what should i put in my tank?

[ThamnophisManiac]

i was just wondering what i should put in my tank. like i know all the things that i have to have from researching, but what do ur guy's tanks look like??? plz send in photos or sometthin. thnx


btw my tank is 19 1/2 inches long 10 inches wide 12 inches high

also, the top doesnt have latches and i was wondering if there was anything u could use as a homemade latch...would rubberband around it woork??? oh and it is all plexiglass or w/e and the top is mesh

[KITKAT]

Hi there! Welcome to the forum!

We actually have a section of the forum that is dedicated to "Enclosures" and you will find LOTS of photos in there, showing different setups and how people have built and decorated their garter cages.

Sounds like you are using a tank that is the exact same size as a ten gallon tank. Since your tank is 19.5 inches long, you will want a branch that is slightly longer than that, to prop at an angle for climbing. Snakes tend to like some plants to hide in also, but with such a small tank, you may want to use artificial plants and only put in one clump, in one end of the tank, perhaps draping the plants over the end of the branch.

Those would be my suggestions...

As for latches, I use tough tops on aquariums for my enclosures... I don't have the fancy custom enclosures that some members have... and my tops do not have clips. So... I put a rock or piece of brick on each end of the top.

With a ten gallon tank, you may have problems establishing a temperature gradient. The problem is that the tank is small, and there is not enough distance between the hot end, under the light, versus the cool end. My solution to this (I use ten gallon tanks for babies) has been to use a 25 watt regular household lightbulb in my basking lamp. Right now, I have a ten gallon tank set up for a baby like this, and the hot end is 86 degrees while the "cool" end is about 78. I wish the cool end were slightly cooler, but this seems to be OK for the young ones.

Also, if you find that the temps are still too high with a 25 watt bulb, you can always use the smaller wattage bulbs that are made for ceiling fans or for night lights. Just adjust the bulb wattage up or down until you get a good temperature variation from one end of the tank to the other.

Still, I would advise you to find something slightly larger, as soon as you can. It will make life easier. A 20 long, for example, is an easier size to make a temperature gradient in.

Originally Posted by ThamnophisManiac

i was just wondering what i should put in my tank. like i know all the things that i have to have from researching, but what do ur guy's tanks look like??? plz send in photos or sometthin. thnx

btw my tank is 19 1/2 inches long 10 inches wide 12 inches high

also, the top doesnt have latches and i was wondering if there was anything u could use as a homemade latch...would rubberband around it woork??? oh and it is all plexiglass or w/e and the top is mesh

[ThamnophisManiac]

ok thnx much

[ThamnophisManiac]

oh, btw, do u have to use a certain baskin lamp or is any lamp ok??

[LushLulu85]

with garters you dont need a lamp just a heat mat. i have just got an ordinary bulb in my tank on a timer the tank needs to be at about 85*c in the day and about 75*c at night.

[ThamnophisManiac]

i was gonna use a lamp for the heat source but would u reccomend a heat mat instead?? and how much do they cost and where can u buy em??

[adamanteus]

Both options are fine Mike. Somewhere there's a thread "Light as a heat source". I'll try to find it and post a link here.

[adamanteus]

Here we go...

Light as heat source