Vertical Russian cave

[Sylphie]

I think, that I'll share this enclosure on separate thread too. It's all handmade, and natural plants, but let's begin from the start.

At first it was cabinet with 3 shelves. We rebuild the bottom shelf, added glass doors, fasten the cork wood, made walls with expanding foam, then painted it with acrylic spray paints and added some plants. The light was just some white leds. It looked like this:

http://i.imgur.com/wUqNMMf.jpg

Then after getting the second snake we finally added the next, bottom part a few days ago. Like the previous we made walls with expanding foam, fixed some plant pots in it, then painted it and added plants. There is also a nice water pool on the ground, as both our Russians looove to swim. We added one more light, yellow leds (I really prefer a warm lights in my enclosures), but we still need to add more, as there is pretty dark, especially for plants.

http://i.imgur.com/NJXFn5t.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/f8Tq4pl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/mLFasYz.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/mGAw89c.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/feJDiGB.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/bQDXfaI.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/zyvIgPQ.jpg

[Jim Smith]

Beautiful job! It looks like it belongs in a professional reptile exhibit. Very nice work! I always worry though with enclosures with intricate backgrounds, what happens if you get mites. I've had a heck of time getting rid of mites with two of my flat-sided PVC cages. I can't imagine how difficult it would be with all those nooks and crannies they would have to hide in or lay their eggs in with a beautiful background like the one you created. Just a thought...

[Sylphie]

You know I was having mites 2 times, but I just used a bug killing plate (called globol) and I don't have any problems with them now. I really prefer natural vivs, as snakes in nature encounter a lot of different soils, little bugs (like the ones living in all plant pots) etc. so I'm not too scared about them.

And thank you very much! I plan to take something similiar but horizontal for my big Russian female too :D

We're also having a big glass viv in a wall, but there was some rearranging so the plants must grow a little before I take any pics, haha!

[jjhill001]

Do you have to do anything special to make sure the foam sticks to glass?

[jjhill001]

Also how do you deal with poop and cleaning?

[toddnbecka]

Also how do you deal with poop and cleaning?

That's always been my hangup with natural vivs and mid-size or large snakes. A bioactive setup with springtails and all seems fine for dart frogs or small snakes, but I can't see tiny bugs and microbes effectively dealing with the waste produced by larger animals. If they would consistently use the water tub as the toilet it would be really simple to keep clean.

[Sylphie]

Do you have to do anything special to make sure the foam sticks to glass?


Huh, I'm not sure as the glass is only as a door, the cabinet is made of wood. But some of it land on doors, and stick pretty good. All you need to do if you don't want drops of foam on glass is take a razor and lightly scrape away. It leaves no signs at all.

[Sylphie]

Also how do you deal with poop and cleaning?

That was my concern at first too. I'm having there 2 growing 2yo Russians, and believe me, they are having a really fast metabolism (corns are a much slower than them). They usually are going to the ground to make their business, and there I just pick it up from the coco fibre. They made poop on the walls few times, and I just wait for it to mostly dry up (usually a few hours/one day... beware of the smell, it's not nice) and then take it with paper towel. It comes off really fine, and even if there stay a small amount of it in the gaps, then the bugs will do their job.

Whats really interesting they NEVER poop in their wood hide. Maybe they just knows that you shouldn't poop in your bed, haha :D

As medium snakes in natural vivs... I really recommend it, although with 6ft colubrid you must find hardier plants. I'm still searching for them for my big female Russian, as she's really strong, and the plants that are fine for my adult corn will not stay alive with her.

[Pogie]

Sylphie, very nice! I am in the process of making over a tank for my baby corn snake much in the same manner. It's in the ugly stages at the moment lol. But no hurry for me since Drogo is still a tiny baby. I love your vivarium!!

[Sylphie]

Haha, thank you! And it's really simple to make if you're having a helping man (oh, okay, I was only "so here I want something like this, you see? Can you make it like this?"). Please share pics of your viv when you finish it :D

[eminart]

Very nice, Sylphie!

I've had the same experience with bioactive. My indigo poops a lot. I just scoop most of it out, as you would on any other substrate, then let the bugs and bacteria take care of the residue. Works great.

[Pogie]

Haha, thank you! And it's really simple to make if you're having a helping man (oh, okay, I was only "so here I want something like this, you see? Can you make it like this?"). Please share pics of your viv when you finish it :D

I'm sure mine won't look any where near as good as yours rotfl. But it's fun to do :)

[prairiepanda]

That looks spectacular, Sylphie! I love what you did with the plants! I'm going to be testing a similar strategy in a tarantula enclosure soon. That expanding foam is awesome.

[Sylphie]

Thank you! And we're planning on something totally new and different for our tank in a wall. And then we will rebuild big clothes wardrobe on a 5 vivs in varied sizes and decor (but there we will use expanding foam too, as it's faster and easier).

[David VB]

Good job, looks great ;)

[prairiepanda]

Sounds like you've got some big projects planned! Maybe you can post some in-progress pictures and share your techniques?

[Sylphie]

Sure, no problem. Unfortunately we didin't thought about it when making russian cave, but will try to take a lot of pics while making the new vivs :D

[Sylphie]

Here are some pics of fish tank that my man made a few years ago. If someone will be interested I will post a new thread and tell you how he did it (we have a plenty of pics in-progress). :D He's really talented in these things.

http://pleco.com.pl/botanicafoto/2/P1120392.JPG

http://i.imgur.com/6AYSnts.jpg

And the video from an expo for which it was made.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdIyxQkXAZk&feature=youtu.be&t=57s

He's planning on build something similiar for garter snakes, but it probably will wait until we move to the bigger house :D

[prairiepanda]

Wow! Love the fish tank! Brilliant implementation of the plants there. I love how they overflow out the top of the tank and their roots reach into the water. Very unique effect. Do the plants act as natural water filters, or is there a more traditional mechanical filter hiding in the background somewhere?

[Sylphie]

Thank you! It was mostly aquaponic + two big filters tetra ex1200 (you can see it under the tank) :)

[jjhill001]

That is just stunning.