GTP Care

[yeloowtang]

I agree, that book is a great one to have , another on that i love is:

the green tree python and emerald tree boa by Andrea kirshner and Ron Kivit.
it's one of the only good books out there that guides you on ETBs also.

as for cage sizes, crotalusfan is right, width is better, the ideal size cage for a full adult would be 24x24x36L. Most people will go with a 24 cube witch is also perfect, if you have the space and $$ go bigger for adults , they will enjoy the room and it's good excersize for them.

I have a huge 8' female ETB in a 24x24x36 cage and she loves it, but in her case and at that size, if i had room for a 36x36x48L she would love that.. here's a bad picture of her in that cage.



care wise, both the GTP and ETB are are almost the same.. the main diference is ETBs are more delicate to not so perfect conditions.. humidity shouldn't go under 60% and temps aren't as high..

I wanted to mention that for heat panels, i have both pro-products and RBI , from my research and use of them, i think they both do a great job.
the pro products seems to be of better quality versus the production ones from RBI, but in the end they do the same job..

I'm sure you will do great with your GTP, just be mentally prepared for what comes next!!!


keeping just one is next to impossible LOL

[Derek1]

How much for a kilo of that "vine"?

[Derek1]

Here are a couple pics from where he/she ate on Sunday. And yes, he/she went backwards. It's a bit larger than he/she should have gotten? It's a large pink/fuzzy. After reading this this thread, I have learned a lot! Thanks for the enclosure pics! Those are great! I will have questions about those. And thanks for the help! I'm sure I will have lot's of dumb questions soon.

The book recs are good too! Thanks! Just being in a rush, and GTP not being in my comfort range is a mad rush. I'm completely sold on him though. It's been a cool few days watching him/her.

[Derek1]

Couple more questions:

Are y'all feeding at night?

I need more enclosure help. With a GTP can I go adult size enclosure now or is it similar to my Colubrids and up the size as she grows (stress) blah, blah... If so when should I expect to upgrade to an adult enclosure? Wider is better. I got that. Got the Radiant heater down, substrate, ect..down I think.

I do not like the enclosure he's in and want to upgrade and make everything is just as it needs to be.

If I buy, who is the best enclosure to buy from?

[David VB]

I mostly feed in late evenings when it's getting dark outside. Sometimes even when the lights in the enclosures just went off.

I think they feel more secure in a smaller enclosure when they're little but might work in the adult setup with enough plants and branches so they can choose where they'll hang (preferably where they can hide a bit, so big leaved plants might work).

[shaunyboy]

glad to see he/she has ate for you mate


a lot of my Carpets eat their prey backwards


cheers shaun

[yeloowtang]

for the cage, I know you can find many builders in the USA
some of the best cages are the xpvc cages, one maker that comes to mind is boaphile.. i've never used them since shipping here is ridicule$$
but we have builders too, and i even make my own now
these cages are perfect for keeping humidity and heat, easy to install a heat panel to the top.
they can come with perches, and they don't make these, so i make them myself, but it install half moon shape xpvc pieces with a hole in them, so i can hang plants and vines.. suction cups don't work on pvc cages. I just glue the brackets with pvc solvent..

you can use commercialy built cages like exo terra but they need to be modified a little..

for the size, generaly, for a neo up to one year, a 12x12x12 or 12x12x18 works great.. they feel secure and gives them time to become strong feeders..
most times when set up in too big of a cage, they won't eat.. but it's always dependent on each individual.. some don't care at all and can be perfect in an adult cage right away .. others stress out..
important thing is as mentioned.. lots of hiding spaces and perches so it can chose where it feels safe.

feeding part, they do feel more secure at night but that doesn't mean they won't eat day time if you wake them up..
I've always fed them at night for the reasons i've mentioned before..

that way, if you handle your snake day time, the snake will not associate feeding time.. not that they can't bite you but it puts the chances on your side.. after dark, all bets are off, you stick you hand in there and he will bite you !!!

here's a bad cell phone picture of a double cage i made.

[Derek1]

I'm going to go get a 12x12x18 exo tomorrow. When you say modifications do I just need to put some acrylic on top to help the humidity. And other mods I need to do. I'm going to order some heat tape and a thermostat.

[Derek1]

And I learned my lesson about not putting your hand in the enclosure at night. Went to change his water last night. Didn't workout too well.

[yeloowtang]

:-D LOL we tend to learn fast what not to do hehehehe

yep, the most important modification is to have the top screen covered..
this will prevent humidity from escaping within 30 mins.

you can use a piece of glass, or i've seen people just seal the top off (above the screen part) with boxing tape. but this smeels for a few days..
a good cheap acrylic to use, is founf in the light section in hardware stores, it's the 2x4 sheets used for fluorescent fixtures.. about 5-7$ and easy to cut, the rest could be used later if you go with a 24x18x24 exo adult cage.

i've set up a few arboreal cages with heat tape, even big cages where i use 3 pieces of 12x12 at the top rear corner, works like a charm.. 15$ versus a 100$ panel
don't get me wrong , panels are the way to go but when you have many cages to set up
if you get galss or acrylic, i would set the heat tape in the back, a full 12"x4" wide piece top back over the screen and set the acrylic on top of it all.. then seal the edges with electrical tape (looks nice and clean)
hang the controler probe 2" under the heat tape in the cage.
a good trick for this, with a small screw driver or whatever, slightly spread two holes in the screen befroe installing everything and use a small tie wrap to hols/hang the probe.

set the controler to 86 deg, should be a perch neat that height and another one or two lower, use small/thin perches, they tend to love the smaller one.
if you have fake plants in there you will notice they perch on the small vines the have..

other than that, something that keeps humidity at the bottom, spagmoss looks nice, but paper towels do a good job too.

let me know if i miss something, typing this up quickly before leaving from work !!

[Derek1]

Awesome! Thanks for the info and help! I think I have the basics down. I'm going by Hobby Lobby too, to get a bunch of jungle stuff. I'll post some pics once I get it setup. Thanks again guys. Y'all have been a big help.

[Derek1]

Need another bit of help. Surprise right?

I posted this in the Enclosure Forum, but not all check those.

Got the smaller Exo all fixed up, well almost. I don't know how to attach the damn perch's to the damn glass. Here is a pic. It's somewhat tight, but not secure per say. I need it secure.

[yeloowtang]

sorry !! i missed that post in the enclosure section

here's a few ways of doing it.. the first two are good for bigger cages but will work well for a small..
this first one is a bracket i made out of xpvc and then siliconed to the glass, then you simply groove the end of the perch so it slides in .. this prevents it from turning.



this second way is made with closet pole brackets found at any hardware store. silicone in place, the other end is half open so the perch sits on it. the problem with this set up is that the perches can turn on themselves !!! you need to either drill a hole and get a tie wrap in it or black electrical tape.. tape is not the best but it works, and the reason for the electrical tape is that is for ever reason it comes in contact with the snake !!! it doesn't stick to it much at all, if at all..




now the third way od doing it , and i think this might be the easiest for you and simplest, it works well and for a small light weight GTP would be perfect.. I don't have a picture of this but will try to explain..
you can get suction cups (big ones) and (small ones) with plastic hooks on them. these actually hold on quite well for a long time..
just drill little holes on the end of your perches and screw in O- shapped latch lock part on each end and hang it there..
if your are worried or see that it comes off when the snake moves or is excited feeding time, secure it with tape or tie wrap.. they are fairly tight once installed but !! sometimes they can get loose..

hope this helps

Steph

[Derek1]

I really like your custom bracket. I'm going to use that when I upgrade.

Not sure why I didn't think of closet rod/dowel rod holders. Sometimes drinking and enclosure build don't mix.

I got some wood round dowel holders and cut them in half so they look like 1/4moons, kinda. Figured I silicone them in and put some silicone on the base of the holder to hold the branch and keep it from spinning. Good or bad idea?

[Derek1]

Had a successful feeding tonight. Last time I fed him in the middle of the day and had to "wake him up" and took about 10 minutes. Waited 9 days from the last feeding and went just a tad smaller on the fuzzy size. Lights out for about an hour and he really ate well right off the bat. Good feeding response too! Can't wait to get him into his new enclosure.

Really glad this GTP has been dropped in my lap. They are out of my comfort zone, but I am now fascinated.