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Opinions wanted on my new Bloods tank

VxXDJXxV Oct 09, 2007 03:45 PM

I have my 20in blood in a 20 gal tank with a mix of douglas fur bark and eco earth on the bottom and then a layer of eco earth on the top. he seems to love the eco earth layer sometimes not even using his hide and just burrowing. This is my first Blood Python and in the readings Ive done there are different opinions on the subject of substrate. Constructive criticism greatly appreciated
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Replies (8)

VxXDJXxV Oct 09, 2007 03:45 PM

heres another one
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amelthia Oct 09, 2007 06:32 PM

I am not as experienced as most of the people on here so I'm sure you will get better suggestions than mine, but...
The tank I raised my first blood in looked similar to yours but the substrate was a pain to clean which resulted in me not cleaning as much or as well as I should have. Newspaper definitely is not pretty but it makes cleaning much easier and faster. However, if you want to have a visually appealing tank, now is the time to do it, before your snake is too big to make a big mess/poo. There is no way I would have time to clean actual substrate if I had it in with my now almost full grown bloods...it is much easier to whip the dirty paper out, sanitize the inside of the tank, and throw fresh newspaper in. I also never worried about humidity in my tanks, I just keep and open water dish. Also, when I had a tank with a mesh top I always had a humid hide in it, just get a little plastic gladware dish and cut a hole in the side and stick some damp sphagnum moss in it.
Kim

amelthia Oct 09, 2007 07:33 PM

...similar to yours. The water dish doubled as a hide, this was my setup for about 1.5 yrs, until he outgrew it. The humid hide is at the bottom
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AshLopez Oct 09, 2007 07:01 PM

Very Nice,That's what my First Blood tank looked liked too.

I highly suggest making a pexiglass cover for the top of the screen.Not completely covering it about 80% of the top.

Covering the top maintains a even humidity level and helps in ambient heat loss.

When I didn;t have Custom Pexiglass,I just used Clear Packing Tape and taped of the top of the screen about 80%.

Young bloods need high humidity and a warm enviroment to thrive.

Remember these snakes are from Coconut Groves and Rice patties in their native Island of Sumatra,indonesia.Very,Very warm 85 to 90 degrees during the day and almost 100 % percent humidity.

Looks Good and Good Luck !!!!
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Ashley Lopez's Black Forest Constrictors.
blackforestconstrictors@gmail.com
www.blackforestconstrictors.com

herper79 Oct 10, 2007 12:29 AM

I think it looks ok, but I would cover the screen 80-90% to keep humidity in and avoid a lot of heat loss. If you do not want to get a plexi cover or tape. I have used a towel and that works great as lond as you have bottom heat. If you like the look of a more natural substrate, I recommend coco chips because they will not get stuck in the mouth when the snake digs like the coco peat stuff and they hold moisture without getting mildew.
Nick
Nick

Rich_Crowley Oct 10, 2007 12:37 PM

I am going to have to disagree with some of my peers here on hatchling environments. For one, too much humidity is bad on a regular basis. I recommend humidity around 50-60% with fresh air flow and then raised up to 80% several days before and all through the shed cycle. Keep the water fresh and clean, which is virtually impossible when you use substrate like you have. Temperatures should not be higher with hatchlings, but moderate at around 82F with a warm spot of around 87F. Too much heat is not good and their little bodies don't take much to warm up or cool off. Most hatchlings like it on the cooler side unless they have a full belly and then you don't want too extreme of a basking area otherwise they can easily get overheated.

Covering the aquarium screen is good and bad. It keeps the humidity in, but can create extreme dampness. This dampness can make the air stale and prone to mold. Some mold can be lethal over time. Also, the 20 long is a lot of space and some like it and most don't. Provide more places to hide and retreat from the large open spaces.
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VxXDJXxV Oct 10, 2007 03:08 PM

thanks for the advice i think that my tank is drying out to fast because everytime i come home the top of the eco earth was drying out (im going out today to buy some humidity sensor things) but i did end up going and tapeing a trash bag on about 75% of the cage.

Thanks again for everyones advice

Oh and just in case how do you tell if he is to humid or to dry??? can you tell by looking at his skin???
Image

beclende Oct 11, 2007 08:46 PM

Humidity is not the same as being wet, I am from indiana and in the summer it is not uncommon for humidity to be 80% but for everything to be bone dry. If things are too damp that can lead to trouble. The trashbag is somthing that I have done, but if you want something a little more sturdy tape foil shiny side down t a precut piece of cardboard and then tape that on. It really keeps the humidity up without having to soak the substrate. Play with the size of the water bowl and you should be able to get the humidity where you need it ~60% most of the time. I am relatively new to bloods, but the 20 long I used for my first ball looked very much like your setup. Good luck, nice looking snake!
-Bryce
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0.2 Normals
1.0 Sumaritan Blood
adding more soon!

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