Thoughts on new enclosure idea?

[ConcinusMan]

Looks like I'll just have to try something else, has anyone done anything for water that's a bit more glamorous than a water bowl?

Sure. I've seen Zoo med repti-rapids or home made type of little waterfall in garter snake enclosures. Only really seems to work with very large open-top types of enclosures with plenty of ventilation. Like for example, one or two small garters in a 55 gallon long or larger screen top aquarium. You have to make sure that the water area only makes up a very small percentage of the enclosure, that ventilation is very good, and garters like to mess in their water so good filtration and frequent changing of the water must be done.

Here's some ideas for you that have worked for other people:

Using small repti- rapids.


You can also buy just a waterfall kit pretty cheap which is just the pump, and a few basic materials. You can then custom build the base yourself:

How to Build a Waterfall for a Terrarium PART 1 - Video

How to Build a Waterfall for a Terrarium PART 2 - Video

Bottom line is, it's going to cost money and time to set something like that up, and maintenence is a little more tricky. Garters make messes of everything and must be kept clean so you'll have to decide if it's worth it or not. Remember, they're going to be pooping on this thing and in the water.

[mustang]

once again you need to keep all the water moving to avoid becoming stagnate!

[Stefan-A]

once again you need to keep all the water moving to avoid becoming stagnate!

And change all of it and clean the entire water feature thoroughly if the snake defecates in it.

[mustang]

And change all of it and clean the entire water feature thoroughly if the snake defecates in it.

well i wouldnt go that far...
quick story

have you ever kept triops?....well if you favent there thees little custacion/bug/close to the horseshoe crab and they poop a lot....i went to wallmart and got a little plastic bettatank...it had this gravel in it, it said it would absorb poop and keep water clear...well i the water was clear for 2 weeks...then it got a little foggy....so i replaced gravel with another cheap substance...within a day i had to change the watter again, and again, and again...it astounded me how quickly they could muddy up the water...which proved to me that the gravel that said to absorb actually worked extreamily well. so if given the right aquasubstrate, a single poop wont mean a water change

[ConcinusMan]

The heck I wouldn't. Unless you have one heck of a powerful and effective UV water filter, bacteria is going to contaminate the water and make it very unhealthy to drink, regardless of how clear you keep the water by using particle/charcoal filtration. One poop in that waterfall and you'll need to change it and clean it. Clean water is very important for your snakes. You don't want them drinking bacteria infested water that they've pooped in!

This is why hardly anyone is doing this. It's a major pain to keep clean. That water must be changed and the whole water feature cleaned well, very often. Garters are just too poopy for such a setup. I wouldn't do it personally. It's much easier to keep a standard water basin. I change it daily even if they don't poop in it.

[mustang]

The heck I wouldn't. Unless you have one heck of a powerful and effective UV water filter, bacteria is going to contaminate the water and make it very unhealthy to drink, regardless of how clear you keep the water by using particle/charcoal filtration. One poop in that waterfall and you'll need to change it and clean it. Clean water is very important for your snakes. You don't want them drinking bacteria infested water that they've pooped in!

This is why hardly anyone is doing this. It's a major pain to keep clean. That water must be changed and the whole water feature cleaned well, very often. Garters are just too poopy for such a setup. I wouldn't do it personally. It's much easier to keep a standard water basin. I change it daily even if they don't poop in it.

few things
1.human drinking water and what everything else (except donald trumps dog) drinking water have an enormous difference in quality
2.in survival school they say (i would never do it but) you can eat/drink you own fecees but noone elses...(so i guess a one garter set up it would be ok.....)

but i spoil checker, even if i am cramped for a week due to AP classes, groundings, and stuff and i forget to feed him i give him a much larger meal...(i love reptiles like snakes you can have a lot of wiggle room in their feeding schedule!
i just found out that

this cheap waterfall and filter works great if you have like a 1/2 land/water tank divided with glass/plexiglass

...people complained abut the filter and someone said that putting this in helped and made it last a lot longer

or

and maybe this if it all dont work

(Zoo Med Save Your Reptiles 501)

some reviews said the original filter for the waterfall lasted a week...the packets above last a lot longer for about $5 you may just need one or both..im still trying to decide if the guy just used the filters or trashed the inside of the waterfall and put the "zoomed save your reptiles" inside it.
now for the bad news....its all at petco (and petco.com is the only one to have the save your reptile product...and it might be an online only item, i cant tell.

well revisions to the great checker's tank will begin soon
...wow i posted more than i bargained for

[Mommy2many]

Remember to watch out for little snakey escape holes!

[mustang]

Remember to watch out for little snakey escape holes!

iv insulated the lid...hmmm someday ill get around to taking pictures of that

[Mommy2many]

Would like pics of Checker's home.

[mustang]

Would like pics of Checker's home.

well right now the left side is all stagnate so im wating for the heatlamp to dry out the remaining water so i can clean A)the crud on the top B)the crud from the lillypads w/o leaving anything behind...and as usual he immediately went under the waterfall within minutes of me closing the lid.....
SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE!!!!!!!!!!!