Cage decorating

[dbsharp]

How do you guy's decorate your tanks? I was thinking of using topsoil with some plants to help give mt future bp security as it moves about in the cage. I would also like to use some nice looking rocks and something natural looking for a hide. would the topsoil be bad for the bp? Are these things safe for a bp? I would hate to introduce parasites through some plants, but I want the cage to look good and be functional.

[Shelby]

Instead of soil I would recommend using a substrate called bed-a-beast (or eco earth) you can get it at petsmart/petco or online. It looks like soil but without the risk of getting little bugs in your snakes cage. Plus that much easier to clean.

If you put any rocks in there sterilize them with 10% bleach solution.. and rinse rinse rinse.

Live plants aren't a great choice for a BP cage. You're going to be cleaning the cage often, and uprooting the plants all the time won't make them happy. I'd recommend silk or plastic plants.. they can look very nice.

[pythonweb]

Here's what one of my tanks looks like, I get most of my supplies from an online co. I have a review w/ link in the reviews section. So many choices, it's hard to decide, just remember, what ever you put in your tank should be cleanable or disposable. Good luck with your tank decorating.

[dbsharp]

Im thinking about using some slate underneeth the heat lamp to help soke up heat and keep the temp more stable. Because balls cant tell if there stomach is getting burned, is this a bad idea, im thinking ill just monitor te temp of the rock for the first few days and go from there. Maby a pice of petrified wood too. Ill make sure and post pics of my bp when it gets here on wed and cage too. Also what is the largest size that a bp will need for a water bowl? Im thinking about trying my luck shaping one of my pieces of slate into a cool looking water bowl.

[Ginevive]

I would go with an undertank heater instead. A lamp will heat the rock, yes, but BPs need a secure hide spot over themselves to feel safe and hide during the day; it would be impractical to heat this from above. A nice heating element (I would rec. flexwatt) under your cage floor will be your best bet for this. Of course, research into how to use it before setting up
If you want a naturalistic cage (my favorite type, by the way) I would recommend cypress mulch as a flooring substrate. Some people have said it could contain bugs, but I have never noticed any; you could bake it in the oven to be sure (not sure the degrees or the time needed, as I have never done this.) But if you just got your snake; I would keep it on paper towels for a month or so until you're sure it doesn't have external parasites like mites or ticks.

[dbsharp]

I want to get a ugh but im sure which would be best for me. I have a 29 gallon tank and it will soon have a plexiglass top with a few holes drilles in it. It would be great if it had a thermostat on it so my tank could stay at the right temperature. what size would be best? Any particualar brand or model?

[gmmuscle91]

I would go with flexwatt most definantly. You can get it at www.mgreptiles.com.

As for a thermostat, it depends on your budget. If you cant afford $100 or more then I would get a Ranco or Johnson. But if you can, go for a herpstat or helix. You can get all that from mgreptiles except the helix.

[dbsharp]

what size/wattage would I need?

[gmmuscle91]

what size/wattage would I need?

I would get about 1 foot of 11 in flexwatt.