Setting up my Naturalistic Vivarium

[lpnaz480]

oh that will make it much easier. i was planning to spot clean the fecal matter and leave urine and stir it into the dirt, like you. just didnt know if my ph levels in the substrate would be strong enough to break it down without a cleaning crew. so i started looking up spring tails and isopods which my wife would probably hate in the house. i'm thinking if they are needed, a cleaning crew that is, maybe red worms wouldnt be that bad

[mgodwin3568]

Okay so I'm new to all of this, so new that I don't even have my BP yet just still doing research. I was considering doing a natural vivarium as well but I know that BPs are heavy bodied snakes and would probably crush any live plants placed in their enclosures. I for one would really hate to spend all that time setting up such a beautifully landscaped vivarium only to have in crushed by a roaming snake. So I'm curious what your experience has been with this particular issue?

Cheers,

Matt

[Danman88]

Okay so I'm new to all of this, so new that I don't even have my BP yet just still doing research. I was considering doing a natural vivarium as well but I know that BPs are heavy bodied snakes and would probably crush any live plants placed in their enclosures. I for one would really hate to spend all that time setting up such a beautifully landscaped vivarium only to have in crushed by a roaming snake. So I'm curious what your experience has been with this particular issue?

Cheers,

Matt

I actually have had very few problems with this. In the beginning she did break one of the leaves of the Sansevieria, but it didnt break completely and the plant has done great ever since. She has also broken off a few new sprouts on my Hoya. The thicker more mature leaves have done fine so I plan on using some sort of plastic container with some holes to cover up the plant at night while my snake is active at least until the new sprouts can grow in. As far as choosing plants I would stick to heartier shrub or tree like plants. My Ficus has done well and my Sansevieria has done awesome. As long as you purchase them at a size in which the snake can't do any major damage to them they should be fine. Another plant I plan on trying in the near future is a Dracaena Marginata. When smaller it is a grass like shrub plant that should give a good effect in simulating the central African grasslands look.

Was definitely cool to see the snake acting more natural with burrowing through the dirt, hiding, and basking at different points in the day. I also used earthworms in my setup to help keep the soil aerated, and it was always cool to see the tunnels they had burrowed against the glass in the mornings. I'd definitely recommend this for anyone who wants to set up a nice display enclosure!

-m00kfu

I definetly agree with this. It has been really cool to see how my snakes behavior has changed. Her habits such as basking times, when she comes out at night, etc. have become much more patterned and natural. Your also right, when it comes to aesthetic appeal the naturalistic vivarium is hard to beat.