Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So my son caught a small Northern about 6 inches long and wants to keep it awhile.We put it in a 10gal with sand, some slate rocks arranged so there are hides under it and a big water dish.Is this enough? We put on a light so the warmest spot is 80ish.
He already ate two small goldfish for us too.
And we caught him basking in the water..Should we use bottled water? Should the sand be kept damp or just a small portion of it damp? also I can add some eco earth to the sand if thats better..
What about scented pinkies is this a bad idea? We can get goldfish and minnows and even frogs at the bait shop so pinks arent necessary.

You can use aspen instead of sand, as it will be easier to keep the tank clean. A water bowl will good enough for water/moisture. He/she will eat any kind of fish, goldfish, minnows, etc. Just float them in the water bowl. If you plan on letting him go, I wouldn't bother switching to pinks-- at that size, fish are good enough (or the occasional tadpole or small toad/frog)
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Thanks, I doubt we will keep him long, just a few weeks or maybe a month at most.I will stick with minnows and frogs then..

Thats probably a good thing. While its cool to keep one, they are somewhat ill-tempered and therefore not real handleable. Make certain that when you release it, it is in exactly the same place you found it. Don't hesitate to contact me w/ other questions.
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If a watersnake is constantly kept damp it will break out in skin blisters. In the wild they spend most of their time basking or hiding - water is used as an escape route or for hunting. So do not keep the land area damp. The entire cage should be dry with the exception of the water dish.

In the wild water snakes often bask on branches - so you may want to set one up under the snake's light. Do not feed it a diet entirely of goldfish. There are harmful chemicals/vitamin deficiencies associated with goldfish. Bait store minnows (or wild-caught fish) would be a better option.

Baby water snakes usually become quite tame in captivity.

Tim

Third Eye

Thanks. We have him on dry sand right now, I was just wetting down around the water dish only for him.I dont use aspen for our snakes its hard to find here.I use newspaper or sand or eco earth.I will get a branch in there for him.He has become quite bold and will hang out on the rock and doesnt dive out of sight now.We have a great baitshop nearby that sells minnows, goldfish and frogs all live so food isnt a problem.We will mix it up for him..Do they eat once a week or more often? He sure chowed down both those fish like nothing.

Substrate is ok, just keep it dry-- you could also use paper towel
At the size he is, and feeding fish, etc, I would go 2 times.. If he still is cruising (hunting for food), you could give him another small fish
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The size of your enclosure is acceptable. I would however replace the sand with cypress mulch or some other type of substrate that holds moisture. Feeder fish are a good prey item and are nutrionally sufficient for waters. You might want to increase the basking spot however to about 85 or so. Keep in mind that even though they are aquatic, they will bask at regular intervals. If the substrate gets too damp blisters on the underbelly may occur. Just provide a large bowl for drinking and soaking. In most cases if the snake gets dehydrated it will often soak in the bowl. I wish you the best of luck and keep us posted on your progress.
-HAPPY HERPING