Vivarium Info?

Has anyone here done a live plant vivarium? I have a 20 gallon long tank and want to plant grass in it and make a small natural looking setup for a corn snake. My main question is how should i set up the layers of soil to plant the grass? I dont fully understand the drainage setup yet.

I remember recently seeing someone having real plants for their green tree pythons. Try using the search tool. Sorry I'm no help.

http://froglet.us/Hobby/terrarium_setup.html

I found this which helps alot. A gravel bottom with a fine screen over top, then the planting soil. Just have to drain the tank every so often if moisture builds up too much.

Seems easy enough. Plant the seeds, UVB light over top on a 12 on/off cycle, Water the grass and things should grow. I was thinking of a fogger on a timer over the tank to provide good moisture without over saturation.

The book, the art of keeping snakes by P de Vosjoli has detailed comments on a bioactive subsrate. I read it a year or so ago and don't recal all the details but basically you need a under layer (hydroponic beads or lighting grate) then a course mix and a fine mix and think back to front rise. I know some ppl use poted plants and some directly in the substrate. I know that if properly set up it will stay fresh and perfectly balanced for years. The ultimate in low work you can ignore pee and just deal with poop. Corns don't need heat (not my species so I actually don't know for sure) but if you needed heating it has to be a radient panel or so I understand. I have helped with a viv but with salimanders and lots of plants. I however was the studid end of the team but I have been thinking on it for a ball python set up but I am just in the early stages of planning.

Anyway the book is a great start and as the project requires soome planning there likely won't be too much of a rush. Amazon has it for sure.
I hope this helps.
Alex

Oh you might do a search using the UK google it is way more common in Europe.

Ill check the book out. Also Corn snakes do need a heat source. There cold blooded like all snakes, they do have a higher tollerance than other snakes though. 75-80* cool side, 85-90* hot side. I was gonna do a heat emitter on a timer with the probe attached to a flat rock and let it kick on and off at 88*.

The only problem im gonna find with this live substrate setup is gonna be the drainage. Naturally water soaks into the soil for the plants and the excess needs someplace to go. The drain for excess water is the gravel under the soil. But over time water will fill up the gravel and reach the roots of the plants causing root rot if not completely drained out. The question is how long would it take to do so? Grass seems to use alot of moisture in the ground so it might not be a really big issue. Time will tell though. Im going to get started on this project this weekend i hope. The fogger creates a nice fine watery fog in the cage and hangs on the bottom which will keep the grass moist but i just have to becarefull not to be over moist. Its gonna be a fun project.

I'd really love to see how you make out. The book talks about always watering the substrate, but the under layers not the top layer, I recall him mentioning a 'hole' to the bottow to for water. I know lots of people use carex grass, but then regular grass would likely be fine (i think... check) for a corn as that is the natural habitat they live in.

For the lower temps the emitter should work fine, how large were you thinking? I wish I could put my hand on the book but I read a lot and it is in a box in my basement along with many others. I believe again check I am a bit sketchy on this, using water from a healthy well established fish tank to 'start' the process, waste reducing bacteria and all. Basically it is like a closed fish tank. Carefull balancing!

The hole to the bottom is to get the drainage water out so it doesn't reach the roots. You take the water from the bottom back to the top soil. It's basically recycling the water to be used again. Corn snakes are everywhere and different areas have different grasses. Being the aquarium will be in the 80* area at all times I would need a warm season grass. Bermuda grass is a southern grass used for alot of ballfields and it doesn't require alot of water and wont die under alot of heat. I'll post up results when I start.