Want to go Bio for Taiwan Beauty - Page 2

pdomensis · 03-11-14, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikoh4792

Can you drain soil of pesticides and fertilizers?(ie. wrap it in a cloth bag and let it run in water for a day or two)

Would depend on the chemicals in the pesticides. Some leach through the soil (and end up in your ground water) others bond to the soil particles and can only be neutralized with carbon. I would spend a few bucks to get better soil, or find a spot where chemicals haven't been used; try an organic farm.

pdomensis · 03-11-14, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poomwah

thanks guys, I'll definitely take the safe route and buy the sand and soil.
Think the leaf litter will be an issue? maybe find some from higher ground than the farmers fields

Leaf litter from a natural area should be fine, but I wouldn't take leaves from an orchard or tree farm where pesticides are used.

poomwah · 03-11-14, 07:49 AM

thanks pdom. There's a wooded area I have permission to take things from but its surrounded by farmers fields, I wasn't sure if the run off would effect the wooded area as well. EVERYTHING is surrounded by farmland around here

pdomensis · 03-11-14, 08:05 AM

It's likely not a big deal unless you are getting the soil/leaves soon after application, but some chemicals can have pretty long residual affects. Even then the pesticides "shouldn't" harm anything after the recommended quarantine period. I would bet that if it weren't for tillage, those fields would be loaded with snakes. But better safe.

poomwah · 03-12-14, 01:37 AM

I know my yard is loaded with snakes, LOL, lots of garters and fox snakes. Obviously that doesn't necessarily mean they are healthy :]

Phas · 04-16-14, 09:51 AM

You guys are giving more thought to the snakes health than most people do to peoples' health in Taiwan.

I would second using a simple easy substrate then using things like potted plants and decorations. Actually the areas Taiwan beauties are found are often either scrubby weedy areas (flat lands/farmland) or rather barren forest floors under decently thick canopies (mountains).

Never kept the species, but given the extreme rainfall in the hot months in Taiwan I would suspect they are a rather moist tolerant species, which can be a problem with many peoples vivariums being too wet.

Floof · 05-26-14, 05:53 PM

Poomwah, have you been able to implement the bioactive/planted viv for your Taiwanese? I'm very curious how you'll go about it!

I have a small subadult female currently in a planted viv--though I'm horrible about keeping up on the substrate (full screen top + desert climate do not help). I found the bioactive/planted vivarium method to be very successful with her when she was younger.. First in a 12x12x18" Exo terra, later in a 30x14x24" glass viv. Haven't quite found the 'happy place' for her current 42x18x18" viv, though I haven't had a lot of time to really work on it.

I'm finally going to sit down and dial in her viv this month... And it looks like I'll be getting the opportunity to try a planted viv for my juvenile Vietnamese blue beauty, as well!!

poison123 · 05-26-14, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Floof

Poomwah, have you been able to implement the bioactive/planted viv for your Taiwanese? I'm very curious how you'll go about it!

I have a small subadult female currently in a planted viv--though I'm horrible about keeping up on the substrate (full screen top + desert climate do not help). I found the bioactive/planted vivarium method to be very successful with her when she was younger.. First in a 12x12x18" Exo terra, later in a 30x14x24" glass viv. Haven't quite found the 'happy place' for her current 42x18x18" viv, though I haven't had a lot of time to really work on it.

I'm finally going to sit down and dial in her viv this month... And it looks like I'll be getting the opportunity to try a planted viv for my juvenile Vietnamese blue beauty, as well!!

Hey there Floof (same one from TFO?) I'm using a Bio-active setup for my beauty as well if you wanna check it out http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/...psf71f785b.jpg

The larger the animal its best to experiment with different kinds of insects to help the bacteria break down the waste. You can try roaches, earth worms, isopods etc. The bacteria, and springtail (which usually make there way into enclosures) wont be able to handle large amounts of waste on their own in a short period of time.

Floof · 05-26-14, 10:12 PM

Poison, yes indeed! How neat to see another TFO member here! I didn't realize there was any other TFOers with beauties, either. How fun.

I've been experimenting with isopods in my skink enclosures, and liking the results! One thing on the list is to try isopods in the snakes' vivs once I have substrate moisture dialed in. I do have volunteer isopods in most/all of my skink vivs, as well as in the Russian tortoise's viv (which isn't planted, but has apparently turned bioactive of its own accord--fine by me!).

That is a very nice viv you have! Do you find the leaf litter helpful? That's another thing I've wondered about. I haven't tried it, as it's not something I really became aware of til recently, and the skinks would probably just bury it, anyway.