Want to go Bio for Taiwan Beauty

[poomwah]

I would like to build an enclosure for a taiwan beauty.
I started by just wanting a natural looking environment for him/her (don't have the snake quite yet), but the more I look into it, the more I like the idea of using bioactive substrate.
I will have LOTS of questions, but I'll start with just a couple. I will obviously need lighting for the plants, but lighting for heat will be impractical for the setup I have in mind.
I want to use flexwatt, but from what I've been reading it will be a problem getting the heat through the drainage layer. Would there be any problem building the heated area without a drainage layer?

Also, when obtaining plants, dirt, leaf litter, plants, wood, etc, how do I keep from introducing parasites?
Thanks everyone.

[jarich]

I would like to build an enclosure for a taiwan beauty.
I started by just wanting a natural looking environment for him/her (don't have the snake quite yet), but the more I look into it, the more I like the idea of using bioactive substrate.
I will have LOTS of questions, but I'll start with just a couple. I will obviously need lighting for the plants, but lighting for heat will be impractical for the setup I have in mind.
I want to use flexwatt, but from what I've been reading it will be a problem getting the heat through the drainage layer. Would there be any problem building the heated area without a drainage layer?

Also, when obtaining plants, dirt, leaf litter, plants, wood, etc, how do I keep from introducing parasites?
Thanks everyone.

Reptile parasites generally don't just hang out in wood or on rocks, so you've likely got a better chance of being hit by lightning while collecting than you do introducing parasites that way.

As for the heating and lighting, it'll depend on the measurements of your enclosure. You don't want to use flex watt or any other under tank heating. Your substrate will be too thick for that to be useful and you'll end up cooking your soil. Better to use a radiant heat panel, or better yet some form of light if that's possible. Even if not used for heating, there are many low profile lighting options like fluorescents and LEDs that can fit any enclosure

[Terranaut]

Your posting multiple threads about the same thing. Keep it all in one then all of the advice is in one thread.
Lots of info on bioactive substrates here. Try the search function.
Two schools of thought are 1) sterilization before use and 2) invite all the little things in the soil to stay and do their thing.

[poomwah]

thanks for the reassurance and the advice Jarich.
Sorry about the two posts terra, the first one was before I had started thinking heavily about bio. It was specifically about natural LOOKING .
That's why I posted this one, so I could get more info about a bioactive setup specifically for a Taiwan.

[Will0W783]

I don't see why you'd want to complicate a caging setup more than necessary. A nice cypress mulch bedding is all you need. You could use bioactive I suppose, but I don't see why you'd want to go to that much effort when it's far simpler and probably better for the snake to just use a thick natural-looking bedding like Keeper's Choice and include lots of decorations.....

[jarich]

I don't see why you'd want to complicate a caging setup more than necessary. A nice cypress mulch bedding is all you need. You could use bioactive I suppose, but I don't see why you'd want to go to that much effort when it's far simpler and probably better for the snake to just use a thick natural-looking bedding like Keeper's Choice and include lots of decorations.....

Having both styles of set up, I'd disagree with you on both assessments. ;) The bioactive substrate is both easier and better for the snake when looked after properly.

[poomwah]

I can obviously get sand and soil at any home improvement place or any nursery. But I was wondering what you guys thought of this. We live in the middle of a bunch of farmers fields, so I'm sure the ground in the yard as well as in the woods about 1/8 mile behind us (also surrounded by farmers fields) are normally full of pesticides and fertilizers. However, with all the snow we've had this year, and all the rain we will surely get by the time I can actually get back there , do you think it would safe as long as I get it before anything gets sprayed this year? Or would it most likely still have those contaminants in it? I don't know of any other sources for leaf litter anywhere even close

[Mikoh4792]

Can you drain soil of pesticides and fertilizers?(ie. wrap it in a cloth bag and let it run in water for a day or two)

[poomwah]

that's what I'm wondering or if its something that once its in there, its in there
I'm also concerned about run off into the wooded area, but I'm guessing that for the leaf litter as long as it has insects in it, it should't have pesticides in it, sound reasonable?
That is, if there are any insects in it after how cold its been this winter

[CosmicOwl]

The nitrogen from the fertilizer will get held by organic matter and clay, but aside from that, I doubt the fertilizer would present much of a problem. If fertilizer were that bad, if would kill all of the critters in your garden. I think it's the pesticides you really have to watch out for.

Either way, you're probably better safe than sorry.

[jarich]

Top soil is about $3 a bag, as is sand. It's not worth the risk if you aren't sure.

[poomwah]

thanks guys, I'll definitely take the safe route and buy the sand and soil.
Think the leaf litter will be an issue? maybe find some from higher ground than the farmers fields

[poomwah]

another question. I have noticed some people use a drainage layer with an actual drain hole in the bottom of the viv. However I've also read about people that have a tube that goes down to the bottom so they can put water in to saturate the bottom level of substrate.
What are your thoughts on this?

[jarich]

The tube is not so you can saturate the bottom, it's so you can draw water out of the drainage. The hole is the same thing obviously. Either are unnecessary if you're careful with how you water

[poomwah]

thanks Jarich. The tube as a vent makes sense. Someone on cornsnakes did a big right up on bio active substrate and they actually had a tube with a funnel on it for putting water IN the bottom, seemed kinda backwards to me.
So... unvented drainage level and careful on watering----Check!
How would something like this work for heating.
http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt126/poomwah/heat_zps0d13ae91.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/poomwah/media/heat_zps0d13ae91.jpg.html)

[pdomensis]

Can you drain soil of pesticides and fertilizers?(ie. wrap it in a cloth bag and let it run in water for a day or two)

Would depend on the chemicals in the pesticides. Some leach through the soil (and end up in your ground water) others bond to the soil particles and can only be neutralized with carbon. I would spend a few bucks to get better soil, or find a spot where chemicals haven't been used; try an organic farm.

[pdomensis]

thanks guys, I'll definitely take the safe route and buy the sand and soil.
Think the leaf litter will be an issue? maybe find some from higher ground than the farmers fields

Leaf litter from a natural area should be fine, but I wouldn't take leaves from an orchard or tree farm where pesticides are used.

[poomwah]

thanks pdom. There's a wooded area I have permission to take things from but its surrounded by farmers fields, I wasn't sure if the run off would effect the wooded area as well. EVERYTHING is surrounded by farmland around here

[pdomensis]

It's likely not a big deal unless you are getting the soil/leaves soon after application, but some chemicals can have pretty long residual affects. Even then the pesticides "shouldn't" harm anything after the recommended quarantine period. I would bet that if it weren't for tillage, those fields would be loaded with snakes. But better safe.

[poomwah]

I know my yard is loaded with snakes, LOL, lots of garters and fox snakes. Obviously that doesn't necessarily mean they are healthy :]

[Phas]

You guys are giving more thought to the snakes health than most people do to peoples' health in Taiwan.

I would second using a simple easy substrate then using things like potted plants and decorations. Actually the areas Taiwan beauties are found are often either scrubby weedy areas (flat lands/farmland) or rather barren forest floors under decently thick canopies (mountains).

Never kept the species, but given the extreme rainfall in the hot months in Taiwan I would suspect they are a rather moist tolerant species, which can be a problem with many peoples vivariums being too wet.

[Floof]

Poomwah, have you been able to implement the bioactive/planted viv for your Taiwanese? I'm very curious how you'll go about it!

I have a small subadult female currently in a planted viv--though I'm horrible about keeping up on the substrate (full screen top + desert climate do not help). I found the bioactive/planted vivarium method to be very successful with her when she was younger.. First in a 12x12x18" Exo terra, later in a 30x14x24" glass viv. Haven't quite found the 'happy place' for her current 42x18x18" viv, though I haven't had a lot of time to really work on it.

I'm finally going to sit down and dial in her viv this month... And it looks like I'll be getting the opportunity to try a planted viv for my juvenile Vietnamese blue beauty, as well!! :D

[poison123]

Poomwah, have you been able to implement the bioactive/planted viv for your Taiwanese? I'm very curious how you'll go about it!

I have a small subadult female currently in a planted viv--though I'm horrible about keeping up on the substrate (full screen top + desert climate do not help). I found the bioactive/planted vivarium method to be very successful with her when she was younger.. First in a 12x12x18" Exo terra, later in a 30x14x24" glass viv. Haven't quite found the 'happy place' for her current 42x18x18" viv, though I haven't had a lot of time to really work on it.

I'm finally going to sit down and dial in her viv this month... And it looks like I'll be getting the opportunity to try a planted viv for my juvenile Vietnamese blue beauty, as well!! :D

Hey there Floof (same one from TFO?) I'm using a Bio-active setup for my beauty as well if you wanna check it out http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii600/poison619/a6b7fd41-3104-4222-b332-9c22cf613519_zpsf71f785b.jpg

The larger the animal its best to experiment with different kinds of insects to help the bacteria break down the waste. You can try roaches, earth worms, isopods etc. The bacteria, and springtail (which usually make there way into enclosures) wont be able to handle large amounts of waste on their own in a short period of time.

[Floof]

Poison, yes indeed! How neat to see another TFO member here! I didn't realize there was any other TFOers with beauties, either. How fun. :)

I've been experimenting with isopods in my skink enclosures, and liking the results! One thing on the list is to try isopods in the snakes' vivs once I have substrate moisture dialed in. I do have volunteer isopods in most/all of my skink vivs, as well as in the Russian tortoise's viv (which isn't planted, but has apparently turned bioactive of its own accord--fine by me!).

That is a very nice viv you have! Do you find the leaf litter helpful? That's another thing I've wondered about. I haven't tried it, as it's not something I really became aware of til recently, and the skinks would probably just bury it, anyway.