Built my caiman tank today
- Thread starter FormulatedFire
- Start date
A good rule for reptile substrate is nothing that can fit in it's mouth.
I've dealt with many cases of impaction, although never in a crocodilian.
I know in the wild they are in sand, mud etc., but in captivity small mistakes in husbandry can cause pica-appetite.
I would suggest indoor/outdoor carpeting, larger smooth rocks, driftwood.
The best thing is newspaper, but it looks crappy.
The key is something either disposable or easy to clean.
Nasty substrate can lead to bacterial and fungal infections.
I've dealt with many cases of impaction, although never in a crocodilian.
I know in the wild they are in sand, mud etc., but in captivity small mistakes in husbandry can cause pica-appetite.
I would suggest indoor/outdoor carpeting, larger smooth rocks, driftwood.
The best thing is newspaper, but it looks crappy.
The key is something either disposable or easy to clean.
Nasty substrate can lead to bacterial and fungal infections.
damn demandor your on the roll..... looks like we got another rep specialist in the house
i agree with what he said but i would go with a type of dryer mulch/wood chips... big enough to not fit in its mouth
i agree with what he said but i would go with a type of dryer mulch/wood chips... big enough to not fit in its mouth
I don't know if I totally agree with that statement. One easy way to avoid impaction problems is to feed from a clean dish or bowl or from tongs. Also, substrates like indoor/outdoor carpeting are terrible at holding humidity. A soil, decomposed granite mixture, moss, leaf litter, cypress mulch, etc does a much better job. These are also much better for burrowing herps like monitors.
That being said, I have seen croc setups where they are kept on carpet-type substrate, and they appeared to be alright. Crocs will get their humidity from the water, so I wouldn't think that would be an issue here. I'd put some plants or some sort of shelter on the land that the caiman could hide underneath though.
i used grass for sometime with my gators... they LOVED it... the grass died tho..
what do you plan to use for the water part?
what do you plan to use for the water part?
From my experience impaction is not usually accidental ingestion of substrate during feding.
Yesterday a co-worker had a baby blood python go to the vet for an enema. A decent sized clump of pine shavings was removed. I am certain this was purposefully ingested by the animal due to improper husbandry. I have also seen many species of lizards that are kept too cold or w/o UVB eating substrate even when no food is being offered.
Don't get me wrong, reptiles can live on gravel, sand, bark etc., but if there is a malfunction w/ heat or lighting, or some other husbandry related problem the substrate can be lethal.
If anyone wants get deeper into this issue, we should start an "impaction" thread to see what others have experienced.
Yesterday a co-worker had a baby blood python go to the vet for an enema. A decent sized clump of pine shavings was removed. I am certain this was purposefully ingested by the animal due to improper husbandry. I have also seen many species of lizards that are kept too cold or w/o UVB eating substrate even when no food is being offered.
Don't get me wrong, reptiles can live on gravel, sand, bark etc., but if there is a malfunction w/ heat or lighting, or some other husbandry related problem the substrate can be lethal.
If anyone wants get deeper into this issue, we should start an "impaction" thread to see what others have experienced.
Not forgetting that some reptiles will ingest sand and such deliberatly if they dont get enough calcium. And impaction is nasty. My Red Ear Slider got some gravel in her digestive tract...never again. Be safe rather than sorry.
Paul.
Paul.
im not sure i agree with your statement.. where is he gonna get a dish/ bowl for it when its bigger
Soil would be cool, but then you should probably do a lot of planning, and create a living viquarium, with live plants etc.
Soil should be clean and pest free (available cheap at home depot).
It will take a lot of work to do it right, basically you need to create a living system that will decompose waste, and keep harmful bacteria/fungal growth to a minimum.
Remember, you won't be able to easily clean soil.
If you are going to do that I would coat the entire enclosure with fiberglass. It may be a pain in the ass, but you cage will be waterproof, easily cleanable, and should last for many years.
Soil should be clean and pest free (available cheap at home depot).
It will take a lot of work to do it right, basically you need to create a living system that will decompose waste, and keep harmful bacteria/fungal growth to a minimum.
Remember, you won't be able to easily clean soil.
If you are going to do that I would coat the entire enclosure with fiberglass. It may be a pain in the ass, but you cage will be waterproof, easily cleanable, and should last for many years.
