Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey I was wondering if it is possible to set up a naturalistic vivarium for an adult common snapper? I really dont wish to keep such an impressive creature in a rubbermaid or some similar container where I can only view it from the top. I'd really appreciate photographs and descriptions of successful snapper vivariums. Thanks a lot and rock on.

King
Yes it is possible.
I wouldn't have it any other way!
Every animal I own has a "naturalstic" setup, from New Guinea Varanids to Indigos!
It is alot more work, but well worth it.
Check out my Snappers by clicking on the link.
Mike

Alligator Snappers!

Those arent adults they are babies. Adult snappers need way bigger tanks ESP alligator snappers.
Your set up is great looking but as adults to house them in natural set up you need an insanely huge tank.
Long and wide but not to deep.

By the way loved your monitor info. Great looking monitors to.

You said you would need an insanley large enclosure for a naturalistic setup for the adults.

Thats what my Mom told me when I converted my waterbed into a caiman enclosure when I was 15!

Mom always regreted giving me a box turtle on my 5th B-day.hahaha.NOT REALLY!

Now at 41, Me my Wife and 8 Children are all insane with this hobby!
BUT it is just normal to us, and the enclosures are much better! LOL.
Take care, and good luck!
Mike

Mine are not adults, they are not hatchling either!
They are 3 year olds, 6"ers!
They only thing that will change will be the size of their enclosures. Alligator Snappers actually need less room than commons. Even at this size they find a nice spot and dig in to do some fishing.
They really only move to breed or lay eggs. By that time they will be in a custom pond in my sunroom.
Good Luck!
Mike
Alligator Snappers!

There was a guy on the forum about a year ago that had a good post about tanks.
I'm planning on making a few next year for my garage.

As long as they don't get real deep....they make them out of plywood and cover with epoxy marine paint. Some of the big public places do that.
The design can be pretty much whatever you want and whatever you can pull off ( wood-working ability)
There are different marine paints, so you have to make sure its not toxic, but its cool because you can also drill whatever size holes and fixture you need for filtration and pumps. Now that I'm working on a small backyard pond...I've learned a lot more about pumps and things. I used to think of only pumps and filters designed for aquariums.
Instead , you can buy much larger pumps and build your own filtration.
Thinks of it as building and designing an aquarium filter just like the small store-bought one...just way bigger.
The filter I'm building in my garage will be about 250 gallons when done. And the pumps turns over 2800 gallons an hour.

Anyway...try searching the archives here , and also the general web. We even found a site for walking you through putting glass in the front of the wood tanks to make it like a giant display tank.
Mike

Mike
I have been building enclosures, ponds, cages, misting systems, incubators and filters for years. I have used one peice shower and bathtub units, old dressers, five gallon water bottles, horse throughs and all of the typical stuff as well. This is just another of the many! As a kid with no money I quickly learned ways to get around spending big bucks at petstores. Even when I owned a petstore I built every thing but my tanks, fresh and saltwater.
The best pet stores are Menards and Home Depot. LOL!
Thanks for the suggestions.
Mike
Mike's Monitors!

For an adult common snapper I would think you will need a 200 gallon aquarium with a big power filter. Common snappers are more active than alligator snappers so that would probably be the smallest tank(6'x2'x2') you could keep a large adult in. Another problem is they are good climmbers so you will need a heavy duty lid. It is possible but will be a little more work and alot more money to keep one in a glass aquarium. Goodluck

hey, its very possible. i dont have a digital camera, otherwise id show you mine. with the filtration part of it, what i do, is use live gravel for planted aquaria. it helps to keep everything clean and also put in small carnivores to clean up the mess the snapper leaves behind, ie- snails, barbs, crawfish, etc. anyhow, goodluck.

Sounds like a very nice setup. What size aquariums do you use, main tank and filter tank? And how big is the snapper?

Do these pictures help?
This is the enclosure she is in now, she is about 6.5", but I can just make a bigger "pond" as she grows.

Since this picture, I have added some more plants. She really loves walking around the enclosure, basking in the sand, and moving from one pond to the other!

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0.1.0 snapping turtle
0.1.0 ornate box turtle
1.0.0 eastern box turtle
0.1.0 Australian shepard
1.3.0 chickens
3.2.0 children
1.0.0 husband

Here is where she was until this summer. She got too big. Now there are 2 boxies in here.

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0.1.0 snapping turtle
0.1.0 ornate box turtle
1.0.0 eastern box turtle
0.1.0 Australian shepard
1.3.0 chickens
3.2.0 children
1.0.0 husband