House Help - Stimson..

[Melzey]

Hi All,

Newby alert, if i say anything stupid go easy on me, im only in the research phase of a big enclosure

ARGH! So many options.. So, in the interests of trying to keep it short. I have been looking at what kinds of substrates I can have in my enclosure.. I want something fairly natural to his environment and asthetically pleasing (i.e, not newspaper ). Having seen some of the awesome enclosures you guys have made, who better to ask.

I have a Broome Stimson Python, Hatchie. He is staying in his click clack for a little while yet but i am researching what to put in his house so i can start to get it ready for him. At the moment he has paper towel (Elephant roll) on his floor and i would like to get something better

I think ill try and get a slate tile or some sort of flat rock (that he cant get under, he will have other hides) for half of it.

Astro turf doesnt seem natural to his environment, Sand sounds dangerous, Aspen bedding type stuff, Pete moss, coco bedding, Cypress mulch?

Any suggestions from your experiences would be greatly appreciated..

 

[Jacknife]

I use OzPet kitty litter, very easey to maintain and kinda looks a bit natural while doing a proper job.

 

[Melzey]

Awesome! Thanks mate ill have a look at that.

 

[montysrainbow]

I found coconut peat worked well for my stimmy (when i had one) i found bunnings sell big blocks that you wet and dry out your self and its waaay cheaper than the stuff the pet store sells lol only difference being that the pet store has a sticker of a reptile on it!

 

[Gruni]

Go have a look on my profile there are pics of both of my enclosures. If yours is a hatchy then a 2ft tank type enclosure would see you through for quite a while. Skittles reached a size where a 'large' enclosure was needed at 2 years old.

I use Astro turf/fake grass from bunnings in my setups.

 

[Melzey]

Thanks Montysrainbow. I thought peat would be a good option astheticslly.. Wasn't sure how easy it would be to clean out?? Thanks for the tip, if I go that way I'll look at bunnings.

Gruni, I have been stalking your thread about your Mac enclosure. It's amazing!! Thanks for posting, I'll look at your pics again. Thanks for the info on size too, I was thinking about 500mm cube, so maybe I'll up it to 2ft..

Hubby is going to make the enclosure so I can toy with the size.

 

[Gruni]

My first enclosure was 600x300x350 just to give hubby an idea. The astro turf is easy to use too as you have two pieces and swap it out while you hose down the dirty piece.

 

[Melzey]

Thanks Mate! The turf sounds like a goer.. it would be the easist to keep clean i think, like you say i can just keep a few pieces and swap them.. Thanks for the dimentions, ill give have a chat to him. i really appreciate the help all!! xx

 

[ronhalling]

Hi Melzey, welcome to our house, what an exciting time hey, getting it all together to make an asthetically pleasing environment not only for you but your lil 1 as well, following Gruni's builds for me now is almost like reading playboy was for me when i was a youngen, you cannot go wrong if you were to borrow some of his build idea's and all the other people here can always give you the good oil on just about anything reptile, the astro turf is by far IMHO the best method of providing a good sanitary ground cover and as Gruni and a lot of others here have said "if you cut several pieces the same size you will always have a clean and dry piece ready to go in case of accident or just general weekly/fortnightly husbandry", if you have not already seen from my build pics i have used the paper cat litter for my substrate (only coz i bought 3 big bags while on special) and will use it until all gone then change to astro, just coz it is green or blue don't let that worry you coz you can change it with food dye's. i have added the pic i mentioned showing the cat litter and also the tile you were talking about, only i incorperated my tile onto the roof of my girls hide................................................................Ron

 

[Gruni]

You almost got me blushing there Ron... I was more of a Penthouse lad as a teen that Playboy, it had better articles. :lol:

 

[Melzey]

Hi Melzey, welcome to our house, what an exciting time hey, getting it all together to make an asthetically pleasing environment not only for you but your lil 1 as well, following Gruni's builds for me now is almost like reading playboy was for me when i was a youngen, you cannot go wrong if you were to borrow some of his build idea's and all the other people here can always give you the good oil on just about anything reptile, the astro turf is by far IMHO the best method of providing a good sanitary ground cover and as Gruni and a lot of others here have said "if you cut several pieces the same size you will always have a clean and dry piece ready to go in case of accident or just general weekly/fortnightly husbandry", if you have not already seen from my build pics i have used the paper cat litter for my substrate (only coz i bought 3 big bags while on special) and will use it until all gone then change to astro, just coz it is green or blue don't let that worry you coz you can change it with food dye's. i have added the pic i mentioned showing the cat litter and also the tile you were talking about, only i incorperated my tile onto the roof of my girls hide................................................................Ron

WOW Ron, thats another gorgeous house. i love how the trees and vines are positioned in there. The tile looks great! im not above Build idea theft i saw how Gruni did some of the plants with glue and pebbles (if i remember right), they look great and thet kind of thing i would love to incorporate in the bigger adult stimpy house Such great ideas. Haha, oh how things change hey stalking playboy to stalking Snakie enclosures.. Astro turf it is. i think thats a great idea in the long term for easy of keeping clean and it does look good. im ok with green astro, can you c hange that wiith food dye? Interesting...

Thanks for posting mate!

 

[Melzey]

PPFFFFTTTT - Articles Schmarticles haha...

 

[ronhalling]

hey don't knock the articles,lol...i once seen a gr8 article on sunglasses in playboy,hmmmm i think she was wearing sunglasses.....................Ron

 

[Gruni]

The food dye was regarding the kitty little not the turf... :facepalm:

The big advantage to the pebbles on the plant base is it helps to keep the plants where you want them instead of getting knocked over everytime the snake slthers past them.

I seem to remember an article about women in uniform too Ron... 8)

 

[borntobnude]

MMMM never read anything about substrate in any of those mags :shock:

we use paper for all of our snakes and coconut in the lizards we have some with suspended logs fake rocks fake plants and hides . When soiled the paper is the easiest thing to just roll it all up put in the bin and do it again . We havent changed the paper in the coastals enclosure in 4 months as she is so well toilet trained ---only goes on the back lawn when placed there

 

[Gruni]

MMMM never read anything about sustrate in any of those mags :shock:

we use paper for all of our snakes and coconut in the lizards we have some with suspended logs fake rocks fake plants and hides . When soiled the paper is the easiest thing to just roll it all up put in the bin and do it again . We havent changed the paper in the coastals enclosure in 4 months as she is so well toilet trained ---only goes on the back lawn when placed there

Did you get a bit excited there mate... :lol:

I put several layers of paper under the turf mostly to soak up any water spilled from the water dish.

 

[borntobnude]

I put several layers of paper under the turf mostly to soak up any water spilled from the water dish.

How often do you wash the turf ?

 

[ronhalling]

sorry Melzey, and thank you Gruni, i did mean dying the kitty litter not the astro, 1 day my mind will catch up with my fingers, hmmmm must have been thinking about those sunglasses...............women in uniform hey, must have missed that 1............................................Ron

 

[Melzey]

Bahahaha... Sunglasses, uniform.. ..

Ok, I'm just going to put this out there... Hi, I'm Mel... I'm brunette and that was a bit dumb.. I'm it sure what made me think food dye could lighten astro turf... It's all this talk about playboy flustering me, I kid, I kid..

Yea, great idea Gruni! And they have an advantage in that they look great..

Borntobenude, that is one well manned snake love that.. Paper is definitely an easy throw away, but I think I'll go with the turf. it won't be a massive house.

I will put paper under the turf, another great idea. thx..

 

[Gruni]

I clean the turf every couple of weeks as my girl gets fed fortnightly and she isn't nearly so polite... partly because I don't like taking her out on the lawn as she is still small enough for a kookaburra to think she's a take away dinner.