Fake plants vs Live cage setup: Discuss!

[JodanOrNoDan]

I was over the the gallery section trying to get pictures up, but apparently my phone's pictures are too large to upload! I've just been looking all over the place to find the pros and cons of living terrariums since the option was brought to my attention but there is surprisingly little info readily available. I know I can keep our Mr Slithers in a super simple tank and he's be just as happy with it, but I want a pretty tank. lol. And I don't want to go out and spend a bunch of money on a fake plant set up to find out that a living set up is cheaper and easier to maintain. Fortunately it doesn't really sound like it. The idea of making it easier for bacteria to propagate in the tank is a seriously major con to me. Also being able to hide mites easier. So looks like it might be a no go on that idea.

Thank you for the info!!

If you were keeping a corn or something I would say it might be worth it. With balls, they don't move much but when they do they can be like bulldozers so all that hard work would just be destroyed by the animals. The lizards however would be a very good candidates for a bio-active setup.

[HissingSnake]

The lizards however would be a very good candidates for a bio-active setup.

Now that's a very interesting idea.... Thanks!!

[HissingSnake]

Wasn't trying to be unhelpful...

Also I didn't want it to sound like I thought everyone else who chipped in with other information about taking care of our snake was being unhelpful. Of course you are going to want to steer someone new in the right direction if you don't know they are already. There are just a BOATLOAD of information sites out there dedicated to helping people get started, but I seriously couldn't find anything about whether or not live tanks were a good idea with pythons. Of course Jordan's response of them just bulldozing over live plants is yet another con against the set up.

[Lizardlicks]

There are some plants that can tough it out like certain ivies and the woodier, sturdier stuff, but they don't look very nice imo.

[Slither Seeker]

Also I didn't want it to sound like I thought everyone else who chipped in with other information about taking care of our snake was being unhelpful. Of course you are going to want to steer someone new in the right direction if you don't know they are already. There are just a BOATLOAD of information sites out there dedicated to helping people get started, but I seriously couldn't find anything about whether or not live tanks were a good idea with pythons. Of course Jordan's response of them just bulldozing over live plants is yet another con against the set up.

one thing to consider is that a what is appropriate for a BP at a young age may not work later but you are going to move them anyway. I'm working on a 40 gallon breeder. currently it has a baby red foot tortoise in it, also a bull dozer in the long run but it will be transfered to an outside pen at some point. I will be planting that tank with the tortoise in it, with plants out of its reach, then moving in a BP once the tortoise gets transfered out. the BP will be there for a while and I'll see how it goes, once it outgrows the enclosure it will move on to a bigger tank and I will continue planting the 40 breeder with dart frogs in mind. I think it's best to think about enclosures as a bit more "fluid", over time they have multiple purposes. at this point I don't see a full grown BP being a good candidate for a planted tank, but I'm going to play it by ear.