my custom gtp enclosure

[Woma_Wild]

Firstly I don't think ANYONE on here has the right to question your commitment to the well being of your beautiful GTP.

that's silly thing to say.

No one has questioned the Op's commitment. comments have been made about the unsuitable type of enclosure for a python.

In simple english - an aquarium filter is designed to handle fish fecal matter and not dead rodent (fur, bones, etc.) in other words, the filter is a waste of time.
To ensure clean water, you would have to do a complete 100% water change daily.

I feed my discus a mix of pellets and a beef heart mix. I had no substrate, no plants and did daily 50% water changes.( which required me to have water in 44 gallon drums heated and filtered ready to go for the next day.)

Too many people attempt to have tanks and enclosures that suit their home decor and look aesthetically pleasing to the eye but unfortunately, what we want is not always what the animal needs.

 

[DaReptileBoy]

that cage swagalicously sexy

 

[herp.derp]

the filter is most certainly not a waste of time. the aquarium section houses numerous fish and snails. it serves the purpose of keeping the water clean. you are correct in saying that the filter is not meant to handle snake poop, and it is not expected to

you must have missed my above post which explained everything, il post part of it here for you
the water will become a bacterial cesspool
the water is being filtered by a canister filter, aquatic plants have also been added which help keep the water clean, the water is changed once every 2 weeks, and water tests are done regularly
the water is being kept exceptionally clean

but what if the snake poops in the water?
last week he did. it was cleaned up once noticed, the water was tested and it is fine
though to prevent this from happening in the future, and thus making maintenance easier, the one branch which does sit over the water is going to be repositioned

but what if he poops on the land??
this can also be spot cleaned once its seen, though the organic matter will actually act as fertiliser and enhance plant growth

to sum up the above, the snake soon wont be able to poop in the water again. though its not a great issue. he has in the past and it did not cause any problems

 

[andynic07]

Don't mean to seem to harp on the poop issue but isn't poop know to house salmonella and if it does how will you stop it from reproducing the bacteria. I know in conventional setups that the entire enclosure can be cleaned out using f10 on a monthly basis but this would not work in your setup. I am not sure if this would be a problem or not because I don't think your snake would be affected by it and I am not sure how salmonella reproduces.

 

[mcloughlin2]

In simple english - an aquarium filter is designed to handle fish fecal matter and not dead rodent (fur, bones, etc.) in other words, the filter is a waste of time.
To ensure clean water, you would have to do a complete 100% water change daily.

I feed my discus a mix of pellets and a beef heart mix. I had no substrate, no plants and did daily 50% water changes.( which required me to have water in 44 gallon drums heated and filtered ready to go for the next day.)

This information is incorrect. A canister filter is designed to offer a suitable environment in which aerobic and anaerobic bacteria (in some cases) can live. This is done by ensuring it provides ample room for media with a large surface area to volume ratio. This bacteria is not biased towards one waste form or another and is perfectly happy to accept the nitrogenous waste produced by a snake as it is from a fish. It is also not going to be handling a full mouse or rat body. It will be dealing with the fully digested remains which theoretically shouldn't contain any decaying, smelly matter.

You are required to perform water changes of that frequency on the discus tank because they are in my opinion the most difficult freshwater fish species to keep available commonly in captivity. The slightest buildup of nitrate (which would be harmless to a snake) will stunt their growth and cause all sorts of headaches. However the water quality can drop with other fish species and have no ill effects. So as long as the fish are thriving then there will be zero issues from a *bacterial cesspool* perspective with the snake.

 

[herp.derp]

yes, snakes, along with almost all animals, do carry salmonella. the snakes poop can be spot cleaned once its seen, and i believe the plant matter will break down the rest

the risk of transmission to humans is only through ingestion. so by wearing gloves to clean the cage, and washing your hands before and after handling the snake, the chances of catching anything are very low

 

[Pythoninfinite]

I don't want to extend this discussion in any negative manner, but I wonder what you test for when testing water "quality"? Is it just the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels as the tank matures, or do you test for pathogenic bacteria such as the Salmonellas and E. coli etc? I ask just out of curiosity.

J

 

[BeZaKa]

A well setup canister filter with a good biological filtration component has the ability to deal with the waste that your snake is producing. Having kept and knowing people whom keep large carnivorous predator fish with a diet which includes mammals (personally I have fed things like beef heart and liver)has the ability to keep your water crystal clean.The only consideration is the heavier a load you put on the system the more partial water changes and larger a canister filter you will need, this you will work out yourself with a simple water test kit. Edit: Hadnt read pythoninfites post re salmonella and ecoli when I had posted, personally never checked this myself.

 

[Woma_Wild]

This information is incorrect. A canister filter is designed to offer a suitable environment in which aerobic and anaerobic bacteria (in some cases) can live. This is done by ensuring it provides ample room for media with a large surface area to volume ratio. This bacteria is not biased towards one waste form or another and is perfectly happy to accept the nitrogenous waste produced by a snake as it is from a fish. It is also not going to be handling a full mouse or rat body. It will be dealing with the fully digested remains which theoretically shouldn't contain any decaying, smelly matter.

You are required to perform water changes of that frequency on the discus tank because they are in my opinion the most difficult freshwater fish species to keep available commonly in captivity. The slightest buildup of nitrate (which would be harmless to a snake) will stunt their growth and cause all sorts of headaches. However the water quality can drop with other fish species and have no ill effects. So as long as the fish are thriving then there will be zero issues from a *bacterial cesspool* perspective with the snake.

Discus was an example. Any fish feeding on raw meat, try doing a norm 20% water change and see how well the filter works.
So let's agree to disagree on this one.

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Unlike most fish, snakes are also susceptible to water-born protozoan parasites such as amoeba, which can cause bloody diarrhoea & death very quickly. They are very prevalent in closed bodies of water with a high organic load. Presumeably these would not be tested for either.

Jamie

 

[BeZaKa]

Unlike most fish, snakes are also susceptible to water-born protozoan parasites such as amoeba, which can cause bloody diarrhoea & death very quickly. They are very prevalent in closed bodies of water with a high organic load. Presumeably these would not be tested for either.

Jamie

Hence my comment re the load the system is put under will need to be compensated for. It would be interesting for the OP to find out/know if there is a water test for water-born protozoan parasites such as amoeba as Jamie suggested. Interesting point.

 

[andynic07]

yes, snakes, along with almost all animals, do carry salmonella. the snakes poop can be spot cleaned once its seen, and i believe the plant matter will break down the rest

the risk of transmission to humans is only through ingestion. so by wearing gloves to clean the cage, and washing your hands before and after handling the snake, the chances of catching anything are very low

Hi mate, I was just wondering if there was an update as to how you enclosure is going? Has it been successful and have you had to make any adjustments?

Cheers
Andy