Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Im trying to figure out what to put into these cages that my burmese, red tail and red tegu wont tear up. I also would like to put in a cool waterfall or something like that. Thanks for any help.

Live plants look best iMO, but if your herps are even slightly active, you pretty much are wasting your time/money.

My Carpet Python's cage once had a nice array of 5 types of plants, and he has killed them simply by sliding over them time and time again all night every night when he is hungry. They simply can't take it when they are relativly small and not well established. The only plant I have left that is growing and not dying is my Forest Bamboo, but it isn't even growing that fast with the Aquarium Florescent and Repti Incadescent bulbs.

I'd try to get some fake plants from a craft shop, and suplement that with wood pieces.

Can't help you on the waterfall,

Jon

Is that a TV and VCR facing your animals' cages? What do they like to watch, and how do you get them all to agree ?????
(Sorry)

As far as the plants go, your tegu is going to dig into them since they love to burrow and fresh dirt is their favorite, and the snakes (as stated above) are going to wear them out. I've tried it, and they ARE a waste of money. Go with some nice fakes and save the upkeep headache.

As far as the waterfall idea: It doesn't seem like you have a lot of height for a waterfall in those enclosures. You might be able to go with one of those small (kinda cheesey) pre-fab waterfalls, but if you want to build one, once you consider the depth of the pool, you don't have much lift height for the falls. Just my opinion...for what its worth.

Here's mine before the tegus tore up the plants.

Nice setup.... please share your shelf/pool construction with the board....alright, with ME...lol... looks very cool.

thanks for the suggestions. I am probably going to get a bunch of fake plants because i know my big burmese will tear the live ones up. My only question is will he flatten the fake ones by slithering over them or will they spring back up after he goes over them. I am also going to get big tree brances to put in the cages from the woods behind my house. I will bake them to get rid of all parasites and stuff. I also might make a waterfall in the cages but I am still not sure if i can do it. Here is another picture of the cage.

It looks like you animals have plenty of room and that the setup you have has plenty of space to try a variety of things. One thing I would recommend is some sort of background, either the poster type found at a pet store or better yet, a fake rock background (I know I've seen instructions on this forum before for creating one inexpensively out of styrofoam...just post and ask for instructions someone has to have them).
Also, I would maybe go with what a few others are posting and set up a pool or "stream" in at least one of the enclosures. A waterfall can be a pain (just my opinion) but a stream along the back or a pond/pool somewhere would really go a long way to creating a more natural looking setup. Good luck.
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In the right hands patience, curiousity and willingness to learn can work miracles. In the wrong hands they are mankind's curse and nature's greatest fear.