet timers, but they are expensive. I have two analog ones I picked up at a thrift store for 2 bux each.

[katach]

Wonderful viv Travis.

[angrygamer]

why thank you

[guidofatherof5]

Go to "Gallery", then "My Photos", then select the photo you wish to post. Scroll down to the bottom of the pic until you find the box "Copy to Clipboard"

well, I can't find anywhere on the page where it says "copy to clipboard". I'm sure it's something, I'll keep looking. arg, I've been messing with this for an hour.

And Marnie, they make multi - outlet timers, but they are expensive. I have two analog ones I picked up at a thrift store for 2 bux each.


No "Copy to clipboard" with the new software.

Most uploaded photos come with 3 options.
1- Linked Thumbnail
2- Linked Medium
3- Medium Image

If you click on one of those the location will be highlighted
then you can do a short cut (Ctrl+C) which will copy it to the clipboard.
Hope this helps.

[angrygamer]

Thanks, I had a feeling it was a php update, that post is really old and it should probably be taken down.

Anyway, Marnie wanted to see some closeups, but I have no idea how this is going to look in a month.

Also, screencaps look good from 720p video.

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//760/medium/tank26.JPG

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//760/medium/tank37.JPG

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//760/medium/tank43.JPG

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//760/medium/tank19.JPG

Also, with this camera I can probably get much better pics of Glyph than with the webcam. I'm not got to handle him today though, because I fed him this morning.

[guidofatherof5]

Are you using any tape in this enclosure? If so that is a major no-no.
No matter how well you think you have the tape secured they will find away to get under it.
This can be a very dangerous to deadly situation for any snake.

[angrygamer]

Are you using any tape in this enclosure? If so that is a major no-no.
No matter how well you think you have the tape secured they will find away to get under it.
This can be a very dangerous to deadly situation for any snake.

Ok, I'll pull it out.

[angrygamer]

Ok, it's out.

I'm not gonna feed him for another week so I'll find something else in the mean time.

It was only meant to be temporary anyway, I've got some plastic trimming that I am going to put down.


But I have heard of people using tape to catch loose snakes, so I didn't think about it.

[guidofatherof5]

Why are you waiting so long to feed him?
He may be ready to eat before the week is up.
When they are young it's important to keep shoveling it in. :D

[angrygamer]

Why are you waiting so long to feed him?
He may be ready to eat before the week is up.
When they are young it's important to keep shoveling it in. :D

I fed him this morning. The vet said he's about three years old and that he's full grown. I told her I feed him a pinky once a week as per all of the guidelines I've read and she said that was good.

[guidofatherof5]

I would think a snake that size needs more then 1 pinky a week.
Just my opinion.

[angrygamer]

I would think a snake that size needs more then 1 pinky a week.
Just my opinion.

uh, really? I've read in more than one source that a pinky a week is sufficient. Otherwise I seriously would have asked. As I understand it if it's fish and/or worms you need then to feed more frequently.

[guidofatherof5]

uh, really? I've read in more than one source that a pinky a week is sufficient. Otherwise I seriously would have asked. As I understand it if it's fish and/or worms you need then to feed more frequently.

Garter snakes have a high metabolism and 1 pinky a week seem like too little food for a snake that size.

[EasternGirl]

Travis...yeah, I don't know what's going on with the whole using tape to catch snakes thing...I would never advise it. Richard lost a snake because the snake was injured so badly from getting stuck to tape. Made the same boo boo myself when setting up one of my tanks...but luckily the members on here caught it and I got it out of the tank before any injuries could occur. The wooden bowl in the middle of the feeding section with the hole in it? What is that? That looks cool.

How big is your snake? I know I feed my adult snakes every 4-5 days. My small male gets about a pinky's worth of food...and my big Cee Cee gets 2-3 pinky's worth of food.

[angrygamer]

Well I put tape around the cardboard because I didn't want him to go over the rough edge. But it's out now.

The wooden bowl was originally a water bowl for him but it leaked...so, a hide was the next best thing!

I would put him at about 24 inches right now.

These are some of the sources I consulted, in case you are interested:

Alan's Garter Snakes - Maintenance of Garter Snakes (http://www.gartersnake.co.uk/maintenance.htm#Feeding)
Chequered Garter Snake Care Sheet (http://www.petsnakecare.net/chequered-garter-snake.php)
Feeding - gartersnake.info (http://www.gartersnake.info/care/feeding.phtml)

[EasternGirl]

Oh...I forgot to add that in my experience...and my easterns are very skiddish...putting a towel over their tanks actually makes them feel more secure. I also read in that book you recommended that it can be a good idea for skiddish snakes...because seeing everything around and people passing by can scare them a bit. I will look at the sources but I really think it depends on the snake. Seeley is probably 2 1/2 feet now...but he's so small around...he won't eat more than a pinky's worth of food every 4-5 days...sometimes he eats even less than that...he isn't a hearty eater. Cee Cee is big...and she would eat everyday if I feed her everyday...but I would say...2-3 pinky's worth every 4-5 days gives her a nice bulge and time to digest. Hermes is 6 mos...and maybe 10 inches if that...he eats a half a pinky's worth of food every 2-3 days...the younger they are, the more food they need to grow. Feed your snake until you see him get a nice bulgy tummy...then watch him and see when the bulge goes down...that will give you an idea. But honestly, you could feed him a pinky every 4-5 days. Maybe 2 pinkies.

[EasternGirl]

The sources seem to have very accurate info! Good finds. They do say once a week for pinkies...but again, I think it depends on the snake...size, age, etc. And...what are we defining as a week? 5 or 7 days? Granted...most people would say 7...but I think you can either feed more food and feed less or feed less food and feed more often...for digestion, it's probably better to feed smaller meals more often. There are also different sizes of pinkies...you have small and extra small...and I think large too. So, you could feed a small pinky every 4-5 days and I think your snake would be good.

[angrygamer]

*sigh* now you guys have me worried that I'm not feeding him enough.

I forgot to mention that I feed him the occasional night crawler, but after thinking about it I realized that I probably give him one once a week.

I have memory problems stemming from an injury I had about 10 years ago, and the last couple of months have been a blur because have been really busy, with the holidays and what have you didn't help. It's like I have 20 million things to do at any given time, and they are usually menial tasks, but they have to get done. So I had to sit there and think about it.

As of right now he's about 75 grams and 24 inches, I don't know what that translates to, I haven't found a guide for this.

What also concerns me is that the vet could be COMPLETELY wrong in that Glyph is a female not a male and still maturing, as I understand it female grow roughly 1 1/2 times as a male. In that case I would be underfeeding Glyph.

[EasternGirl]

Okay...Travis...don't get worried. Lets take this one step at a time. First of all, Glyph sounds like he is at a good healthy weight to me. Seeley is probably longer than Glyph and he is only 38 grams...very thin...not a hearty eater at all. Can you post a pic of the vent area? We can probably tell you if Glyph is male or female. I don't think you are severly underfeeding him or anything like that. He is not going to starve on a pinky a week. He just may be able to eat a little bit more. Post a good up close pic of him so I can see him...his whole body. I have a crappy memory too. Get a cheap calendar and write down when you feed him...that is what I do. Then offer him another pinky or the equivalent of that in worms or fish in 4 or 5 days...that should be sufficient. Cee Cee eats 2-3 pinkies every 4-5 days...but she is 133 grams...almost twice the size of Glyph...so I think you will be fine feeding him one pinky's worth of food every 5 days.

[GarterGuy17]

Well I setup a little feeding enclose until she gets bigger and have to get another one. has a coconut half hide , fake plant and a little bottle cap water bowl. I will leave her there over night and switch her into her regular tank in the morning.She almost gave a a heart attack when I thought I lost her , She escaped and I went looking for her in the bathroom , living room and my bed room and still nothing I went back to where I was preparing everything on the kitchen counter and there she was behind a container of chocolate :D

Well here it is 4010

This for ventilation a couple of holes and a rectangle covered by a piece of thin tissue 4011

And yes yes yes the spot on the side of the coconut is that jade already marked her territory ! ;)

[EasternGirl]

Looks good John...there is no tape on the top of the lid that she can come in contact with though right?

[GarterGuy17]

Looks good John...there is no tape on the top of the lid that she can come in contact with though right?

Nope none at all I made sure that all side if the tape were firmly pressed onto the lid so there were no sticky sides out. I understand the risk of tape but until I buy a better container I will have to try my best to keep it secure.

[EasternGirl]

Just making sure...looks good. :)

[kibakiba]

No matter how well you think the tape is concealed, she can still find a way under it. It's best to use absolutely no tape at all.

[angrygamer]

Okay...Travis...don't get worried. Lets take this one step at a time. First of all, Glyph sounds like he is at a good healthy weight to me. Seeley is probably longer than Glyph and he is only 38 grams...very thin...not a hearty eater at all. Can you post a pic of the vent area? We can probably tell you if Glyph is male or female. I don't think you are severly underfeeding him or anything like that. He is not going to starve on a pinky a week. He just may be able to eat a little bit more. Post a good up close pic of him so I can see him...his whole body. I have a crappy memory too. Get a cheap calendar and write down when you feed him...that is what I do. Then offer him another pinky or the equivalent of that in worms or fish in 4 or 5 days...that should be sufficient. Cee Cee eats 2-3 pinkies every 4-5 days...but she is 133 grams...almost twice the size of Glyph...so I think you will be fine feeding him one pinky's worth of food every 5 days.

I'll take some pics, his eyes are turning blue this morning so I'm not going to handle him for a few days at least...but yeah, I've been feeding him a worm pretty much once a week since I started feeding him pinkies, at least once a week in the last month, beyond that my memory escapes me. Do you think that's enough? What if I feed him two worms a week + a pinky? Not at the same time but I feed him on Sunday, I was thinking about a worm on Tuesday and Thursday.

I didn't think the screen caps from my video camera would come out very well, but they did so I'll use that after he sheds.

[EasternGirl]

Yeah...a couple of worms and a pinky a week should be good, Travis...I would think. Try using the calendar to write down feedings like I do.

Chantel...I think the tape John used is on the outside of the lid...that's what it looks like in the picture.

[kibakiba]

If she pushed the tissue up, she could get stuck on the tape.

[EasternGirl]

Oh...yeah...you're right. I see how it's on there now...any ideas for how he could do what he is trying to do without using tape on there like that? I guess there is a hole in the lid?

[ConcinusMan]

I can't stress how important it is to keep any and all kinds of tape away from your tanks. Don't even use it on the outside. Period. It's a death trap disaster waiting to happen.

I've already posted these lots of times, but what the heck...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5tY5tGRvDI&feature=channel_video_title

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/2909/setups010large.jpghttp://img585.imageshack.us/img585/909/setups035large.jpg
http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/2497/setups039large.jpg

[EasternGirl]

Nice Richard...what wattage bulbs do you use for heat? I have been using 60 watt in Cee Cee's tank but I was thinking about putting 75 watt in while she is sick...I also have a heat pad on. What do you think?

[ConcinusMan]

Nope none at all I made sure that all side if the tape were firmly pressed onto the lid so there were no sticky sides out.

Yeah, so did I. Still lost a snake. Just change the situation as soon as you can.

The 20 gallon had a 65 watt flood lamp. On hot days I only run the florescent. The big tank also used a 65 watt but it's a taller tank. They climb to bask under it. So, I also had undertank heat in that one. Just use whatever wattage is necessary to achieve the proper range / gradient. You know, 80s on one end, 70's on the other. Adding undertank heat can allow you to run a lower watt basking bulb or just a florescent to save on electricity.

You can up the basking area high temp for sick snakes but don't forget they need a gradient. Too warm can cause the same kinds of problems as too cool. Respiratory infections, immunity issues, etc.

[EasternGirl]

Well...with the 60 watt bulb and the heat mat...the thermometer usually shows a high temp on the warm side of 86 at the most...although my thermostat is set for 88 and it does cut the heat sources off now and again. But when I put my hand in to feel the temp...it just doesn't feel all that warm in there to me. She still has the cool side with no lamps or mat...it usually shows a temp of 75 at the warmest. I'm going to put a platform for her to lie on to get up closer to the lamp to bask tomorrow...so maybe I will just leave the 60 watt bulb and not go any higher than that.

[snakehill]

*sigh* now you guys have me worried that I'm not feeding him enough.

I forgot to mention that I feed him the occasional night crawler, but after thinking about it I realized that I probably give him one once a week.

I have memory problems stemming from an injury I had about 10 years ago, and the last couple of months have been a blur because have been really busy, with the holidays and what have you didn't help. It's like I have 20 million things to do at any given time, and they are usually menial tasks, but they have to get done. So I had to sit there and think about it.

As of right now he's about 75 grams and 24 inches, I don't know what that translates to, I haven't found a guide for this.

What also concerns me is that the vet could be COMPLETELY wrong in that Glyph is a female not a male and still maturing, as I understand it female grow roughly 1 1/2 times as a male. In that case I would be underfeeding Glyph. Hey Travis (Great name! That's my Beagles name! lol) I have a memory problem also. It's called age! I find it helpful to write everything on a calender. What and when they eat, when they refuse to eat, sheds, tank cleanings, baths etc. You could also keep a journal or some kind of chart if you prefer. Just a thought! Hope you enjoy the forum! :) (OOPS! I missed that Marnie suggested this already!)

[EasternGirl]

Lol...that's okay. I tried keeping a little notebook...but I always forgot to write the feedings down in the notebook....lol. I was trying to keep a record of when I fed and exactly how much I fed. Now I write it on the calendar in my kitchen...which I also sometimes forget to do...lol. But that way, my mother helps me to remember. I keep notes for everything...I always have. I don't necessarily have a memory problem...just too many things to do..so it helps to try to write everything down!

[GarterGuy17]

My little aspen hill / cave !
http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w441/GarterGuy17/P2050121.jpg

[EasternGirl]

Very cute!

[GarterGuy17]

Okay so I find my self never satisfied with my cage arrangements so , once again have changed it again but found something useful to do with the aspen like making a hide out of it , tell me what you think :)

Here's the new setup less stuff everywhere for more floor space
http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w441/GarterGuy17/IMG00025-20120207-2136.jpg

Here's the little aspen side hill/hide. The entrance is covered by the leaves so not very visible.

http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w441/GarterGuy17/IMG00021-20120207-2134.jpg

http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w441/GarterGuy17/IMG00022-20120207-2134.jpg

[EasternGirl]

Looks good! I took the platform out of Cee Cee's enclosure. She was just sitting on the other side of the tank staring at it all day. Now she is back on the warm side where the platform was, hiding in a plant. I will probably be coming up with a new set-up for her again. I'm not sure that Hermes likes his platform either. He is finally going back over to his hanging plant next to the platform, but he won't go on the platform. I think he goes under it though. It's always hard to tell with him because his tank is so dark. May have to rethink his set-up too.

[GarterGuy17]

I cant seem to find the perfect setup , and jade doesnt care for that aspen hide that much she prefers the cave I took out. Hoefully we find what they like the most other than the fake plant !

[EasternGirl]

Yep. I just took Hermes platform out and put everything back the way it was before I put the platform in...minus one plant and a cardboard tube...I'm going to put a new tube in, his other one was getting worn out. I went online and ordered a cave hide and a new plant for Cee Cee's enclosure. I like the way I have things on the cool side of the hide...and she seems to be happy with things on that side...but I do not like the set-up on the warm side...and I don't think she does either. I will work on it when the new stuff gets here. I need to work on the tank that I am going to put the snakes in that I am getting in the spring...but I really don't like that tank. I think I will probably buy a tank with a lock lid when spring rolls around. In fact, I think I'll make a money jar and start putting money aside for that tank now.

[angrygamer]

I cant seem to find the perfect setup , and jade doesnt care for that aspen hide that much she prefers the cave I took out. Hoefully we find what they like the most other than the fake plant !

I see what you mean, I'm having a time of trying to find something that Glyph likes. I'm about to change his tank up again. I'm not too keen on the aspen, I am going to try some coconut fiber. I also found some fake plants at the thrift store...the dollar stores I went to didn't seem to have any.

If I were a snake I would like the setup you have, with lots of space in it. OK, so I don't know exactly what it feels like to be a snake, but I always thought they would like the space...but I think I'm wrong.

[EasternGirl]

My snakes seem to like good hiding places and plants...but they are particular about their hides. Cee Cee's favorite hides are a fake log made out of foam and a slim jim can. Seeley's favorite hide is a cardboard box with some substrate in it and a couple of tiny holes that he can get in and out of. Hermes has two cardboard boxes I made into little houses for him...one on the warm side and one on the cool side and he likes his hanging plant by his lamp. As far as substrate goes...I don't really like aspen, and my snakes didn't seem to like the reptibark and cocofiber mix. They seem to be happiest with carefresh because they can burrow in it..and I like it because it seems safer than aspen or bark...and it's easy to spot clean. It's kind of expensive...but it lasts for a long time because you can spot clean it.