Richard's new enclosure project

[ConcinusMan]

I purchased a small silent pump, netting, hydro balls, etc.,(zoomed waterfall kit) and happened upon some clear plastic packaging material that will serve a re purpose of containing enough water for such a feature in my new
55gal long setup project.

I am going to create a small trickle waterfall with live moss and temperate air ferns. I have already had good luck keeping the air ferns alive and healthy, as well as cultivating several (at least 4) very attractive yet distinctive species of moss. The remaining 7/8 of the tank will look "naturalistic" but be easy to maintain and practical/comfortable for garters.(dry reptile bark/coconut fiber) The moss does great in garter enclosures! No harm, fresh clean smell, helps create micro-climates, can be used on the cool end, or dry cover on the hot end, etc... It just goes dormant under very dry or hot conditions. Some of the very distinct varieties are very attractive. Closeups of the moss will be posted later.

The air fern (or two) stay small and grow on just about anything, even vertical surfaces. I plan to suspend/attach them above the bottom, on a cork bark/artificial background near the waterfall. The one shown is already attached to fir bark and interesting moss is growing with it.

I got this 55 gallon long enclosure in trade for my 4ft pueblan milk snake. I'll post pics as the project progresses and of course, when the snakes are settled in. I plan to keep 2 or 3 breeding pairs of concinnus, each pair being a different morph.

This will no doubt be the centerpiece of my otherwise small and humble collection. It will be concinnustopia!

Air fern:


Tank:



Please excuse the newspaper, that's only a temporary holding tank for now. No excuse for the shoe This is a new thing for me, as all of my past setups that were intended for snakes, were simple and practical. Now that I have enough room to accommodate the needs of live plants, moss, etc. AND snakes, I'm giving it a try. While the snakes are brumating in the winter, the plants and moss will be kept cool and allowed to get lush by spring.

[gregmonsta]

Looking forward to seeing the end result

[ConcinusMan]

Me too. Can't wait. Of course, the process is fun too. Waterfall kit scheduled to arrive tomorrow. I'll start setting that up first, then get the moss and plants settled in.

[De Foezel]

looks promising

[bsol]

Awesome! Looking forward to checking this out!

[ConcinusMan]

The moss growing on fir bark with the fern looks exactly like this picture, represented as "sphagnum moss" but I'm not sure. Don't know much about moss. I do know that this kind is a very dark green, is fairly easy for me to keep alive indoors and/or start new colonies from growing tips but it looks terrible if allowed to dry out and go dormant. Spreads EXTREMELY slowly. Almost NO peat layer per se but only the tips are green. Tends to grow in thick but small clumps on rocks with ferns and other moss. Rarely grows on it's own:


The following type is more "thread-like" but looks great dry or moist, dead or alive. It can be found high up on live OR dead trees. It often forms very large mats. Usually grows in a dense, strong, carpet-like fashion on dead branches, or live tree trunks. It tolerates some sun and requires brighter light than most. Overall, a great performer in a well-lit (florescent) vivarium at 70 degrees cool end. Looks better alive but can be utilized long after it's dead. It has no peat layer to speak of, and grows on live OR dead branches in dryer locations than most moss around here. It is by far, the most common moss. Can survive months below freezing, or months dry, and still spring back to life.


Sorry, pics are quite terrible. I've tried every setting imaginable. Sometimes I get lucky, but mostly not. I guess the points of unexplained light must be "pixie dust"

******

This one is a fairly new attempt. It's very "feather-like" almost like tiny fern leaves. Usually very close to the forest floor, usually on well-decayed fir bark on dead stumps in total shade. Very shallow peat layer. Not extremely common. It's "carpet" is very delicate and holds much moisture (and therefore weight) but is very delicate and will easily rip apart under it's own weight. I have yet to learn all the qualities of this one but I like the way it looks so far. The question is, how useful / good looking is it when dead, Does it do well indoors?, etc. It has a somewhat musty odor. Probably due to the rotten nature of its preferred growing surface, often with fungus. As a matter of fact, I let this dry somewhat and had a mild allergic reaction(I am sensitive to mold spores) Maybe not so good indoors but I like it's "leaf" structure. Very flowing, cascading. Like feathers on a bird of paradise.


got my waterfall kit but I fail to see why they call it a kit. No matter what your situation, you need more things to set it up. I cannot buy what I have in mind. I'm definitely going to have to build something out of fiberglass and polyester resin. Hey, there's another business idea in my spare time. Maybe I could sell such water features. Lord knows I could do it cheaper and better than what you can buy around here. I'll no doubt have to purchase more material than I'll need. I'll make a spare or two.

[ConcinusMan]

Just for clarification, it looks like in order get what I really want, I'll be using the materials and method posted in this other thread. Won't look quite as desert-like but same principle. http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/show...930#post128930

[De Foezel]

hoping u will succeed in building a kickass enclosure upgrade for your snakes

[ConcinusMan]

It's not an upgrade. It's an expansion. 1X 20 gallon long(holding tank with ordinoides) +20 gallon long w/concinnus +10 gallon for amy, and now a 55 gallon long! I've never had the opportunity and room to take on a large enclosure like this. I've always admired water features and the like, but always had limited enclosures/space/money so I opted for practical solutions before now. You know, newspaper pellets/aspen shavings/ cold steel water dishes, etc.

This time, I want to create the appearance of a natural ecosystem. (not possible to contain a real ecosystem)

I just want a bit of a corner with flowing water contained from the rest of the tank, with real live plants. the rest is just going to be reptibark/coconut fiber, a log/climbing structure, and garter snakes.

I know that I will probably make mistakes and there will be a need for adjustment. A "pretty" enclosure that supports a waterfall and plant life is only secondary. The snakes come first, even if i have to line it with newspaper or aspen shavings and only have a water basin. I think I will have fun finding a compromise.

Just an update: It will be at least 4 weeks before I can afford(and have time) to get materials to start my waterfall project. That needs to cure and function first. The rest will be easy. Anyway, I hope to have it completed by early July. That will free up a 20 gallon for babies!

[De Foezel]

if i understand u right u wont be using space in the enclosements
but rather u would add a "room" to your enclosures?
sounds very nice but hard to do....