West African Vivarium

[GoatBoy]

Most of the ball python vivariums I've seen here and on Google image search are one of two types. The basic aspen shaving or other substrate, hide, and water dish; or the more advanced planted (live or fake) with the Great/Stuff coco fiber background and a liberal use of cork bark.

I keep my dart frogs in this set up and it looks great. But it looks like a rainforest jungle, not semi-arid West Africa. Most of the BPs in the wild videos and pictures are of red or tan dirt and a mix of tall and short grasses. Near, but not in the forest.

Has anybody done a realistic West African viv? Either live or fake planted. I think having real dirt would make a mess with a water dish and poop, but maybe it could be simulated?

[RickyNY]

The more stuff you put in, the more stuff you got to clean. But if you have the time, do it. I will sure enjoy watching the pictures you post.

[GoatBoy]

Ok here we go then, I guess I'll just get started on one. This will be my second attempt at vivarium. I'm pretty happy with the way my 75gal dart frog viv turned out. I just ordered my AP T10 last week so I have quite a while before I get started. I went on a drift wood and rock search today at Lake Erie and came back pretty damn happy. I got a lot of reds and tans which is exactly what I wanted. I'm not sure what I'm gonna do about all the thick african grasses I'll need, but I did plant some 'Maiden's Grass' seed today and it's germinating in a spare viv.

As an overall look I'm going for rocky, bare dirt, tall dry grasses, and dry wood. A deep substrate that stays warm and moist, with warm and drier basking areas. One or two burrows carved into the back. The bulk of it will be Great Stuff covered with fine coco coir mixed with light sand to give it a dry dirt look, but not rough as sandpaper and still able to hold some moisture.

My dart frog viv and 3 of the 6 frogs.




Soaking drift wood in bleach water. Baking at 300 for 30-90min. All dried out.