It's all your fault!! and I have a few questions...

trailblazer295 · 03-05-16, 02:18 PM

You're all terrible influences *cough* Mink *cough* Ziggy *cough* reptitldude *cough* jpsteele80.

It also didn't help going to local herp store looking for wood decor to remodel my other snake cages only to discover they had added more tanks and had a baby coastal carpet who had a nice black and white pattern. I held an adult for a bit but he wasn't in the best mood and wanted to climb me and the store guy suggested not trusting him by my face. The climbing part was cool but the nerves got to me. I could feel the solid muscle of the snake, not sure on length but it was 3-4" girth. Just seems arboreal snakes have a different feel in your hands when climbing you. Now coastals are too big for me in terms of caging but an IJ is in the realm of possibility. This of course got the wheels turning a bit. But I do have a few questions as care sheets vary wildly and are never specific about humidity most of the time.

What size cage does a baby IJ need?
-I have a 10g and a 24x18x24 exo terra that could be used
How fast do they grow?
What size/age would they need an adult cage?
What's a proper adult size cage?
What is the proper humidity range?
Do you just provide a basking hot spot top corner of the tank and let the carpet move around as needed?

**Minkness** · 03-05-16, 03:03 PM

I know I already told you but I'm happy to leave a comment as well.

I got my baby at about 18 inches long. She is in a standard 15 gallon tank with a uth. She is now about 2.5 feet long and about the thickness of a standard sharpie marker and still has plenty of space as she tends to curl up. But if she chooses to go diagonal in her tank, she has a full length stretchinf space.
She is not particularly active unless it's feedi g time so I do not feel the need to up her tank size just yet. When I do I will be using a 40 gallong breeder which measures 3 feet long by 2 feet deep by 18 inches tall. I will prop it in the long side to change the dimensions to 3 feet long, 18 inches deep and 2 feet tall so that she can still utilize vertical space. I will offer both belly heat for her warm hide. My room generally stays between 75-80 ambient temps. Humidity will fluctuate between about 60-80% but I do keep a large bowl of water and mist once to twice a week, or more depending on if she's shedding or not.
She is just as hot on food as every other carpet I have heard of and seems to digest very quickly.

Also, she seems very interested in what's gping on outside of her tank and often perches in a place to keep a vigilant surveillance of her surroundings.

Hope this helps. =)

**EL Ziggy** · 03-05-16, 03:05 PM

Good choice on the carpet Blaze. I'm glad we could help pique your interest. IJs are one of the smaller carpets so caging should be easy. If it's a baby you could start it in a small tub. That 24x18x24 sounds good too but you'll have to clutter it up a bit. That might even work for a small adult. They average about 5-6 ft for adults. They'll reach adult size in about 3 years and I imagine the largest cage size you you'd need is a 3x2x2 for an IJ but a 4x2 would work as well. Ambient humidity of 40-60% will be fine. My humidity has dropped into the low 30s during winter and I've had no issues with shedding or RIs. As long as they have fresh water they should stay hydrated. I'd go with a RHP as my heat source. A basking spot of 90-95 and an ambient temp of about 82 and your carpet should be a happy camper.

trailblazer295 · 03-05-16, 03:24 PM

I keep my house at 71 in the winter and it's 78-74 in summer. Humidity in the reptile room between 35-40% in winter and 50-70% in summer. But during the winter the humidity in my other cages seems to drop a lot faster too. I'm a bit OCD so have inside/out temp and humidty in the room and also at my thermostat for the furnace.

The exo terra is pretty cluttered already as it houses a single crested gecko but I'd have to modify the branches a bit so cluttering a bit more isn't an issue. I didn't know if that was too big for a baby carpet or not.

How long would one be okay in a cage that size? I would be using a CHE in the terra but intend to move to a aboreal PVC with an RHP as a permanent home. the exo terra would be just a grow out tank as I have it already and all the pieces to set up for one. I'd probably be looking at a 3x2x2 PVC final home and order a new RHP from pro products.

**Minkness** · 03-05-16, 03:28 PM

Carpets are super hardy in my limited experience. Probably easier to keep/maintain than a ball. =)

In some ways, they are even better because of their natural display in their enclosures and activity level when handled. But balls are a great 'cuddle' snake and movie buddy lol.

Also, carpets will almost never miss a meal!

trailblazer295 · 03-05-16, 03:39 PM

This is the exo terra as it sits now. I had another failed attempt with live plants so just ripped them out mostly as they were dying. I'd modify the branches to offer more lateral perches.

chairman · 03-05-16, 04:12 PM

Almost from the beginning I put my IJs in a large, adult-size enclosure. At a year old they're in AP T10s (24"x48"x15"H). Never saw any indications of stress, never missed a meal, etc. I think that because they spend so much time perched out in the open they're unfazed by "less secure" caging. So I'm sure that you could start them off in that smaller space but you could probably use the adult enclosure as soon as you can get it.

jpsteele80 · 03-05-16, 04:17 PM

I'm gunna need to see some pics soon

trailblazer295 · 03-05-16, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpsteele80

I'm gunna need to see some pics soon

Oh you're getting added to the list man, damn I can't edit on this site.

Mod I need you to add jpsteele to the list lol

**EL Ziggy** · 03-05-16, 05:03 PM

Our seasonal ambient temps and humidity are almost identical Blaze. That enclosure is perfect for a carpet for a good 2 years IMO. My coastal will be 2 in June and he'd be fine in there. You'll get maximum display value and your IJ will love the climbing options. The CHE is a good heating option too. You may or may not need a UTH to go along with it.

trailblazer295 · 03-05-16, 05:19 PM

The fake plants will come out as I'll be using those to clutter a 10g for the crestie but I'll replace them with something i think will better benefit a carpet. It's a 100w CHE that kept the corner area hot enough for my vine snake.

If I offer a flatish secure area in the hot upper corner of the cage would I still need a UTH? The wood piece would stay and I can figure out a way to have a piece of cork bark and hide up high for heat/digestion. I have UTHs but right now the cage has 2" of hydro balls and another 2" of soil so belly heat isn't easy to do at the moment.

Last summer my house hits 80-81f in the reptile room with a setpoint of 79f on my thermostat during the day as electricity is most expensive but I'll have to set the AC a couple degrees lower for the crestie. So I'll have my AC set for 78f during the day and 76-74f afternoon and overnight.

**EL Ziggy** · 03-05-16, 05:28 PM

You're ready for business and good to go Blaze.

trailblazer295 · 03-05-16, 05:40 PM

lol Still in the research phase, I'll be looking into acrylic panels for the terra tomorrow as Mink told me home depots sells them. I have a mistking mister on the terra so maintaining humidity isn't an issue there.

Would a hide up high in the hot spot plus foliage cover be sufficent for a carpet?

**Minkness** · 03-05-16, 06:25 PM

Don't really need a high hide. Also don't really need a mister. That could make it too humid. You'd do better to some how put the mister on the 10 for the crestie.

trailblazer295 · 03-05-16, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minkness

Don't really need a high hide. Also don't really need a moster. That could make it too humid. You'd do better to some how put the mister on the 10 for the crestie.

Ummm that's a 5g pail, pump hosing and mister nozel soooooooo no lol I could leave the top open and monitor it and see. Might take playing around with, I imagine with summer coming up it will be a lot easier, winter will be a new challenge.