Bamboo?

HouseHerp · 11-14-13, 12:31 PM

EDIT: Ok, I wrote a whole thing here and when it posted there was nothing... Is it just me, or are the forums hiccuping?
Short Repost:

We're looking into planted vivs for our two climber tanks- an adult male Amazon Tree Boa, and a Tokay Gecko (about to be a pair). Has anyone used bamboo for climbers? Any advice on anchoring it?
Anyone with other plant ideas, particularly for the ATB since he's not a small snake?

Kid Boa · 11-14-13, 12:40 PM

Not sure about your question, as for the posting error, I have had too today.

DeadlyDesires · 11-14-13, 12:50 PM

my experience with bamboo is its really smooth and my reptiles seem to fall off it.

Starbuck · 11-14-13, 01:14 PM

mikoh had some neat pictures in my 'Bhageera' thread of a bamboo (or similar) perch that he made, horizontal so the snake wouldnt fall off. I think it should be fine, just make sure for the tokays you offer several angles (not just vertical) so they have a place to 'rest'

just realized maybe you are talking about live [plants? i'd thing a few rocks around the base would anchor them, but i wouldnt trust JUST live bamboo for the snake; i would provide well anchored horizontal perches as well.

Mikoh4792 · 11-14-13, 01:31 PM

haha not bamboo starbuck, I think it was white oak.

Bamboo when new is pretty smooth. Not very good for grip, also since it's hallow in the inside it's hard to really anchor it. But when bamboo dries out and gets old it becomes pretty coarse and better for grip. You could however use rod holders and do vertical perches like you see in green tree python enclosures.

Or if getting any size of bamboo isn't a problem you could cut a bamboo stick to length so that it fits diagonally on a bottom corner like this

marvelfreak · 11-14-13, 03:36 PM

I have use it with my White Lipped and it worked just fine.

Starbuck · 11-14-13, 04:34 PM

i think its beneficial (for bamboo) to have pieces at orthogonal angles (90 degrees to each other), so the snake can compensate for the smoothness of the perch by pushing off of the cross piece, as in marvel's pics.
i'd think with the bamboo you could fill it with a little natural clay and an eye hook in order to anchor it? or screw an eye hook down from the top (if its a fairly thick piece of bamboo).

Mikoh, i'd like to set up some perches like that in the new carpet's enclosure, need to get some nice lengths of wood first!

Mikoh4792 · 11-14-13, 04:37 PM

In theory that could work, but in my experience when you use screws with bamboo the stuff starts to strip at the ends like string-cheese. I guess the way marvelfreak uses it would be better.

marvelfreak · 11-14-13, 05:19 PM

I used a piece of wire about as thick has a cheap clothes hanger and ran it threw on end and out the other.

HouseHerp · 11-15-13, 05:38 PM

I should modify then- I'm talking LIVE bamboo, not bamboo sticks. They all have various perches already of various woods (all safe). I'm looking for living perches and plants.