Newcomer Looking For Advice

[Aaron_S]

Wow. Quite the undertaking. Interesting and very cool idea though.

Here are my thoughts, ( I haven't done a tank remotely close to this in a decade so take my thoughts with a grain of salt)

1. For the water, if you don't want to saturate the substrate then build in dividers. Plenty of people glue in plexiglass or real glass dividers. Just make them a few inches tall and voila, built in water area with the ability to keep your substrate dry.

2. Most filters will give off a current as they pump the water back out so you should be fine. Fluval has some nice ones for this.

3. Prey items - for a garter, you'd be fine with a variety of prey items like earthworms, mice and fish.

4. Frogs are not the easiest to breed so most people stay away from it but if you can do it it would be fine. I would recommend firebelly toads.

5. You can also look into rough or smooth green snakes. Insectivores, great colour and great display animals.

[Ambaryerno]

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

Wow. Quite the undertaking. Interesting and very cool idea though.

Here are my thoughts, ( I haven't done a tank remotely close to this in a decade so take my thoughts with a grain of salt)

1. For the water, if you don't want to saturate the substrate then build in dividers. Plenty of people glue in plexiglass or real glass dividers. Just make them a few inches tall and voila, built in water area with the ability to keep your substrate dry.

2. Most filters will give off a current as they pump the water back out so you should be fine. Fluval has some nice ones for this.

3. Prey items - for a garter, you'd be fine with a variety of prey items like earthworms, mice and fish.

4. Frogs are not the easiest to breed so most people stay away from it but if you can do it it would be fine. I would recommend firebelly toads.

5. You can also look into rough or smooth green snakes. Insectivores, great colour and great display animals.

1. I'd thought about putting a divider in, maybe at a slight angle to help give it a sloped bank, so sounds like my idea there was on the right track. The downside I can think of is that the divider would likely be visible where it meets the edge of the tank.

2) I'm guessing the best way to do it would be to run the tubing under the substrate at the bottom of the tank, with the collector at the front, and the powerhead at the back.

3) Any thoughts about setting up a breeding population of minnows in-situ? What about the idea of using a crayfish or two to help keep whatever the snake doesn't eat itself from overpopulating the tank? My concern is the snake trying to eat THEM, as well, and potential injuries from the claws.

4) Aren't firebelly toads toxic?

[Aaron_S]

Originally Posted by Ambaryerno

2) I'm guessing the best way to do it would be to run the tubing under the substrate at the bottom of the tank, with the collector at the front, and the powerhead at the back.

There's no tubing with a cannister filter. Try that.

3) Any thoughts about setting up a breeding population of minnows in-situ? What about the idea of using a crayfish or two to help keep whatever the snake doesn't eat itself from overpopulating the tank? My concern is the snake trying to eat THEM, as well, and potential injuries from the claws.

It's possible. In the size of enclosure you are thinking about, less likely to occur. You'd need more water space. My friend has a turtle tub and it's mostly water and his guppies breed in there. He has natural plants and the turtles just weren't really fast enough to catch them so the population exploded.

4) Aren't firebelly toads toxic?[/QUOTE] I guess so. I did not know. I only know firebelly toads are easy to keep and breed.