Yo, what's up SerpaSquad? Tanner here and in this one, I'll
show you how I made a live planted, bioactive vivarium for Whodini,
my 14 year old Blotched Kingsnake. That includes how I made the background,
water bowl, and many other components. I'll talk about how I built the
plywood tank in a different video, but without any further delay, let's get to work. The first thing to address is the background. I'll use 1.5 Inch Thick
Polystyrene Insulation Foam. At $15 for a 4 by 8 Foot Piece, it's a very
inexpensive option for a build of this size. I measured the interior of the tank and
transferred those measurements to the foam. I cut the pieces out accordingly. I put them in place and sketched a
basic idea of what I wanted to carve. This is just an idea, but it gives
me a good place to start from. To add the details, I'll use Clay Carving Tools. I like using these because they create a nice
rocky texture with minimal effort and mess. To keep the mess at a minimum I
vacuumed throughout the process. It took awhile to get it carved out, but
I was fairly pleased with the result. I did a quick pass with a Heat Gun. This tightens the foam, makes it stronger,
and brings out the rocky texture. I also cut a section out of the front of
the side pieces to account for ventilation. I'll paint the foam to look
like stone with Drylok. I have the original white, which I'll
color with Quikrete Cement Tints. For the first layer I mixed up some black. This will give me a good base to work
with and bring out the highlights. Something nice about this paint is that it
dries hard and has a gritty texture to it. For this tank, it will make a great surface
for Dean to rub against while in shed. Anyway, I went on to cover
everything with the paint. The first layer is the most important one, so I made sure to get it down into
all of the cracks and crevices. After it was left to dry, I added the
second layer, which is a medium gray. I used a dry brush technique. I applied a little bit of paint to the brush
and lightly applied it to the raised areas. This really brings out the texture
by creating the highlights. These layers dry quickly, so I was able
to apply the third layer shorty after. This time, I'm using an even lighter gray. It's essentially the base
Drylok with a few drops of tint. Once the paint dried, I could
secure the panels to the tank. I'll use White Silicone because
that's what I had on hand. I applied a decent amount to the
back piece and put it in place. To ensure it stayed against the tank, I
used other pieces of foam to prop it up. I let it cure for around 12 hours. Then, I went on to add the side panels. Again, I applied the silicone
and pressed them in place. Here you can also get a look at the
side ventilation I mentioned earlier. This could work as is, but
the corners aren't seamless. To address it I'll use Expanding Foam. I applied it along the entire
seam between the panels. After it cured, I went back and carved it like
before, to match the rest of the background. Once that was good, I went
and painted it accordingly. Prior to setting up the tank, I
thoroughly rinsed off the background. This will get rid of anything loose or
excess that may have built up in the process. Live planted snake enclosures
come with a few challenges. In my case, Whodini is very active
and likes to borrow at times. Because of this, he will dig
up plants and move them around. You may have success letting the tank grow
in for years prior to adding the snake, but I don't have that kind of time. I think I was on the right track with a
previous setup I did, but it wasn't perfect. I modified that idea and I think I've up
with something that will work really well. I have these Aquatic Net Baskets
that I cut down to a smaller size. They're just a little too tall as is. From there, I put down hot glue and
lined the baskets with Geotextile Fabric. This will keep all of the
substrate in place without restricting the plant's roots
to the confines of the basket. I filled the bottom of the planters with Pebbles. This will weigh down the baskets and
create a small false bottom of sorts. I filled them up with a blend
of substrate that's different from what I'll use for the rest of the setup. I'll list the components on screen. I also used Zip-Ties to secure
Window Screen over the top. What I've created is a stand alone plant basket, that's tamper proof, and able
to placed anywhere in the tank. To add the plants is simple. I just cut slits
in the screen and situated them accordingly. Once I got them in place, I went
back and zip-tied the slit shut. Here's how they look now. Dean
won't be able to dig up the plants, but until they thoroughly root in, he may be
able to knock them over if he really tries. I don't think it will be much of an issue though. Also, I'll show you what
plants I used and why later on. As for the rest of the setup,
I'll mix up a substrate blend that's similar to what he'd naturally encounter. It's a 2 to 2 to 1 mix of Coco Fiber,
Organic Top Soil, and Play Sand. Yo, Playsand Tanner checking in
again to make sure you that you liked the video and subscribed
if you haven't done so already. This mix will encourage burrowing behaviors
and should actually hold up after he leaves. In theory he can return to burrows he's made
previously without having to dig all over again. Anyway, I had issues mixing
it all up in the bucket, so I moved it over to tank
to complete the process. Since the plants are isolated and this isn't a
very humid setup, a false bottom won't be needed. As the plants need water,
I'll just target the baskets. In addition to that, there are
components in the baskets that retain water, which will keep runoff at a minimum. The substrate layer is also pretty deep. Anyway, I added a base layer to the
tank to get an idea of how it will look. I lightly packed it down, to help keep
his borrows as I described earlier. Everything looked right, which
meant it was time to scape the tank. The first element I'll add
is Dean's cork bark perch. He likes to bask on top of it, hide
in it, and use it for shedding. I placed this in the same location as the previous tank because I think it worked
really for him in that spot. It also will help give him a sense of familiarity. Then I worked in the first plant basket. I put it near the cork bark
to help soften the edge. I want it to look like a tree fell on top
of plants and now they're growing around it. I also added another plant on the left side. I continued adding items, including
driftwood and cork bark pieces. I sourced all of the driftwood
locally many years ago. Unfortunately I don't know
specifically what kind it is. They were in his previous tank
though and he made good use of them. I continued to add pieces of cork, branches, and the remaining plants throughout
until got something I could work with. I also added some slate near the hot
spot to collect heat for Dean to rest on. Now I can make the water bowl. I glued two pieces of foam together and
cut them out into a bean-like shape. First, I carved the exterior
to match the background. Then, I carved the inside of the bowl. Here's what I ended up with. It
looks like your standard bowl. I went back and painted it
like before with Drylok. The only different was that I sealed
the inside with Pond Shield Epoxy. I did this to ensure it will hold
water and to strengthen the piece. I added three layers total. Once it cured, I thoroughly rinsed the bowl. I did a water test off camera
and it held water perfectly. I like how it turned out other
than the cloudiness in the bottom. I applied a little too much epoxy on the first
layer, otherwise this wouldn't have happened. It's only a minor issue though and
not worth redoing at the moment. The reason I even did this was to match the background and to make a
bowl large enough for Dean. Anyway, I dug out a spot in the
enclosure and fit it in accordingly. I'll have to pull it out and redo that portion
of the setup every time I need to clean it, which will be annoying, but it's one of those
trade offs I make for a better aesthetic. Admittedly, it also give me an
excuse to socialize with Dean. He's extremely inquisitive and always wants to
know what I'm doing when I'm in or near his home. After it was in place, I worked
in the remaining elements. Let's top it off with the Leaf Litter. These are leaves that I gathered
from my yard in the fall. Before use, I boiled them to ensure they're
free of pathogens or anything like that. Per usual, they'll create a home for the clean
up crew and fertilize the plants long term. They'll also add spots of increased humidity
and give Dean something else to interact with. I also added damp sphagnum moss under the cork
pieces on the right to create humid pockets. Given the nature of this setup, I
know it will be nearly impossible to keep moss alive. It just won't be humid enough. I really want that look though, so I
decided to incorporate some Dried Mosses. I put them throughout the floor of the
enclosure and in crevices on the background. The last design element I included
were a few additional vines of pothos. I planted these ones directly into the substrate. I don't know how they'll do, but
I figured I should give it a try. Worst case they don't thrive and I have to
wait for the main plant to establish itself. We're pretty much done here. I'll briefly go over the equipment
and then we'll get it stocked. First is a 100 Watt Ceramic Heat Emitter. I have this hooked up to a thermostat
to regulate the temperature. The thermostat is in the canopy. From there the probes run down
the front of the enclosure and are secured with stainless steel staples. The rest is hidden under the substrate
and the probes are placed inconspicuously. I also have a Reptisun 5.0 UVB
right above Dean's cork perch. This is essentially the same way it was mounted
in his previous tank and he made good use of it. Long-term I may switch over to a
longer light to cover more area. Lastly, I have some LED Strip Lights for the
plants and for ideal viewing of the tank.
Let's get it stocked. We'll start with the Springtails. As you know these will help break
down organics and keep mold at bay. My guess is they'll primarily
congregate near areas of moisture, which is where they're needed most anyway. Next, are the Isopods. I have a variety
here and will list them on screen. I think most of them will do quite well. The only ones I'm unsure
about are the dwarf whites. These will clean up any waste
I miss while spot cleaning. Just because I'm adding a clean up crew,
that doesn't it's time to get lazy. Cleaning up after Dean is still a very important
tank given the amount of waste he produces. Last but not least, we'll add the man himself. There you have it, my take on a
bioactive Kingsnake Enclosure. I had to got through several iterations of this
to get something I think will work long-term. The most troublesome elements being the plants. As I said, if I had time to wait,
this would be less of an issue. Even still, he'd probably end up digging
through roots and uproot everything. I think what I came up with is a great
solution because it addresses that problem, while still allowing the roots
to grow through the setup. The geotextile fabric is permiable and
the roots can easily grow through it. Otherwise, we wouldn't get all of the benefits
of the plants and it wouldn't truly be bioactive. It will take a few months before
we get to that point though. Of course, the clean up crew
plays a role in that as well. Those, combined with beneficial bacteria, and fungi that will form in time,
will create a pretty natural setup. It will no doubt take some fine tuning in
all departments to get it fully dialed in, but all things considered, I think
it's a great setup for my kingsnake. That said, don't take this
as a definitive setup guide. I'm doing what I've found works for my snake. Do your own research and fine tune your
design based on your animal's habits. I've observed and interacted with
Dean for almost half of my life, so I have a decent idea of what he will and
won't use, and even now I'm still learning more. I already know that some of you are
thinking this isn't a good scape. My response to that, is that you have
to realize what I'm dealing with here. As soon as you're making a setup for
a large animal, the game changes. You have to consider what will hold up long-term
and what it will actually be able to use. For me at least, I think this is a good
combination of utility and aesthetics. In line with that, all of
the plants I chose are robust and easy to care for in variable conditions. By the way, the tank itself is a custom built
plywood enclosure that measure 72 Inches Long, 24 Inches Deep, and 28 Inches Tall,
which is 210 gallons or 794 Liters. On that note, I think I've said enough. I had a lot of fun with this
build and I'm so excited to finally have this portion of the animal room done. It's the start of bigger and better
things that I cannot wait to share. Stay tuned for that. Until next SerpaSquad, take care and peace!
