Along the same lines... does anyone else use water features? I built one for a tank that contained a salamander and a few tree frogs last year. They really seemed to enjoy it, and it looked cool, but it wasn't easy to keep clean. I'm going to start over on a new tank for two red-sideds, but I'm not sure whether I should commit to something like a water feature (maybe a waterfall into a small pool). I also have a LARGE exo-terra dish that is essentially a lake. It takes up 1/3 of a ten gallon, but I figure I could make it a tiered setup to give the babies lots of room for a year or so. Just also not sure if it is worth having such a large (14" long or something) pool in there.
I have a water feather in Rosy baby's enclosure (my ball python) she seems to enjoy it. Its a large quarter circle pool that drains from the bottom on one side into a large tank. there the water is heated (heated winter and chilled during hottest part of summer. ) and filtered and pumped back up to be a water fall. I had to have the enclosure drilled in 2 places for this. (exspensive to get done) then I had to get a decent adjustable flow pond pump and a number of fittings that completely seal over the drilled holes. the water has to "trickle" down a "rock fall" as when it just fell into the pool Rosy would not go near that end of the tank.
even though its filtered It still has to be completely broken down and cleaned FREQUENTLY. The filter needs to be cleaned daily and everything has to be checked. If I had to do it again I would probably not do the pump etc, just a large bathing pool I could easily take out and wash daily.
I have a water feather in Rosy baby's enclosure (my ball python) she seems to enjoy it. Its a large quarter circle pool that drains from the bottom on one side into a large tank. there the water is heated (heated winter and chilled during hottest part of summer. ) and filtered and pumped back up to be a water fall.