Substrate

[EasternGirl]

I am trying what Joe suggested with bowls of sphagnum moss in the enclosures...but I haven't seen an increase in humidity yet...strange.

[BUSHSNAKE]

Screen top? to much ventilation, you can cover some of it with plastic wrap

[EasternGirl]

But how do I make sure not to block off too much ventilation? How much should I cover up...about half of the tank lid would you say? I did try blocking off some of one of the tank lids with a book last night just to see what would happen and noticed the humidity go up on the hygrometer a bit. Sorry if I sound like a dumb blonde...I just don't have any experience with this!

[infernalis]

You can cover 3/4 of the screen top and be fine.

[EasternGirl]

Thanks Wayne.

[ConcinnusMan]

Keep in mind that the basking area or undertank heater causes air to rise. If the cool end isn't covered, that rising air will cause (possibly dry) air to be sucked in through the cool end, displacing the humidity. If your hygrometer is directly in the path of the incoming dry air... well, you get the idea.

[EasternGirl]

I am covering the cool end. I bought some ecoearth and some reptibark to try today. I figured I'd put the ecoearth on the bottom and put a little reptibark on top. I'm going to try it in Cee Cee and Seeley's tanks first...I think I will stick with the carefresh in the baby's tank for now. If I put a paper towel under their food dish and watch them carefully, would it be okay to let them eat in their enclosures with the ecoearth and reptibark? If not I will move them...but they eat better if I don't move them out of their enclosures.

[ConcinnusMan]

but they eat better if I don't move them out of their enclosures.

Of course they do, but why bother with a dish and/or paper towel? It's too difficult to keep them from dragging it backwards through the substrate, or worse, injuring themselves when they are fighting over the same piece of food? I make them reach for it, and keep it so small that they have it swallowed before they even get their heads back down to the substrate. At any given moment I only have ONE snake swallowing food at a time, and so, only one snake to keep an eye on. This method also creates some nice direct interaction time, which builds trust.

[EasternGirl]

I wish I could get my snakes to eat like that Richard...but my skiddish snakes will not take food from me. Well...Cee Cee will sometimes...but she has been such a pig snake lately (I'm thinking she is gravid) that I am risking fingers if I try to put my hands anywhere inside the tank while she is eating. In fact, I quickly retreat after putting her dish down! She's such a pig right now...she's like "I'll take those fingers too...thank you!". Seeley will not take food from me...he will only eat from a dish and the baby albino will only eat under his little hide at this point. And I don't feed them together...not after an incident with piggers Cee Cee going after Seeley's food.

[ConcinnusMan]

Well, it doesn't go like it did in the video just by magic. And of course, they were skiddish and it was difficult at first. But they learn to trust, and adapt, and come to learn that when the hand comes in with the tongs, it's feeding time. They don't know that at first. Takes time and a little patience to teach them that.

Once they learn it, even the most skiddish snakes will come rushing out toward your hand/tongs when they're hungry, instead of shying away. I can't even keep them off my hands and out of the way long enough to change their water or spot clean. They're all over me!