New Sterlite setups

[frankykeno]

Got this idea from seeing someone's else's setup (sorry I'd thank you but can't remember which thread it was in).

Punkin has never been good at using her hides consistently. She tends to burrow under newspaper, papertowels, whatever I try and we were worrying about her being directly on the sterlite over the heater thingy. No matter how many layers of paper we put in she would get under it all. Anyway, what I did was triple her substrate (aspen) so that basically her hides are buried mostly. Then I used my fingers to create downramps into each hide.

Punkin is now using her hides perfectly and has stopped burrowing completely. I'm wondering if she feels safer going into the hides now that she has go travel slightly downwards to get into them? Is this a more natural thing for her as they go into burrows somewhat in the wild don't they?

So far it hasn't caused extra husbandry work. Her urate was easy enough to find laying on top of the substrate as usual. Other than having to be diligent with deeper substrate to make sure it stays aired and fresh, is there anything that might be wrong in trying this?

Temps and humidity seem unchanged. Inside each hide there is a normal layer of substrate, the deeper substrate is just around and between the hides and still allows for reasonable head room for Punkin to move around her tub.

Any comments or suggestions? Sorry no cam so I can't post a pic of my new set-up.


~~Jo~~

[ddbjdealer]

That sounds like an awesome setup, Jo. Jake doesn't like either of his hides either. He hides NEXT to one of them. I need to increase the size of his hides, I believe... and I'm still having problems getting the temps correct. The humidity, being in a dry place, is not always right either. I'm getting ready to change around my setup, and will post the results soon.

[lostboi]

We go through that too, ours favorite places to hide are under their water dish or between the dish and the glass. Oh well...

[frankykeno]

Thanks, I'm really pleased with the new setup for Punkin so did Baby's tub the same way this afternoon. She seems to like it and is currently inside her warm hide preparing to shed. I won't see her again till it's over with as she's very private about shedding LOL. She even sheds in her hide not coming out to rub against anything. I found her last shed quite by accident. Lifted the hide to check on her and she was wiggling out of her skin....quite funny looking!


~~Jo~~

[tigerlily]

Mine love their hides, although I went through a couple different kinds before I found the kind they like the best. Anyway, Joanna I think it sounds fine! If that's what they like then I don't see any harm in it. Although it's gonna make it a pain to get them out when you want to handle them!!