Planted Enclosure for a JCP?

[piedpipper]

Hi guys,
I just wanted to get some opinions here as I did some searching and can't seem to find any definitive answers.
I am building a PVC 4x2 cage for my JCP and was wondering if it is possible to incorporate live plants into this? Are carpet pythons very destructive or will they mainly stay on the wood and leave the plants alone?
Also how much soil/what type would be needed to sustain plant growth and is it still possible to use heat tape for heating at this point or will there be too much substrate to make this effective? I'd rather not use a heat panel was they are really expensive and I've never used them.
Thanks,
Greg

[Reinz]

My juvie JCP is always in one of two places, in her water bowl or on her perch.
The only time that she is on the ground is when she is eating. Even then, it's only a small part of her body. The rest of her body is in the water or up on the perch. If I had plants in her tank there would be no worry of wreckage. However, it just may depend on each individual snake. Hopefully others will chime in.

I can't help you with the soil, but I think an RHP would work best. That would also encourage the snake to be on the perch. Unless you taper the soil depth down to very shallow where your heat source is underneath the enclosure, thus probably no plants, I don't think the heat will penetrate the soil well enough.



Esmarelda, JCP

[distaff]

I like RHP's I would suggest giving one a try. They are efficient to use, and if the animal is always perching, you can set up a perch at a safe, temp-measured distance underneath.

That said, I am experimenting with a planted tank that has a UTH inside the tank. It is sandwiched between some thick styrofoam and a piece of slate. Carve out the foam to fit the bulky areas so it all lays perfectly flat. Use plenty of silicone to seal around, and set in elevated above the surrounding substrate. Since that t-stat probe is now permanently affixed to this UTH, I ordered an extra probe in case the project doesn't work out. (VE t-stat probes are removable, and I would guess the Herpstat models are too, but don't know for sure. My Hydrofarms are all one piece.)

DYODD on this, folks. This is *off label* use.

[piedpipper]

Thanks for the replies! Reinz do you use a RHP in your pictured enclosure? I have no doubt that RHP's would be great in this application but I'd rather not use them just because they are so much more expensive than heat tape and I already have a bunch of heat tape laying around. Cost is definitely a factor in this project. The sandwiching idea sounds pretty sweet! Let me know how it goes and I'll give it a try.

Anyone have any recommendations on soil type and depth? Is too much humidity a concern here with the plants since Carpets are a lower humidity species?

[Reinz]

Piedpiper, that is a tank in those pics. I have four tanks (temporary) and use heat lamps with no humidity issues.

I currently have three plastic enclosures that use RHP's which I highly prefer. I plan on having all my enclosures set up this way.


4x2x2 plastic enclosures for Lizzy, Coastal Carpet (bottom) and
Elenore, Common BI (top).