Thoughts on new enclosure idea?

[amaterasu]

I'm looking to set up a new enclosure and I've been thinking of doing something that I've not seen any mention of being done before so I just wanted to hear everyone's thoughts on it. Basically I've been thinking of getting an aquarium and filling it with water then a smaller aquarium inside that that would be filled with substrate and then there would be banks or trailing plants around the sides so the garter can climb up into it easier. To provide a section that was completely dry I thought that I could place a heat lamp directly above the land area.

I don't think I've explained myself very well so here's a really bad drawing of my plans.


Anyway how well do you think this would work?

[gregmonsta]

Well ... if it's constructed well enough it could work ok. Not to discourage you but I'd be too worried about the following:

1) Cleaning
2) Humidity issues
3) Bacterial build up in the water

It can be done ... but it's very tricky and keeping it clean will be a challenge. I have heard horror stories about loss of snakes through cryptosporidia in a pauladium set up but I've also seen some stunning looking set ups.

Research people who have done this type of set up and go from there.

[Stefan-A]

I don't recommend it. The humidity would get high enough to cause serious problems and from a hygiene standpoint it would be a nightmare. Also, garters are not aquatic snakes.

[nitrogen15]

My worry would be that a snake would foul the water too much. There's a need to have a heavy-duty filtration setup. Garters also can't take that much humidity and work best in terrestrial setups. The setup you've mentioned is really for fully aquatic snakes and turtles. Those sorts of enclosures are challenging to maintain but quite pretty, so I understand the appeal.

[ConcinusMan]

Perfect for amphibians. Terrible for snakes.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Perfect for amphibians. Terrible for snakes.

For most snakes, absolutely. The only snakes I would put in this... are like, the chinese water snakes and what not. The fully aquatic species that come out of water a few times a week.

[ConcinusMan]

...but don't forget the sophisticated and usually expensive filtration needed.

People have come up with similar ideas from time to time and posted them here. I love the ideas and the designs and would love to do something like that. Heck, I even have a lot of the equipment I need and almost did something similar myself. But for garters it's just not practical or healthy for them. Garters need to be kept dry with moderate humidity and good ventilation to prevent skin and respiratory infections.

The setup you have in mind would be a good habitat for small tropical amphibians, or if done large enough, turtles or water dragons.

[mustang]

I'm looking to set up a new enclosure and I've been thinking of doing something that I've not seen any mention of being done before so I just wanted to hear everyone's thoughts on it. Basically I've been thinking of getting an aquarium and filling it with water then a smaller aquarium inside that that would be filled with substrate and then there would be banks or trailing plants around the sides so the garter can climb up into it easier. To provide a section that was completely dry I thought that I could place a heat lamp directly above the land area.

I don't think I've explained myself very well so here's a really bad drawing of my plans.


Anyway how well do you think this would work?

IM IN THE SAME BOUAT!!!!YOU NEED TO KEEP THE WATER MOVING TO AVOID STAGNET... im putting moss in the other side now

[amaterasu]

Thanks for everyone's input, I don't really think it's going to work but it was worth a shot anyway. I was hoping with plenty of ventilation it would keep the humidity at a good level and with proper filtration the water wouldn't build up to badly. 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?

Perfect for amphibians. Terrible for snakes.

Yeah the reason I started thinking about doing this is because I'm in the middle of setting up a similar thing for some vietnamese mossy frogs.

For most snakes, absolutely. The only snakes I would put in this... are like, the chinese water snakes and what not. The fully aquatic species that come out of water a few times a week.

I've been toying with the idea of getting some kind of water snake for a little while now, not seen many available but I did notice some on a recent importation. If you've had any experience with them I'd be interested to hear them.

[Barak666]

...

The setup you have in mind would be a good habitat for small tropical amphibians, or if done large enough, turtles or water dragons.

It might work for turtles or amphibians, but it is not recommend to keep a water dragon into a aquarium as they need lot of height, the aquariums are normally not high and width enough for those (except for babies ones, but as they grow fast, it wont' last long).

... 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?

If your not using a aquarium, but instead build your own enclosure, there is the possibility to build a aquatic part the size you want with fiberglass (you can make the overall shape with wood then cover every thing with few coat of resin+fiberglass), then you put a drain hole in it for easy cleaning, you can then paint the fiberglass to look more natural, or use waterproof cement to give a fake rock look. This way you can make the water feature the size and shape you like (like a small one for garter, or a big one for more aquatic animals as water dragon) and it is easier to make water change with a drain in it. What I have in mind is something like a shower floor

Something like that.