Pothos and enclosure question

[Blitzjg]

If I could somehow manage to set this up and still keep the cage secure, could I drape pothos vine into the enclosure? I would house the pot/soil elsewhere, obviously this would have to be a pretty long pothos!

Are BPs good at escaping, are they more curious as babies in getting out, or is that a constant concern? I imagine its better safe than sorry.

Can I house a baby in the large enclosure I'll be using when he's an adult, or should I stick with something smaller?

[The Serpent Merchant]

BP's are pretty good at escaping, you will need to have something heavy on top of the cage top or a secure lock if the cage has front opening doors.

How big of a cage are we talking? The general conscious is that a small cage is better, but personally I have found that not to be the case (as long as you don't go crazy). I've had success with hatchling BP's in cages that are 24" x 24" x 12" (L x W x H), but keep in mind that larger cages are harder to maintain (heat/humidity/clean) and you will have to do more to make sure that your BP feels secure.

I don't see why you couldn't put pothos vine IN the cage, but not draped into the cage from outside the cage, as you need a very secure top to the cage. (1/4" wire mesh or smaller)

Pothos vine comes from a very different part of the world than BP's. You will probably have to use supplemental lighting for it to grow (never put a snake cage in direct sunlight as it will act as a greenhouse and get really hot inside) Plus BP's are know to smash plants up pretty bad.

[Blitzjg]

Haha that's hilarious!

I figured it would help with humidity, and they are pretty hardy with very little sunlight from my experience. Another question, I've seen some tank setups use a light... but from what I can tell there is really no reason or benefit to the snake to do this if you already have a UTH?

[The Serpent Merchant]

Haha that's hilarious!

I figured it would help with humidity, and they are pretty hardy with very little sunlight from my experience. Another question, I've seen some tank setups use a light... but from what I can tell there is really no reason or benefit to the snake to do this if you already have a UTH?

Do you mean a heat lamp or a light that doesn't put much heat of and is for viewing purposes?

UTH's only heat the surface that they are in direct contact with, and not the air inside the cage. This means that if the room that the cage is in drops below 75 degrees a heat lamp will be necessary to maintain the air temperature inside the cage above 75 degrees (preferably around 80 F)

As for viewing lights such as LED or fluorescent bulbs they aren't necessary but can be a nice especially if your cage only has one side that is glass like mine do:

[Blitzjg]

If I do end up needing a heat lamp to keep the ambient air temp up, should it be over the warm or cold side? And what kind of bulbs are best? I read i should get a dimmer in the case that I need one as well?

Thanks for your help

[Anya]

Do you mean a heat lamp or a light that doesn't put much heat of and is for viewing purposes?

UTH's only heat the surface that they are in direct contact with, and not the air inside the cage. This means that if the room that the cage is in drops below 75 degrees a heat lamp will be necessary to maintain the air temperature inside the cage above 75 degrees (preferably around 80 F)

As for viewing lights such as LED or fluorescent bulbs they aren't necessary but can be a nice especially if your cage only has one side that is glass like mine do:

That's a super sweet looking setup you have there.

[The Serpent Merchant]

If I do end up needing a heat lamp to keep the ambient air temp up, should it be over the warm or cold side? And what kind of bulbs are best? I read i should get a dimmer in the case that I need one as well?

Thanks for your help

If you are using a UTH to provide the hot side temperature I would recommend a 75 watt infrared heat bulb centered on the cage with a dimmer or thermostat to keep the air temperature in the cage around 80 F.

I personally use and recommend these bulbs:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...AvailInUS%2FNo

They can be run 24/7 without any issue and put off very little visible light.

[The Serpent Merchant]

That's a super sweet looking setup you have there.

Thanks I've got a few more cages in the stack these days. Animal Plastics makes great products.

[TheSnakeGuy]

As far as I know pothos vines are safe for reptiles. I see no reason why you couldn't actually put the whole potted plant in the terrarium. Just make sure you don't over water it to the point where water is coming out of the bottom of the pot. Yes it should help a little with humidity. Pothos should survive in a low light situation, it just may not grow very fast.

[Blitzjg]

If you are using a UTH to provide the hot side temperature I would recommend a 75 watt infrared heat bulb centered on the cage with a dimmer or thermostat to keep the air temperature in the cage around 80 F.

I personally use and recommend these bulbs:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...AvailInUS%2FNo

They can be run 24/7 without any issue and put off very little visible light.

What kind of fixture do I need for that bulb? Or does it not matter?