Questions question questions...

[mtolypetsupply]

Hey there duck!

I have a solution for your consideration on your screen issue. So long as the screens will be held together by pressure, why not use something softer and flexible like weather stripping (plastic or felt) or a gasketing material between the two??? Then you could add enough to make a tight enough seal so your babies don't get out, and when you squish (love my technical terms, right?) the screens together, it would have enough give not to pinch the cords of the filter.

Now, on exactly WHAT product to use, I cannot offer guidance. James and Ernestine are my first two garters, so I have not experienced the full wrath of what these little escape artists can do. I'm sure that people on this forum might be able to poke around their local home centers, next trip in, and make some suggestions on what would be firm enough.

I saw a thumbscrew on the top of one of the screens, if they don't hold together with pressure, you can always come up with a latch or something to hold them. We'll burn that bridge when we get there!

[Snake lover 3-25]

OK the sliding thing does change perspective a bit.

A pine board secured along the middle would work. A ruler would be too flimsy to cut notches into it.

I had to get a cord into Limons cage, I cut a small groove in the edge of the wood, just enough for the cord to SLIDE into the notch.

lol you guies are too funny lol THIS is wayne and he already DID respond lol YOU missed it

[Snake lover 3-25]

that's a pretty good idea stephi!!! i'd use it

[Sitting_duck]

LOL snake how would I know...I have no idea who wayne is =p

The screw is to make it so nothing can push it out sideways, unless I just lift it up. It's hard for me to understand a lot of this, I'm more of a visual guy.

Of course, I could just screw the pond and just get a water dish. Then I wouldn't have to deal with the cord,just the gap between the screens, which is fixable.

[Sitting_duck]

Everyone uses carefresh or snake "aspen" or something...

How come no one uses dirt? I'm sure wild snakes are on dirt all the time, and their population isn't downhilling because of impaction.

[jitami]

I think some here use dirt/potting soil... for me the carefresh is just easier to take care of. Before that I used paper towels. I say whatever works for you and your snake(s)

[Sitting_duck]

ok.

I'm giving up on the filtered pond idea. Going to take a bit more simple for my first garter. Do garters like to submerge themselves completely in water and swim? Or do they always have their heads out?

I got a big bag of aspen snake bedding. Going to start decorating, I still need to buy some decorations and something to tell me the humidity & temps...Right now all I have is those dial ones(left over from a different tank) and they're inaccurate. So I'll have to buy some digital kind.

[anji1971]

Garters will both soak in the water with their head out, and swim around underneath. Just give yours a big enough water container to accomodate both. My girls have a 6x9 inch tub with a couple inches of water. All of them like to play around in it.

[Snake lover 3-25]

i have one that loves to swim under water.... it's kind of strange bc he doesn't come up for long periods of time........ the other 2 don't even go in it.....????

go to micheals or a dollar store and get some fake plants they look great in the tanks

[Sitting_duck]

No dollar stores around here, well, around 30minutes away, yes.

Will do about the fake plants though.

It's funny, a vine from michaels, 1-3$. A "reptile vine" from pet store, $9-11...