new enclosure

[crzy_kevo]

this is a quick layout i drew up for an enclosure any input is welcome


the water will be in a dish or something buried in the soil and the heat lamp will be over the sandy area and a normal light in the middle

[adamanteus]

Looks good, Kevin. Have you considered the practicalities of cleaning etc with a buried water bowl? Also sand can be a difficult substrate... it's inclined to stick to the food and so get ingested.
I'm not intending to be critical, sorry.

[crzy_kevo]

well i plan on feeding george by the grassy area i always hand feed him and i plan on making it so the dish can be removed for cleaning just by lifting it up but maybe i do need a different substrate how much does substrate usually cost after all this is my first garter and atm im just using grass
no need to appologize i did ask for input

[ssssnakeluvr]

well i plan on feeding george by the grassy area i always hand feed him and i plan on making it so the dish can be removed for cleaning just by lifting it up but maybe i do need a different substrate how much does substrate usually cost after all this is my first garter and atm im just using grass
no need to appologize i did ask for input

just because you are putting food by the grassy area doesn't mean he won't drag the food across the cage, especially if you are feeding worms....

[crzy_kevo]

the plus side to this enclosure i can get all the materials from across the street

[adamanteus]

I have no idea on the cost of substrate where you are, but there is another discussion going on, on that very topic right now, have a look...

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/encl...substrate.html

[crzy_kevo]

thank you for your input James i hoping to start putting this enclosure together in about a week or so i will post pictures of it with george as soon as it is ready

[el lobo]

I recommend coconut husk...it doesn't seem like many people here use it, but it is odourless, absorbs odours, looks great, and only costs about 8 dollars for four bricks! You just put a brick in a pail of water, and it expands. then you can ring it out, and spread it in your viv.

[infernalis]

I recommend coconut husk...it doesn't seem like many people here use it, but it is odourless, absorbs odours, looks great, and only costs about 8 dollars for four bricks! You just put a brick in a pail of water, and it expands. then you can ring it out, and spread it in your viv.

For me this is a love hate relationship. I found a vendor where I can get a 3 brick pack for around $5, it's compressed, so it ships easy, its attractive, etc..

But I have had 3 neonate snakes ingest and choke on it. I still use it, but with adults and as a ground surface in the arboreal enclosure.

For neonates (babies) I prefer cage carpet, the adults are easy to feed in a tote, but a tank full of squirmy little babies, that's another thing entirely.

Feeding on the grassy end is no guarantee of safety, many of my garters will grab up a food item, and for lack of better words, "prance all around" with a fish or crawler hanging from their mouth.

[crzy_kevo]

i dont thing coconut husks are readily available in my area but thanks for the thought caleb