pics

[snakeman92]

i want to know where is a good place to see pics of people's carpet python tank and how they have theres set up
thanks:cool:

[PoiSoNouS]

my biggest carpet lives in this:
<img src="http://pages.infinit.net/lawl/ssnakesspicts/IJmale01.jpg">

the little gurly lives in there:

<img src="http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=20239">
<img src="http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=20302">

[derek]

wow very nice enclosures

[liquid_mage]

I really like your enclosure. Are the dowel rods glued right to the side of the aquariums?

[PoiSoNouS]

Glued with hot glue, yes. ;)

[SpencerC]

very nice enclosures! i like them alot... whats the first one made out of?

[PoiSoNouS]

Melamine ;)

[JIMI]

aquarium sealant also works awesome for sticking stuff to stuff

[liquid_mage]

I just finished this for my Irian Jaya last weekend. I used closet rod holders so I could remove the dowel rods. I also used spray on polyurithane on the dowel rods so the are protected from the humidity and heat.

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/504/711tanktop21107022m.jpg

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/504/711tankfront1110702sm.jpg

[Jeff_Favelle]

Awesome!! Great to see that you DON'T have a screen top!! Very smart. I like it. :D

[Kyle Walkinshaw]

Whats wrong with screen tops Jeff??

[stormyva]

Kyle, Thats exactly what I was going to ask.
What is wrong with screen tops?

I use one on my 40 gal breeder tank and I have no problem keeping the temps and humidity exactly where it needs to be. I keep a towel over half of it so on cooler and/or dryer days I can slow heat loss and/or humidity loss.

A tip: If using aquarium sealer or hot glue make sure that they are completely set before putting the snake back in the cage, so that there is no chance that any fumes will kill the snake.

[liquid_mage]

The acrylic top does help me keep my temps and humidity steady. Without the acrylic it would be hard for me to keep even temps. I've also heard it is safer for the snake but I don't know if that is true or not.

It took about 5 days for all the polyurithane and silicone to dry for this aquarium.

[Jeff_Favelle]

Two things:

1) Why use a screen top if you're just going to cover it up anyways?

2) Snakes don't like being kept in food dehydrators. Actually, no reptiles do.

[snakeman92]

i was wondering how u made that glass top

[BWSmith]

Now, I don't use muc inthe way of Aquariums anymore, mainly Precision Caging, but I have never had aproblem with humidity. I think you may be being a little melodramatic witht he dehydrator analogy. I have never had and animal turn into Snake Jerky before. There are ways to make about anything work. If you are keeping species that need that much humidity, ther are other ways to make a screen tip work: Plastick Wrap over half (no it won't melt if you do it right), and a great little trick is cutting a few different lenghts of plexi the exact width of the inside of the tank so it fits on the inside lip. Have different lenghts so it can cover 1/4 to 3/4 of the top. Just a few suggestions. i have never had any problems with screen tops. And in some enclosures, they hold humidity TOO well. Sometimes i have to lay out the mulch to let it dry overnight before i can even put it in an enclosure. Otherwise, the only thing that would survive well would be Dart Frogs! Just my 2 cents. :)

[stormyva]

Sorry to drag this post back up after a couple of days of passing without a postings but........
Jeff,
What do you mean by this comment:
Snakes don't like being kept in food dehydrators. Actually, no reptiles do.
I am somewhat confused about this as I am able to keep all the humidity levels in my cages at the right levels by providing "humidity boxes or hides", reptibark substrate, and twice a day mistings. I did have plexiglass on the tops of one of my enclosures and actually found that the temps went too high because it kept in too much heat and did not allow enough air flow. (My snake room is kept at a fairly consistent 80°)

[Jeff_Favelle]

Depends on the snake, but what if the snake wants to bask AND be humid at the same time? Would a humid hide box be useful then?

[liquid_mage]

As far as the acrylic top and the humidity go. I could probably get away with a screen top or using something partialy covering the top. In Michigan and I'm sure it is the same way in Canada once I turn the heat on for winter or in the fall it gets pretty dry in my house even with a humidifier in my house. Also I prefer to not have to worry about misting my snakes because I am pretty busy. Plus it helps keep the heat in as my house temps are usually around 70F. It works well for me I'm not saying anybody else has to do this. I would rather not use plastic wrap or ply wood on top may tank since I took the time to do the rest of it up nicely.

[liquid_mage]

Originally posted by snakeman92
i was wondering how u made that glass top

I used acrylic on the top attached to a store bought screen frame. I removed the screen from the frame and the acrylic wasn't expense and it was easy to work with. Then I used 8 screws and nuts to attach the acrylic to the frame. One at each corner and one in between each corner. Before attaching it to the frame I drilled nine holes in each corner for airflow and exhaust. It wasn't that hard and truthfully I'm not really a do it yourself kind of person.

[stormyva]

Jeff, the humid box is to help boost the humidity levels in the enclosure and allow an additional hide. With the use of the humidity box my ambient humidity levels in the cages are dead on. I typically set up a cage with two hides one on the hot side, one on the cool side, and the humid box. This allows plenty of options for my snakes and a spot that they can go to when they want a really humid spot such as during shedding time.
I admit that having to spray twice a day may be more labor intensive than other means but it gives me time twice a day that I am in messing with my snakes and handling them. If I had a larger collection of snakes then I may opt for something that is less labor intensive.
I think we have found another one of those things with herping that people have certain opinions on. Whether we are using screen or acrylic tops the end result is the same, our snakes are kept in a healthy environment.

[Jeff_Favelle]

Just a question:


You have to spray twice a day to keep the humidity up for a snake that doesn't really have high humidity requirements? Does that strike you as odd? Yes there are a bazillion different ways of acheiving the same goal. For sure. But don't you think that if you are losing airborne water (humidity) at a rate so fast that you have to spray twice a day, for a snake that has low humidity requirements, that maybe a screen top is kinda bad? Just a thought.

Also, do your carpets like being sprayed with water? Mine don't. Neither have any that I have ever seen (and I've seen hundreds). They flee from it like wildfire. Seems like most Aussie wildlife does. Probably because it doesn't rain twice a day where they live, yet, they are still humid enough in the wild? Why is that? I'd think that if you had to simulate rain 2 times per day, then something must not be right!

I'm not trying to argue, I'm simply trying to give you pieces of info to to read and think about. You can utilize the info in whatever manner you want. But ask yourself, when was the last time you saw one of the big breeders utilize a screen lid or screen opening for anything but a chameleon? Probably 20 years ago when nothing was ever bred. Screen lids are an archaic piece of "husbandry" from an era when we didn't know any better. But don't take my word for it. Browse the Net and look at people's setups.

Ok, nonsensical rant over. :D

[The_Omen]

1) Why use a screen top if you're just going to cover it up anyways?

I have no problems with screen lids as I stated in this Post. (http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6280)

And I also enjoy my animals by looking in on them once in a while, without removing lids and disturbing them...
Kinda hard to look through an acrylic top with all the water dripping off of it.

Depends on the snake, but what if the snake wants to bask AND be humid at the same time? Would a humid hide box be useful then?

Yup! For when it wants the really high humids!
Even then if you are set up properly, you will have a water bowl on BOTH side of the enclosure, one being close to if not IN the basking spot. It can be humid when it basks or simply move out of or away from the water bowl and still be happy.

[liquid_mage]

Originally posted by The_Omen
I have no problems with screen lids as I stated in this Post. (http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6280)

And I also enjoy my animals by looking in on them once in a while, without removing lids and disturbing them...
Kinda hard to look through an acrylic top with all the water dripping off of it.


Why would water drip off of the top of the acrylic? The only snakes I know of that need that much humidity are Rainbow Boas. I built this enclosure for a Carpet Python and my humidity stays right around 65 to 70 which is pretty good. Besides if the humidity was too high I would just drill some more holes in the top.

[The_Omen]

Besides if the humidity was too high I would just drill some more holes in the top.

Isn't that just making it into a plastic screen?

Just save time, work and $$ by using screen.

Not much ventilation with plastic unless you make swiss cheese out of it either.

[stormyva]

Update.... I made some changes in my hog island boa's enclosure and I dont have to spray at all..... AND I still have a screen top!

I used a coconut fiber substrate at the bottom of the cage and added reptibark on top of that. I changed from heating by use of a nocturnal bulb to using a human heating pad. The heating pad under the enlcosure set at medium keeps the cage at a nice steady 83° ambient temperature around the clock with a 65% humidity level. I have a 40 watt bulb as need to boost the day time temps to allow for the day/night temp changes but have not needed to use it as the sun hitting that room brings the temps to 88° on the warm side during the day. The humidity level has maintained right at 65% since Friday night. The humidity levels could easily be raised even higher by closing off more of the top, adding plexi instead of the towel, or adding more water to the coconut fiber that is under the dry repti-bark.
(The top is still a screen top and is covered a little less than half way with a towel!)

[The_Omen]

And ya already had the towel I bet...

Old towel.. basically free.
Didn't start the car to go get towel... saved there too.

Pretty much a great way to do things cheaply!

AND still get the job done.

[stormyva]

Seems to work great and I had the towel already!
Not to mention the heat pad uses less energy than the 100 Watt bulb that I was using :) So I am saving all around :) :)

[Jeff_Favelle]

Ok then....

[Jeff_Favelle]

I enjoy looking at my animals too. I just look through the glass doors. No probs because nowadays, glass is clear.

Holes in plastic is NOT screen. 500 holes in a 5L Rubbermaid would be like screen, yes. But nobody does that so nice exaggeration.


As for being able to keep stuff a different way, sure, I agree. Certain requirements for certain animals can be achieved hundreds of ways. Yeah, we all know that. I mean, I could keep and breed Kimberly Rocks outdoors in Alaska if I had enough heat tape and flood lights. But why would I do that? When you're keeping an animal, you basically create its native environment in a tiny space. If you have to do a hundred things to achieve that (30 water dishes, 5 lights, 20 hide boxes, etc etc etc), then your chances of screwing it up increases dramatically. However, if you set things up where you achieve proper temps and humidity WITHOUT all the excessive work (spraying 2x a day? I have 70 snakes, how can I spray 140 times a day??!!), then your chances of being a successful keeper increases. And that's what its all about. Anyone can keep an animal alive. Big deal. Its when they thrive and breed and socialize and completely acclimate when we are truly not being cruel to them anymore by keeping them as "pets".


But if your goal is to do things the absolute cheapest, most convenient way, where you don't have to leave the house and you like archaic pieces of "husbandry" then by all means, use all the screen you can find. I wish you and your animals luck.

[Katt]

I'm not sure what the problem is here, but if they can achieve what they need, humidity wise heat wise, etc, what's the big deal if done cheaply?

I don't mean any offense Jeff, but you can pretty harsh if people don't agree with you and your husbandry methods or do it your way. Ease up, the beauty of this hobby is the diversity. If everyone kept everything the same way, we'd never know what would be a better way of caring for our charges.

I still don't understand what's wrong with a screen top, I don't use them for nose rubbing issues, but if screen and towel does the same job as plexi-top I don't see the harm.

I don't see how screen tops are snake dehydrators either. There are times when this house is soo freaking humid (in the summer) that screen tops would be nice to increase ventilation.

I think you are a bit excessive with the 100 things to achieve thing. No one is doing hundred things here. It's just an issue of a screen top!