>>I am sort of in the situation as el_jefe, Other then these his questions I was wondering what kind of plants do best? And I have found a lot of controversy on using moisture retaining substrate such as repti earth, Is it a good idea or not?
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>>Also everyone seems to recommend not keeping juveniles in glass tanks? Is it only because of the humidity issue? I was thinking of keeping the area on the screen top
>>not used for the heat/light covered with a thick towel or some cloth which I can soak so it would create a dripping effect which would not only keep humidity up but would provide a rainforest type feel?! Input would be greatly appreciated

To be honest, that setup sounds like a huge pain in the butt and it's going to make you hate the snake... a soaking wet towel is going to be a great place for mold and who knows what else to grow, plus it's constant upkeep that will need done (soaking it, etc) that can be eliminated with a less-ventilated tub or other setup. A lot of new chondro keepers think that they need to have super high humidity...but that will just make them sick after awhile. Save the sopping wet setup for a neonate rainbow or something.

Keep it simple with a tub for a neonate or something like a commercially built cage or something homemade from melamine or shower surround (that's what I use and recommend) for juvies or adults.

I agree with the other poster on types of plants, etc. I've used several of those with good success. of that list, Pothos have been a good standby plant because they don't need as much light as some of the others mentioned.

To the OP: The ladybugs also sound like a huge hassle. Keep in mind that these are arboreal snakes that spend 95% of their time up on a perch. If you have "ground bugs" of some kind in the substrate, they shouldn't bother the snake. In fact, if you have a good, naturalistic setup (see websites or books like "The Art of Keeping Snakes" for how-to guides), CERTAIN types of insects or worms can be beneficial in breaking down liquid waste and keeping the live plants healthy.

But again, the more complex the setup, the more of a pain it will be.
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- Jeff -

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