Re-doing Zim's tank

I'm giving Zim's tank a makeover. Now he will have dirt to burrow in (Bed-A-Beast) and a branch to climb on. A natural-looking water dish that he can easily climb into if he needs a good soak, and a fake plant just to make it look nice.

Right now I'm letting the Bed-A-Beast substrate dry. Zim is poking his head out of his hide. He's been very curious today. Normally he stays in his hide all day but for some reason, today, he keeps taking a look.

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Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

I'm giving Zim's tank a makeover. Now he will have dirt to burrow in (Bed-A-Beast) and a branch to climb on. A natural-looking water dish that he can easily climb into if he needs a good soak, and a fake plant just to make it look nice.

Right now I'm letting the Bed-A-Beast substrate dry. Zim is poking his head out of his hide. He's been very curious today. Normally he stays in his hide all day but for some reason, today, he keeps taking a look.

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He is probably thinking "i wonder what she is doing now?" :P Corn snakes are as bad as a 3yr old wondering what you are doing 24/7/365 :8:

You basically described my cat. Right now she is sitting on my computer desk, rubbing her face on my hands as I type. Luckily, since Zim is not a very active snake, my cats have taken no interest in him. He is safe from the criminal mastermind that is known as Tyran.

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Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

You basically described my cat. Right now she is sitting on my computer desk, rubbing her face on my hands as I type. Luckily, since Zim is not a very active snake, my cats have taken no interest in him. He is safe from the criminal mastermind that is known as Tyran.

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Yea cats also want to know what everything is and if its edible lol.

The Bed-A-Beast has been drying since yesterday. Its still dark in color. When should I put it in the tank? And how long should I wait before putting Zim back in the tank. I get home from work probably after 10pm, so the soil will have all of today to continue drying.

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Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

The Bed-A-Beast has been drying since yesterday. Its still dark in color. When should I put it in the tank? And how long should I wait before putting Zim back in the tank. I get home from work probably after 10pm, so the soil will have all of today to continue drying.

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What I usually do is, I just wring it out pretty well and put it right in. The only snake cage I use it in, is my BCI cage with a metal grid type top. It dries naturally, especially with the action of the UTH heating it.. I would not put it in if it is soppy wet however. The way I see it, its being moist for a few days just basically is the same as if it had rained out in their natural habitat. I do stir it up with my hand daily, because it tends to dry from the outside in.

Well right now the dirt is in a gallon bucket and is still damp, but not soaking wet. Is it ok to put in? Should I wait for it to dry out before putting Zim back in the cage?

Hm.. maybe the top layer would be dry enough.. can you wring it out with water dripping from it, or is it not that wet? You could gradually put it in I guess; too bad your snake is not in shed mode; that would be a bonus: added humidity!
If it were a covered tub or something, I would def. advise not to put it in yet, as the humidity would skyrocket.. but it usually just dissipates through the screen lid.

He's in a 20g long tank, so the added humidity is a good thing. I need it. Its not that wet. Its wet as in, when you touch it, its really cool to the touch, but if you squeeze it, it holds together somewhat. I'll go ahead and remove Zim from the cage and begin adding the substrate. Hopefully the heat lamp will dry it out more.

The substrate is not completely dry but Zim is loving it! He's going around, inspecting all the hides (I added a new smaller one that faces away from the front of the tank so he gets extra privacy.)

He just enjoyed a nice fuzzy and is crawling into his hide to digest. I'll get some pics tonight and post them tomorrow.

Pics are here...

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...NewTank001.jpg
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...NewTank002.jpg
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...NewTank004.jpg
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...NewTank006.jpg

Looking good! I love naturalistic setups.. yours is very creative. Those hides are some of the best on the market; I have one for my spider BP and he loves it.. very cozy!

Zim LOVES those hides. He almost never comes out of them and when I pick one up to either take him out for handling or something like that, I swear he is giving me a look that says "What in the world did you do that for. Put it back."

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Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

Zim LOVES those hides. He almost never comes out of them and when I pick one up to either take him out for handling or something like that, I swear he is giving me a look that says "What in the world did you do that for. Put it back."

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LMAO :rofl: :rofl:

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

Looking good! I love naturalistic setups..

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For sure! yours looks great! and I too love natural looking setups... of course it cost more than throwing the snake in a plastic tub, and theres more stuff to clean but... It looks so. :)

Good Job!