Vote for BP.Net for the 2013 Forum of the Year! Click here for more info.

» Site Navigation

» Home
 > FAQ

» Online Users: 2,958

4 members and 2,954 guests
Most users ever online was 6,337, 01-24-2020 at 04:30 AM.

» Today's Birthdays

None

» Stats

Members: 75,031
Threads: 248,489
Posts: 2,568,443
Top Poster: JLC (31,651)
Welcome to our newest member, isismomma
Results 1 to 7 of 7
  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    04-19-2020
    Posts
    6
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post

    Lightbulb Vivarium and aquarium together

    Hi, so crazy question but I have a Betta tank (unoccupied due to age rip) and a ball python tank, thinking of building something to combine the two (fish tank on bottom, snake on top) so my snake can swim more, (loves the pond in the backyard, not a humidity issue just is weird and likes swimming) and I have more space. Not getting another fish and they are ruffly the same width. Thoughts on how this can go horribly wrong?

  2. #2
    BPnet Veteran Homebody's Avatar
    Join Date
    10-19-2019
    Location
    Jersey City, NJ
    Posts
    1,555
    Thanks
    5,298
    Thanked 2,152 Times in 1,164 Posts
    Images: 22

    Re: Vivarium and aquarium together

    Quote Originally Posted by 1kgd915 View Post
    Hi, so crazy question but I have a Betta tank (unoccupied due to age rip) and a ball python tank, thinking of building something to combine the two (fish tank on bottom, snake on top) so my snake can swim more, (loves the pond in the backyard, not a humidity issue just is weird and likes swimming) and I have more space. Not getting another fish and they are ruffly the same width. Thoughts on how this can go horribly wrong?
    Please post pics of your ball python's enclosure and the betta tank, and stop letting your ball python swim in your backyard pond.
    1.0 Normal Children's Python (2022 - present)
    1.0 Normal Ball Python (2019 - 2021)

  3. The Following 6 Users Say Thank You to Homebody For This Useful Post:

    Animallover3541 (03-24-2023),bns (03-25-2023),Bogertophis (03-24-2023),Malum Argenteum (03-24-2023),OatBoii (03-24-2023),Ruby (03-24-2023)

  4. #3
    BPnet Veteran Caitlin's Avatar
    Join Date
    08-11-2019
    Posts
    563
    Thanks
    1,149
    Thanked 1,387 Times in 462 Posts
    Images: 51

    Re: Vivarium and aquarium together

    I have to say I see no benefit in this. I would only include a water feature in a Ball python enclosure that is quite large - at minimum an 8'x3'x3'.

    I think it's great to want to provide more space for your snake, but why take up that much of their space with a water area that they will only use occasionally? These are terrestrial snakes, and yours will get a lot more use out of additional room to bask, burrow, or climb. Making your snake's environment very water-centered in no way reflects the natural habitat of these snakes in their native Africa, and an environment under captive management that is so alien to their needs is a recipe for problems.

    Water features in snake enclosures require a lot of additional cleaning and vigilance, as the snakes drag substrate into them and also understandably like to use a water area as a toilet - with what you describe, there is no practical way to separate your snake's bathing water from their drinking water, so this plan would be a great way to expose your snake to high bacterial loads that can result in skin problems or illness.

    If you are planning a really big enclosure, there are resources available on how to set up a water feature, but you need to be prepared to deal with the frequent repairs and cleaning that pumps and filtration systems require. If you are just planning on sticking a couple of small (as in less than 4' long) tanks together then I really hope you reconsider.
    1.0 Jungle Carpet Python 'Ziggy'
    1.0 Bredl's Python 'Calcifer'
    0.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa 'Mara'
    1.1 Tarahumara Mountain Boas 'Paco' and 'Frida'
    2.0 Dumeril's Boas 'Gyre' and 'Titan'
    1.0 Stimson's Python 'Jake'
    1.1 Children's Pythons 'Miso' and 'Ozzy'
    1.0 Anthill Python 'Cricket'
    1.0 Plains Hognose 'Peanut'
    1.1 Rough-scaled Sand Boas 'Rassi' and 'Kala'
    1.0 Ball Python (BEL) 'Sugar'
    1.0 Gray-banded Kingsnake 'Nacho'
    1.0 Green Tree Python (Aru) 'Jade'

  5. The Following 6 Users Say Thank You to Caitlin For This Useful Post:

    Armiyana (03-24-2023),bns (03-25-2023),Bogertophis (03-24-2023),Homebody (03-24-2023),OatBoii (03-24-2023),Ruby (03-24-2023)

  6. #4
    Registered User YungRasputin's Avatar
    Join Date
    06-03-2022
    Location
    Appalachia
    Posts
    478
    Thanks
    251
    Thanked 452 Times in 235 Posts
    Images: 27
    i think, respectfully, BPs use water features when provided, more often than people may think because my personal observations is that my BP uses it as much as my Afrock and both divide their time in half between swimming/soaking and exploring/sitting - this being said i don’t think you need much depth so space could be saved this way - i would personally consider using something other than the fish tank to accomplish this - at present i use a lot of pyrex glass bowls which are aesthetically pleasing, durable and cheaply available at Walmart
    het for nothing but groovy

  7. #5
    Registered User
    Join Date
    03-03-2019
    Posts
    173
    Thanks
    107
    Thanked 343 Times in 134 Posts
    Images: 11

    Re: Vivarium and aquarium together

    Quote Originally Posted by YungRasputin View Post
    i think, respectfully, BPs use water features when provided, more often than people may think because my personal observations is that my BP uses it as much as my Afrock and both divide their time in half between swimming/soaking and exploring/sitting - this being said i don’t think you need much depth so space could be saved this way - i would personally consider using something other than the fish tank to accomplish this - at present i use a lot of pyrex glass bowls which are aesthetically pleasing, durable and cheaply available at Walmart

    It's been my observation that when you are providing a proper environment, terrestrial snakes will spend very little time soaking in the pool. Enclosure size, temp gradient, lights, substrate, security etc. all play a roll. Now you're going to go on about how your temps are perfect, snake is happy blah blah blah. Your first sentence tells me you don't understand the variables or have the experience in observation to know why you are observing a snake spending half its time in the pool.

    I've been keeping snakes since the 70's. There are reasons terrestrial snakes spend time in the pool...most are not good. For the last two decades my husbandry has changed very little. When I really got husbandry things dialed in, I wondered why my critters didn't use their pool that all the care sheets and experts said they would use and need. It was becuase their needs are being met and the experts are few.

    If your terrestrial critters are spending half their time in the pool, you have work to do. Why do wild snakes bask in the sun? Not because they like it, but because they need the temperature to perform life functions that require raised temps. How much time do they spend exploring in the wild? Not much. When wild snakes are out and about there is a reason. That reason is not sightseeing.

    Reading will get you only so far. Real knowledge about husbandry comes from testing and observing. Small things can have big impacts.

    What body temp does your snake need when digesting? Pre shed? Gravid? What happens when you change the hours of the day? Provide shade? Provide yearly cycles? How do they respond to direct lighting? Indirect lighting? Seasonal feeding? What are body temps if you haven't fed in a few months? How do these answers change based on sex?

  8. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to bns For This Useful Post:

    Bogertophis (03-25-2023),jmcrook (03-25-2023),Ruby (03-25-2023)

  9. #6
    BPnet Senior Member jmcrook's Avatar
    Join Date
    04-05-2016
    Location
    Mississippi
    Posts
    3,640
    Thanks
    7,844
    Thanked 7,195 Times in 2,638 Posts
    Images: 13

    Re: Vivarium and aquarium together

    Quote Originally Posted by bns View Post
    It's been my observation that when you are providing a proper environment, terrestrial snakes will spend very little time soaking in the pool. Enclosure size, temp gradient, lights, substrate, security etc. all play a roll. Now you're going to go on about how your temps are perfect, snake is happy blah blah blah. Your first sentence tells me you don't understand the variables or have the experience in observation to know why you are observing a snake spending half its time in the pool.

    I've been keeping snakes since the 70's. There are reasons terrestrial snakes spend time in the pool...most are not good. For the last two decades my husbandry has changed very little. When I really got husbandry things dialed in, I wondered why my critters didn't use their pool that all the care sheets and experts said they would use and need. It was becuase their needs are being met and the experts are few.

    If your terrestrial critters are spending half their time in the pool, you have work to do. Why do wild snakes bask in the sun? Not because they like it, but because they need the temperature to perform life functions that require raised temps. How much time do they spend exploring in the wild? Not much. When wild snakes are out and about there is a reason. That reason is not sightseeing.

    Reading will get you only so far. Real knowledge about husbandry comes from testing and observing. Small things can have big impacts.

    What body temp does your snake need when digesting? Pre shed? Gravid? What happens when you change the hours of the day? Provide shade? Provide yearly cycles? How do they respond to direct lighting? Indirect lighting? Seasonal feeding? What are body temps if you haven't fed in a few months? How do these answers change based on sex?
    This. All of this. 100%. The snakes don't read the books, so we have to read the snake in addition to the books and fill in the gaps accordingly.

  10. The Following User Says Thank You to jmcrook For This Useful Post:

    Ruby (03-25-2023)

  11. #7
    Bogertophis's Avatar
    Join Date
    04-28-2018
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    20,183
    Thanks
    28,082
    Thanked 19,740 Times in 11,797 Posts
    OK folks- this thread has gone off topic long enough, & gotten snarky enough, so those who wish to continue their "debate" may now do so in the quarantine room titled "Off topic discussion & debate"- that's where the removed posts are now living. For those wishing to continue this topic here, kindly review the OP's original question to make sure your post is helpful, on topic​, & stop making this thread about something else.
    Last edited by Bogertophis; 03-25-2023 at 06:55 PM.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v4.2.1