Hatchling, water dish

Status
Not open for further replies.

Meg90

Active Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2008
Messages
1,961
Location (City and/or State)
WI
All this talk of water dishes made me anxious that my bowl was too big, so I when I went out to petco to get some new snake bedding, I picked up one of Robyn's recommended hermit crab dishes (the ramp kind...mine is dark blue, I couldn't find a white one :(...but blue is ok....lol)

I also found this little plastic plate at target today, alittle bit bigger than the size of my palm, and black. And it should be perfect for those first few weeks of meals....

Will post pics later if i have the chance.

Glad you found something that worked kate!
 

tortoisenerd

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2008
Messages
3,957
Location (City and/or State)
Washington
I think Trevor is already too big for those hermit crab ones. You think Anouk will still fit? I'll take too big but it works over too small...I think it's good if they can turn around in there and such so that after they go in they can wade a bit and then turn around and go back out.

What does Nigel use?

Trevor eats on a half a piece of slate. He actually uses almost all the space because he pushes the food around and picks through what he wants to eat that day.
 

Meg90

Active Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2008
Messages
1,961
Location (City and/or State)
WI
I'm such a tort nut...whenever we go anywhere that has a dollar section or anything, I always ask my bf "Do you see anything that would work for tortoises?" (that black plate was only like 60 cents or something)

Today he stopped me from buying a little metal mailbox...Anouk would have fit nicely in it lol...

I bought the crab one because it was on sale, and I would rather have a few options when she arrives, then have to be still looking for something that will work. (and since russians are wider and flatter than greeks, if it fits her when she comes, she will prob still have room to turn around)

Nigel has a dish that was actually handmade for some boxies I had a few years ago...it is glazed ceramic and about an inch deep, with a textured bottom. He has no trouble what so ever, getting in and out...I feed Nigel on a salad plate (all the ones we have in our apt are for him, so we have alot to rotate)

I do however, want to pick up some slate, and will prob do so soon, because I have to stop in somewhere and get some leather gloves so I can feed my ball pythons with more confidence (one of them is a very aggressive feeder :D)
 

Kristina

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Dec 18, 2008
Messages
5,383
Location (City and/or State)
Cadillac, Michigan
I use a big piece of slate to feed my Sullys, and it works well.

With your BP, have you tried putting the prey in a seperate container, and then transfering the snake into the container after the prey has been placed in it? It helps them NOT associate your hands with food...

Kristina
 

Meg90

Active Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2008
Messages
1,961
Location (City and/or State)
WI
Oh yes, I know all about cage agression. I've done feeding in a seperate box from the very beginning.

Both boys are kittens when I reach into their tank (and Gim is very social) .....Gimli is also my voracious feeder. He's always been fed in a separate box, and I never had a problem with him until he got a little bigger (he was a teeny thing when I first had him) I feed him with a nice long pair of tongs, since he does f/t not live

Now, he will strike at anything in his reach when he goes into the feeding box. I used a balled up towel to push him back into the box, and he does strike at that. It wasn't a problem until he started having a second strike once his meal was swallowed, and I was reaching in to pull him out of the box (a good 20 mins later)...I love him to death, but am not a fan of being bitten. Its not like it hurts, its just the shock of it that startles me.
 

Kristina

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Dec 18, 2008
Messages
5,383
Location (City and/or State)
Cadillac, Michigan
Sounds like you are handling him great, just he is a very over active boy! Sorry if I sounded patronizing, but some people don't understand why their snakes strike at their hands when they reach in to feed them. I only have wittle corn snakies, but my Amel has struck me. It felt like a tiny tap on my knuckle, but I didn't like it either. It is just the principle of the fact, I think.

I don't like to have to resort to handling with a hook, but.... whatever works, works, I guess. Can you place his feeding box in the enclosure and take the top off and let him climb out without handling him? I usually wait an hour or two after feeding to let them "settle" and get out of "hunting" mode before I return them to their enclosure.

Kristina

(BTW, I love talking snake almost as much as I love talking tortie :D I just recently bought a pair of breeder mice, hopefully I will be able to produce my own feeders soon. Our nearest supplier is 45 miles away. I euth in a closed container with a bit of dry ice (Co2) and only feed F/T also.)
 

tortoisenerd

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2008
Messages
3,957
Location (City and/or State)
Washington
Here's a few pictures of the new water dish in case anyone wants a better view. This is the XL size and I'd actually not recommend getting any smaller as my little hatchling can manage the steps and he can grow into it. Sadly they don't make any bowls any larger so most of the adult torts are out of luck. I'd definitely recommend it!

Also, updated habitat pictures. I ended up taking out most of the hides as he prefers the aspen and hay, although I left his log in there in case he decides to use it one day. The humidity in our house has been better so since he didn't want to use his humid hide I took it out--gives him more tunneling space (he's been known to dig a foot or two to the side while "sleeping".

4g6mad.jpg


iqvozr.jpg


1z1vb40.jpg


szkdva.jpg


What do you all think? I'd love to get one more thing to put in the middle somewhere to break it up a bit. I absolutely love how the food/water/log/fake plant area turned out. I have the little container in there with dandelion sprouts because it wasn't warm enough by the window for them. They're doing better in his habitat. My wheatgrass died and he wasn't crazy about it; that was a nice little plant to have in there as well.
 

Kristina

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Dec 18, 2008
Messages
5,383
Location (City and/or State)
Cadillac, Michigan
I think it looks good. My biggest suggestion would be to brighten it up a bit. With using the CHE for heat instead of a light, it leaves an awfully dark end down there. I would use just a regular light bulb, it would only need to be 25-40 watt, just for light. That way it won't entice him away from his basking area, but will brighten things up for him.
 

tortoisenerd

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2008
Messages
3,957
Location (City and/or State)
Washington
I have the Mega Ray in the middle so the light is pretty even on both sides (probably didn't look that way in the picture). The heat emitter makes one side warmer (I leave it on all the time so he can recognize it's there, so at night it's the only heat source). But, it is over 5 ft long of enclosure. Do you still have the same suggestion?

I had thought with the 100 watt bulb it was plenty bright but if another light could help him I'd be for it. He rarely ever will bask in the open so I make it a little warmer than recommended and he basks near his hay pile so he feels safe.
 

Kristina

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Dec 18, 2008
Messages
5,383
Location (City and/or State)
Cadillac, Michigan
It is kind of hard to judge from a picture how bright the enclosure is. I know a lot of times pics of my torts come out looking darker than they should. I do think that it is important to simulate natural sunlight.

Kristina
 

tortoisenerd

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2008
Messages
3,957
Location (City and/or State)
Washington
kyryah said:
It is kind of hard to judge from a picture how bright the enclosure is. I know a lot of times pics of my torts come out looking darker than they should. I do think that it is important to simulate natural sunlight.

Kristina

I agree. He does spend all his time right near the light though and never touches the ends of the enclosure (I did find a poop way at the end once and thought it was funny). As he gets older I'll probably heat more of it if needed as he'll want the space. I'm already planning a second story since the enclosure ended up taller than I would have built now. It's pretty darn bright in there (didn't show up on photo) so I'll probably leave it alone for now.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

New Posts

Top