When I first switched my corn to a naturalistic setup he explored for *hours* even though he was tired, he loves it. It’s so cool to watch him use everything in it!
I thought about it! I was going to put some arid isopods in there, but my arid isopod colony isn't producing as fast as I'd like. Definitely an option for the future 😊
Hey Elle! I noticed you didn’t bake or treat the topsoil, did you have any issues with fungus gnats or plastic/glass pieces in your soil? How has it held up? I’m planning to do this for my northern BTS! 🤩
I love corn snakes & they deserve more RUclips love! 🥰 I am currently picking up pieces of bioactive stuff, and planning a bioactive setup for my little dude. 😍
You guys did a excellent job on his tank awesome morph his going to be super happy I love Corn Snakes they are great pet snakes and I dream of breeding my own corn snakes one day
Lovely setup! The big plant looks like a grass. My hognose loves his grasses in his bio setup! If you don't have enough arid isopods, 2-3 morioworms and 20ish meal worms plus a humid spot for springtails under the waterdish will kicktart the bioactivity of this setup. Then when you have enough isopods, add them and a good amount of leaf litter. I've found my "arid" isopods actually reproduce faster in the setups becaus it's warmer than my room temp.
All this great inspiration as I have 4 snakes getting their 4x2x2 upgrades this month. Lots of work ahead of me, but lots of different ideas to try as well. Even my Corn Snake, Ziggy Slitherdust is getting an upgrade, and he's my smallest snake.
Great job and I like that plant he chose to put in looks like good place for your corn snake to hide. Definitely no drainage layer they like to burrow to much. GOD BLESS 🐍💖🐍💖🐍💖
Great choice of substrate mix - sand and reptisoil - easy, holds humidity but dries out on top which is much better than an always-damp substrate. You did the right amount of humidity w/o going too far. Thanks for NOT making this like a tropical frog enclosure. I say this because there seems to be a trend - well-meaning folks with bioactive setups that look great for damp forest species but then there is a corn snake in it, which is just not appropriate.
So I have two corn snakes, about to rehouse the 8 year old male and came across your video.. think I'll take all these points into consideration and see what we come up with. Definitely going the route of using UVB forest lighting. Thanks for your videos, they're incredible.
Only thing I'd say is to make sure it isn't too arid and dry. Corn snakes live in deciduous forests and other relatively humid habitats. However, their cousin the Great plains ratsnake seems to do fine as a more arid species, seeing as they live in deserts, so it does make me wonder if corn snakes can be hardy enough in the same kind of environment.
Great video 💚🐍🦎💚 And I love the items in your Etsy store. Have you considered offering an alternative that include magnets instead of suction cups? I can't seem to get suction cups to attach to my PVC enclosure.
I've thought about it! I just need to figure out a way to attach the magnet to the ledge so that it stays long term. 🤔 and also find/test some good strong magnets
just got my 2 y/o cali king a 36x18x18 exo terra. your tutorial helped inspire my setup! im def gonna try out the substrate mix you all did. and the buried hides are so sick! im def going bioactive tho. cant wait to get started on this project
Looks great but a couple of questions. 1.) The lights you are using are not adequate for the grass. I suppose you could just let it die and dry out. It would still look good that way. 2.) What are you going to be doing about fungus gnats? Cheers, Chris
The grass is actually doing great! We've had to trim it again since setting it up, as it keeps growing up through the screen. Fungus gnats happen as a result of wet soil sitting around for too long - long enough for fungus to grow. The soil isn't wet in the tank, so that shouldn't be a problem. (I know it looks wet in the video, but that's just the dampness right out of the bag, which dried out very quickly. Also reptisoil and Scott's top soil just stay dark colored like that) I do occasionally get fungus gnats in some of my other high humidity bioactive tanks (like with my crested gecko, cave gecko, and gargoyle gecko) and occasionally with my many house plants, but it's never been much of an issue, just a couple here and there. Solving that is usually just a matter of letting the top layer of substrate dry out a bit, and then they go away. 😊
@@ellesreptiles Sounds good but I bet the grass will not do well long term. Almost all ornamental grasses are full sun. Initially it will grow to try to reach light but then it will begin to die back (just my prediction) . It will probably look just as good dead and dried out though. Cheers, Chris
YES! I love this! Is the substrate mix moist? I want to try something other than aspen but something budget friendly and something that’s not too moist.
It was very slightly moist, but dried out very quickly. It still has a wet look to it, though, because the top soil and reptisoil are dark substrates. 😊
It can help with drainage so the substrate doesn’t become waterlogged and makes it more natural (most soil in the wild had at least some sand in it). It can also help the substrate hold burrows.
Just come across this vid, questions as its not bioactive, how do you keep it clean? Did you get issues with the damp soil or gnats? I have so many questions 😂
OK, I love this set up. I have a question about odor control and the substrate. It's seems obvious to me that an aspen set up, or something similar, is easier to clean and trade out. How does that work with this? Is it just that there are so many organic materials and isopods in here that it all naturally controls odor and waste or is this something that needs to be changed out (maybe not frequently but) regularly?
Hey I used those substrates for my snake and mushrooms keep growing in his enclosure. Any tips or reasons to why this keeps happening ? Should I not use the top soil anymore?
This looked so great and was wonderful inspiration! I’m wanting to upgrade my corn snake; but I’m not sure if she’s ready a larger enclosure. She’s almost a year old and is in a 20 gallon. Should we go directly to a 4’2’2’ or do something in the middle? Any advice welcome!
How has this background held up two years after making this video?? Really considering doing something similar to this but I hear mixed reviews about the foam peeling off and bugs hiding behind the foam
Hi! Did I see that right? Does the heat pad actually stick on the outside bottom of the terrarium? How does it work? How is with stacking multiple terrariums?
Some brands do! Some brands (I think this one was zoomed) have a sticky back that you just stick to the glass. Some brands you'll have to use tape to attach them. Just make sure to use a thermostat of course. And I'm not sure what you mean by stacking them. 😅 sorry. Do you mean like on a shelving system? Or are you talking about stacking pvc enclosures?
Heat mats are not a good heat source, overhead heating is much better for them. A halogen flood bulb connected to a dimmer/dimming thermostat is the most natural and beneficial option, Arcadia’s deep heat projector is the second best option. They produce infrared A and B like the sun, heat that penetrates deep into the skin tissue and heats them far more effectively than heat mats. Whereas heat mats only produce IRC, which only heats the surface of their skin.
Spot clean whenever you see poop. You can go several months between substrate changes if you stay on top of spot cleaning. If you go bioactive only minimal cleaning will be necessary.
No, that’s not long enough for an adult. The enclosure should be at least as long as the snake, and corns generally get 4-5’. They need a 4x2x2’ or larger.
You're only putting the small probe of the thermostat between the heat pad and glass, the heat pad just goes right around it. So the one spot where the probe is won't touch the glass, but the rest of the heat pad will.
Heat pads are not a good heat source. A halogen flood bulb connected to a dimmer/dimming thermostat is the most natural and beneficial option. They produce IRA and IRB like the sun, heat that penetrates deep into the skin tissue and heats them far more effectively than heat mats. Whereas heat mats only produce IRC, which only heats the surface of their skin.
Does this hold burrows ? Looking into changing mine also but mine loves to burrow makes tunnels all over so trying to find one that can hold her burrows
A soil/playsand mix can hold burrows. You can experiment with the proportions but it should be more soil than sand. A small amount of clay can help it hold burrows better.
Cleaning it involves changing out the entirety of the substrate when needed, and cleaning the glass/ornaments. I spot clean waste as soon as I see it. I change the substrate out when it's no longer light/fluffy, or if it starts to smell weird. As for the water bowls/branches/fake plants, I just use dish soap and water to clean them when they need it.
I know I am very late but watch him and make sure he actually eats and doesn’t ignore the food because sometimes they don’t eat therefore don’t gain weight or die in rare cases
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
That enclosure turned out amazing and it’s so cool to watch him explore his new environment. 🐍❤️🐍
Thank you! 😊
@@ellesreptiles .... you should incorporate the snakes colors and patterns in the cage somehow.🐍👍
Good morning Elle, hope you're Sunday is amazing!!! It's always hilarious when you're hubby joins you on the video. You 2 are a trip together lol!!
Hahaha thank you! And I hope you have a fantastic Sunday as well! 😊
@@ellesreptiles you're welcome and thank you lol!! 😊
When I first switched my corn to a naturalistic setup he explored for *hours* even though he was tired, he loves it. It’s so cool to watch him use everything in it!
This is exactly what I’ve been looking for!! Any plans on making Wade’s enclosure bio active? You may as well! Great video!
Yes, what's the opinion on whether corn snakes need a drainage later or not! Looks great 🥰
I thought about it! I was going to put some arid isopods in there, but my arid isopod colony isn't producing as fast as I'd like. Definitely an option for the future 😊
Hey Elle! I noticed you didn’t bake or treat the topsoil, did you have any issues with fungus gnats or plastic/glass pieces in your soil? How has it held up? I’m planning to do this for my northern BTS! 🤩
both your guy's energy made this video even more enjoyable haha love how it turned out!
🥰🥰🥰 thank you!
I love corn snakes & they deserve more RUclips love! 🥰 I am currently picking up pieces of bioactive stuff, and planning a bioactive setup for my little dude. 😍
Very nice! I'm so happy we threw out the Aspen and went naturalistic 😊
You guys did a excellent job on his tank awesome morph his going to be super happy I love Corn Snakes they are great pet snakes and I dream of breeding my own corn snakes one day
Thank you so much! 😊
@@ellesreptiles you are very welcome
He looks really happy in his new enclosure tank!
Brilliant video guys
Thanks 😊 🫂 🙏
Lovely setup! The big plant looks like a grass. My hognose loves his grasses in his bio setup! If you don't have enough arid isopods, 2-3 morioworms and 20ish meal worms plus a humid spot for springtails under the waterdish will kicktart the bioactivity of this setup. Then when you have enough isopods, add them and a good amount of leaf litter. I've found my "arid" isopods actually reproduce faster in the setups becaus it's warmer than my room temp.
I love corn snakes, and this enclosure turned out really cool
Thank you! They're awesome snakes 🥰
Just commenting so I can watch it all when I get back home .. I only watched a bit atm ao I be rewatching it soon
Yes to the corn!
All this great inspiration as I have 4 snakes getting their 4x2x2 upgrades this month. Lots of work ahead of me, but lots of different ideas to try as well. Even my Corn Snake, Ziggy Slitherdust is getting an upgrade, and he's my smallest snake.
That's awesome! Lots of work for you, but you're going to have some very happy snakes 🥰
Thanks I got my corn snake one of those grass plants and he loves it he spends most of the day hiding and wrapping himself around it so thanks
Great setup! I’m going to be making my Corn snake, Milo a new bio active enclosure. This was definitely helpful!
Great job and I like that plant he chose to put in looks like good place for your corn snake to hide. Definitely no drainage layer they like to burrow to much.
GOD BLESS 🐍💖🐍💖🐍💖
That plant is doing so well, too! It keeps growing out of the mesh lid 😅
@@ellesreptiles
That's great to hear the plant is doing well. In the future you will have to update us on the enclosure.
GOD BLESS
That does look really awesome though! Great job!
Thanks! 😊
Okay that's a really cool enclosure.
Next week I'm getting a baby girl red albino . This taught me so much tyvm.❤❤❤❤❤
very nice set-up... and guess you have to buy a new Aloe Vera xD
Love the placement of the hide too, this is really cool
Haha yea, going to be on the look out for another one. And yea, I got so excited when he showed me what he did with the hide 🥰
"No hard feelings...I guess"🤣🤣🤣🤣
😒🤣
Great choice of substrate mix - sand and reptisoil - easy, holds humidity but dries out on top which is much better than an always-damp substrate. You did the right amount of humidity w/o going too far. Thanks for NOT making this like a tropical frog enclosure. I say this because there seems to be a trend - well-meaning folks with bioactive setups that look great for damp forest species but then there is a corn snake in it, which is just not appropriate.
Thank you so much! 😊
Good vid.🥰 you should do a buffet for all of your pets
🤔 ooooh that's interesting. I like that idea!
Your shop on Etsy is actually in my favorites list and I didn't even make the connection.☺️
Oh that's awesome! Thank you 🥰
So I have two corn snakes, about to rehouse the 8 year old male and came across your video.. think I'll take all these points into consideration and see what we come up with. Definitely going the route of using UVB forest lighting. Thanks for your videos, they're incredible.
Only thing I'd say is to make sure it isn't too arid and dry. Corn snakes live in deciduous forests and other relatively humid habitats. However, their cousin the Great plains ratsnake seems to do fine as a more arid species, seeing as they live in deserts, so it does make me wonder if corn snakes can be hardy enough in the same kind of environment.
Great video!
Thank you so much! 😊 I really enjoy your videos as well!
Love all the a/v
Wanting to get away from aspen with my corn. This is so helpful! 👍
Love it ! ❤️🔥😍
Thank you! 😊
How do you stop your snake from uprooting the plants? Mine makes or her mission to make sure she burrows under all of them.
Your tank looks amazing! Your setup look really good, but for an adult corn snake you really should have a 4x2x2 ft enclosure
Bigger is always better, but a 120 gallon is not at all necessary. A 70 gallon (what they have here) is plenty.
"No hard feelings.... I guess". My wife exactly lol
Great video 💚🐍🦎💚 And I love the items in your Etsy store. Have you considered offering an alternative that include magnets instead of suction cups? I can't seem to get suction cups to attach to my PVC enclosure.
I've thought about it! I just need to figure out a way to attach the magnet to the ledge so that it stays long term. 🤔 and also find/test some good strong magnets
@@ellesreptilesI was thinking that the design part could be tricky. I wish I had some ideas to share. If only suction cups would stick to PVC 😉
just got my 2 y/o cali king a 36x18x18 exo terra. your tutorial helped inspire my setup! im def gonna try out the substrate mix you all did. and the buried hides are so sick! im def going bioactive tho. cant wait to get started on this project
how tall is the enclosure and how deep in the bedding? It turned out rly nice and good looking!
Looks great but a couple of questions.
1.) The lights you are using are not adequate for the grass. I suppose you could just let it die and dry out. It would still look good that way.
2.) What are you going to be doing about fungus gnats?
Cheers,
Chris
The grass is actually doing great! We've had to trim it again since setting it up, as it keeps growing up through the screen.
Fungus gnats happen as a result of wet soil sitting around for too long - long enough for fungus to grow. The soil isn't wet in the tank, so that shouldn't be a problem. (I know it looks wet in the video, but that's just the dampness right out of the bag, which dried out very quickly. Also reptisoil and Scott's top soil just stay dark colored like that) I do occasionally get fungus gnats in some of my other high humidity bioactive tanks (like with my crested gecko, cave gecko, and gargoyle gecko) and occasionally with my many house plants, but it's never been much of an issue, just a couple here and there. Solving that is usually just a matter of letting the top layer of substrate dry out a bit, and then they go away. 😊
@@ellesreptiles Sounds good but I bet the grass will not do well long term. Almost all ornamental grasses are full sun. Initially it will grow to try to reach light but then it will begin to die back (just my prediction) . It will probably look just as good dead and dried out though.
Cheers,
Chris
In a previous video you mentioned on of your guys loved to burrow in the aspen. Do they still get to burrow?
They can absolutely still burrow in a naturalistic soil mix!
YES! I love this! Is the substrate mix moist? I want to try something other than aspen but something budget friendly and something that’s not too moist.
It was very slightly moist, but dried out very quickly. It still has a wet look to it, though, because the top soil and reptisoil are dark substrates. 😊
Love the look but just wondering what is the play sand for?
It can help with drainage so the substrate doesn’t become waterlogged and makes it more natural (most soil in the wild had at least some sand in it). It can also help the substrate hold burrows.
Just come across this vid, questions as its not bioactive, how do you keep it clean? Did you get issues with the damp soil or gnats?
I have so many questions 😂
OK, I love this set up. I have a question about odor control and the substrate. It's seems obvious to me that an aspen set up, or something similar, is easier to clean and trade out. How does that work with this? Is it just that there are so many organic materials and isopods in here that it all naturally controls odor and waste or is this something that needs to be changed out (maybe not frequently but) regularly?
Hey I used those substrates for my snake and mushrooms keep growing in his enclosure. Any tips or reasons to why this keeps happening ? Should I not use the top soil anymore?
How do you clean the substrate? Is it like apsen where you just replace the substrate every cleaning?
This looked so great and was wonderful inspiration! I’m wanting to upgrade my corn snake; but I’m not sure if she’s ready a larger enclosure. She’s almost a year old and is in a 20 gallon. Should we go directly to a 4’2’2’ or do something in the middle? Any advice welcome!
Go directly to a 4x2x2’ or larger. Be sure to provide plenty of clutter and plant cover
I see this is 2 years ago. Wondering how the tank is now? Also do you mist to keep the plants thriving?
Can you tell me what plants you used? I am putting together a corn snake enclosure and really like the plants you chose.
How has this background held up two years after making this video?? Really considering doing something similar to this but I hear mixed reviews about the foam peeling off and bugs hiding behind the foam
Do you know if I can put millipedes in my bio active tank with my snakes?
Hi! Did I see that right? Does the heat pad actually stick on the outside bottom of the terrarium? How does it work? How is with stacking multiple terrariums?
Some brands do! Some brands (I think this one was zoomed) have a sticky back that you just stick to the glass. Some brands you'll have to use tape to attach them. Just make sure to use a thermostat of course.
And I'm not sure what you mean by stacking them. 😅 sorry. Do you mean like on a shelving system? Or are you talking about stacking pvc enclosures?
Heat mats are not a good heat source, overhead heating is much better for them. A halogen flood bulb connected to a dimmer/dimming thermostat is the most natural and beneficial option, Arcadia’s deep heat projector is the second best option. They produce infrared A and B like the sun, heat that penetrates deep into the skin tissue and heats them far more effectively than heat mats. Whereas heat mats only produce IRC, which only heats the surface of their skin.
what does reptisoil consist of? is there anything one can use as an alternative for that? ive never seen it in south africa
Great video,i have a question though,you feed him in or out?
I’m a beginner getting my first corn snake this month, would you recommend I start with aspen?
Hey I have a question do I need to put a heat pad? And if I do where would I buy it and where would I place it :)
Heat mats are not a good heat source, use a heat lamp. A halogen flood bulb connected to a dimmer or dimming thermostat is a good option.
I need some snake ledges!!!
how often do you clean this setup and replace the soil?
Spot clean whenever you see poop. You can go several months between substrate changes if you stay on top of spot cleaning. If you go bioactive only minimal cleaning will be necessary.
i havent watched the entire video yet so i dont know if she mentions it but can i keep a corn snake in a 3 foot viv
No, that’s not long enough for an adult. The enclosure should be at least as long as the snake, and corns generally get 4-5’. They need a 4x2x2’ or larger.
i have a question where to you exactly put your thermostat under the tank at ?
In this tank it's directly on the heat pad, between it and the glass. 😊
@@ellesreptiles how would i be able to do that when i have to stick the heat pad to the tank ?
You're only putting the small probe of the thermostat between the heat pad and glass, the heat pad just goes right around it. So the one spot where the probe is won't touch the glass, but the rest of the heat pad will.
@@ellesreptiles okay thank you ! and are you using any tape to put on the heat pad or no ?
Heat pads are not a good heat source. A halogen flood bulb connected to a dimmer/dimming thermostat is the most natural and beneficial option. They produce IRA and IRB like the sun, heat that penetrates deep into the skin tissue and heats them far more effectively than heat mats. Whereas heat mats only produce IRC, which only heats the surface of their skin.
Does this hold burrows ? Looking into changing mine also but mine loves to burrow makes tunnels all over so trying to find one that can hold her burrows
A soil/playsand mix can hold burrows. You can experiment with the proportions but it should be more soil than sand. A small amount of clay can help it hold burrows better.
Sorry im super new to snakes in general. Is this type of setup easy to cleanup?
Cleaning it involves changing out the entirety of the substrate when needed, and cleaning the glass/ornaments.
I spot clean waste as soon as I see it. I change the substrate out when it's no longer light/fluffy, or if it starts to smell weird. As for the water bowls/branches/fake plants, I just use dish soap and water to clean them when they need it.
Do they need a cleanup crew? Isopods????
If it’s a bioactive set up yes, but it isn’t a required for normal set ups
how do you clean the plants?
and sanitize stuff
No drainage layer or isopods?
Yep! Naturalistic, not bioactive 😊
Since it's not moist and doesn't have springtails I wonder if it recycles the feces fast enough to stay clean.
No, it's not bioactive, just naturalistic. So we still regularly clean it out 😊
@@ellesreptiles how often do you completely change out the substrate?
I ike it very cool
hey I got a leopard gecko not too long ago, does anybody have any tips on how to help him gain weight? his name is Arlo, thanks very much
I know I am very late but watch him and make sure he actually eats and doesn’t ignore the food because sometimes they don’t eat therefore don’t gain weight or die in rare cases
El den.. Elden... Elden's ring.... Cool
How often do you clean and or change this substrate blend?