water habitat build idea for snakes

ilovemypets1988 · 05-03-11, 07:36 AM

i know that with anacondas, an average sized fish tank/aquarium would be too small but for those who see this thread and think "how can i create a small water habitat for my snake (again using the F.W.C as an example), how do i go about it without the possibility of leakage", i was just suggesting that by taking out the floor of a wooden viv and replacing it for an aquarium that you can section off a water pool area would be the better way of doing it, as long as the section glass is between 1.5 and 2 inches above the water line, then you can create a water tight, water habitat thats both safe and sensible.

alternatively, if you dont want to remove the viv floor entirely, then you can just cut about a quarter of it away that will lead down to the aquarium and as such the pool area.

my advice for the pool area would be to use between 1/3 - 1/2 of the length of the aquarium, use 10mm thick glass thats the width of the tank and about 6-10 inches tall,
use rocks for the habitat as the snake can hide in amoungst them, you could use a small air fed filter to keep the water fresh and circulated, then for the dry side, you will want a substrate that can deal with water and yet take the loose water off the snake, my suggestion for this would be a bark type substrate, this dry area could also (in theory) be a small basking area aswell using a guarded lamp secured to the bottom of the viv.
then for the viv itself, you could have a secondary hide with a climbing frame for the snake, also i would suggest using a piece of wood to keep the substrate in the actual viv and stop it falling down into the water.

the way you decorate the viv and the tank is upto the owner.

stephanbakir · 05-03-11, 07:42 AM

A normal filter wont keep it clean for long, snakes tend to defecate in water and a filter probably wont handle that for long.

I've got a link at home for just what your talking about. ill post it tonight when i get home

ilovemypets1988 · 05-03-11, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephanbakir

A normal filter wont keep it clean for long, snakes tend to defecate in water and a filter probably wont handle that for long.

I've got a link at home for just what your talking about. ill post it tonight when i get home

yh ok, thanks stephen, but be honest with how the idea sounds though, as a general thing.

stephanbakir · 05-03-11, 07:55 AM

It sounds fine, as i said ill get you the link to the website tonight, but the way they do it is, they build the enclosure and then put the basin at the bottom and they spray this pond amour on it so it can be pressure washed for easy quick cleaning, it has a drain at the bottom so they don't need to scoop out the feces once its been washed.

sickvenom · 05-03-11, 08:52 AM

i think your best bet would be to use a molded plastic pond form. you would definitely need a big filter, but even with that, you will still have to clean it on a constant basis. if this is for an anaconda or other tropical species, you may also want to heat the water.

stephanbakir · 05-03-11, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sickvenom

i think your best bet would be to use a molded plastic pond form. you would definitely need a big filter, but even with that, you will still have to clean it on a constant basis. if this is for an anaconda or other tropical species, you may also want to heat the water.

For sure!
Also keep in mind that annies are notorious shitters. By this i mean that it smells foul and they do it almost daily

mistersprinkles · 05-03-11, 07:05 PM

If you want a water feature you can't filter it unless you have a constant nitrogen source in there. Otherwise the filtration is pointless. You'd essentially need to have a micro aquarium with a few fish to maintain it. Otherwise you'd have to totally change the water out every day or two to prevent ammonia from getting out of control and making your snake sick.

Overall it's not a very tenable idea without significant aquarium knowledge.

Stormy Night · 05-03-11, 09:16 PM

I've split a 50 gal tank in half by getting a 12" long by 12" tall piece of glass from a home improvement store (home depot or Lowes) and using marine sealant to glue it in place. I filled half the tank with water, rocks, plants and small fish for esthetic reasons and the other half was a foresty theme with logs, vines, moss, and the level was filled up with pea gravel/sand/pea gravel/& Cyprus mulch on top. I had a simple bubbler in the water knowing I was going to have to change the water ridiculously often. To clean it I netted the fish and put them in a jar with the bare minimum of water, bailed with a bucket, then used a fish tank suction hose to drain the rest, whiped it down with paper towels and refilled it with distilled water (other water leaves a residue ring). I had 2 baby water snakes in it. So I could get away with once every 5 days absolute Max. Depending really on its fecal output it would let you know how often you would have To change it. Maybe weekly. Maybe daily. But don't forget your snake would be drinking that water to. Filters are recommended. There's also the possibility of useing a big clear tub that you could put a fountain or something in. Tubs you can bail a bit and lift out for easier cleaning.

paulholcomb · 05-04-11, 04:39 PM

I just built a very large Vivarium and used a 12qt Wash Tub purchased at WalMart for less than $2 US. I used some cleaned lava rocks and some slate from around the house that had been cleaned with a bleach solution and then rinsed well. I put the lava rocks into the bottom with a Zoo Med Waterfall Kit pump and routed the waterfall tube to run down the slate rocks back into the wash tub. This set up is easily taken out to clean, provides a lot of water, has a cool water effect, adds humidity, and just plane is awesome........

ilovemypets1988 · 05-04-11, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mistersprinkles

If you want a water feature you can't filter it unless you have a constant nitrogen source in there. Otherwise the filtration is pointless. You'd essentially need to have a micro aquarium with a few fish to maintain it. Otherwise you'd have to totally change the water out every day or two to prevent ammonia from getting out of control and making your snake sick.

Overall it's not a very tenable idea without significant aquarium knowledge.

16 years of tropical fish keeping experience would attain for aquarium knowledge (not being bitchy, just stating a fact)

marvelfreak · 05-04-11, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephanbakir

For sure!
Also keep in mind that annies are notorious shitters. By this i mean that it smells foul and they do it almost daily

Mine only craps once a week, but man does it stink. The only thing worse is when my Borneo takes a dump. But if you only crap 3 to 4 a year it's bound to be super stinky. I myself think it actually the urine that stink so bad.

marvelfreak · 05-04-11, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sickvenom

i think your best bet would be to use a molded plastic pond form.

This is what i think would work best to or a plastic utility sink if you wanted something really deep.

mistersprinkles · 05-04-11, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stormy Night

I've split a 50 gal tank in half by getting a 12" long by 12" tall piece of glass from a home improvement store (home depot or Lowes) and using marine sealant to glue it in place. I filled half the tank with water, rocks, plants and small fish for esthetic reasons and the other half was a foresty theme with logs, vines, moss, and the level was filled up with pea gravel/sand/pea gravel/& Cyprus mulch on top. I had a simple bubbler in the water knowing I was going to have to change the water ridiculously often. To clean it I netted the fish and put them in a jar with the bare minimum of water, bailed with a bucket, then used a fish tank suction hose to drain the rest, whiped it down with paper towels and refilled it with distilled water (other water leaves a residue ring). I had 2 baby water snakes in it. So I could get away with once every 5 days absolute Max. Depending really on its fecal output it would let you know how often you would have To change it. Maybe weekly. Maybe daily. But don't forget your snake would be drinking that water to. Filters are recommended. There's also the possibility of useing a big clear tub that you could put a fountain or something in. Tubs you can bail a bit and lift out for easier cleaning.

Wow that's so wrong...
If you want to know how to do that properly let me know... You did everything wrong.

--I do aquarium servicing for a living

stephanbakir · 05-04-11, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mistersprinkles

Wow that's so wrong...
If you want to know how to do that properly let me know... You did everything wrong.

--I do aquarium servicing for a living

If you notice a flaw, it might be a good idea to point it out to everyone, so that we too can learn from the error

mistersprinkles · 05-05-11, 12:01 AM

I already tried that in another thread.

A Beginner' s Guide to Sucessful Fish Keeping

Filtration: The Total Picture

The Nitrogen Cycle

^

All must be understood inside out to prevent causing organ damage to fish AND your snake. Ammonia and nitrite kill things. So do wild pH swings.

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephanbakir

A normal filter wont keep it clean for long, snakes tend to defecate in water and a filter probably wont handle that for long.

I've got a link at home for just what your talking about. ill post it tonight when i get home

It's possible to have a giant log of poo in water and have absolute zero detectable ammonia or nitrite, and the water be safe to drink. You have to understand biological filtration.
There's a zoo that has a giant aquarium with 3 hippos. They poo the size of a medium dog. The fish in the aquarium are in excellent health because the poo is harmless if the water has the proper bacterial balance and filtration.