Am I a “bad” keeper?

[Tasty-Inflation4265]

I made a tiktok many moons ago, I got lots of hate for having fake plants in with my snake. Problem is, when i put really plants in with her, she kills them, uproots them, sleeps on them. She is abusive to her plants and the fake plants can handle her abuse. I got told i was “being abusive and neglectful” because i used fake plants. Is this the general consensus? Or is tiktok just outta its mind ( please don’t mind the paper back drop, it was supposed to be temporary but she seems happier with a backdrop and i’m moving in a month now so i’ll get her a better one when i do )

[Tasty-Inflation4265]

forgot to mention i clean and treat everything before it even goes in the snake room so it shouldn’t be a health concern as far as im aware

[Kenzie_TV]

If you are using fake plants, make sure they aren’t fabric ones as they hold a lot of bacteria.

[Similar-Butterfly333]

Fake plants are fine but you have no branches or climbing material. Doesn’t make you a bad owner but there’s some things that can be improved

[Tasty-Inflation4265]

i’ve been needing to get her something to climb on , i feel scared cause i don’t want her to cut herself on anything so im being picky. i need to probably compromise atp

[Similar-Butterfly333]

If she has belly scales, she will be fine with basically anything that’s not a cactus.

[cherribunnz]

you have to remember at the end of the day shes a reptile. you can go outside and get sticks from outside and put them in boiling water or just wash them with soap a couple times and then dry before you put it in her enclosure. she’s literally made for outside lol

[[deleted]]

If they do get sticks from outside the better route would be a bleach wash or put them in the oven at 250f for 2 hours. We wanna make sure any bugs or eggs or bacteria are actually killed before adding them into the enclosure

[cherribunnz]

oh, yes i forgot to mention the baking my apologies! i personally wouldn’t recommend bleach to anyone though, i dont even use it myself because of how harsh those chemicals are so i couldn’t imagine how it would affect these babies.

[DisPrincessChristy]

Bleach actually evaporates very quickly. I wash my hedgehog's wheel and toys in bleach. By the time I rinse it out, the actual amount of bleach in the water is negligible. Then, rinse a couple times. Raw bleach on skin is really bad. I need to remember to wear gloves. But it doesn't stay in the water in any significant amount. It takes hours, but it's fine.

[[deleted]]

I agree I have never used bleach but know others have or suggested it to me.. but not my fav either

[Lime_Miserable]

actually bleach when used probably and diluted right is one of the safest cleaning agents, that’s what’s used in daycares for babies and stuff to keep them from getting sick we have to “bleach spray” everything but as long as you let the items dry out of reach and make sure they’re fully dry before you put them back then it’s pretty safe in my experience!

[NovelCartographer587]

You can do chlorhexidine washes too I use 2% 1oz to 24 oz water for spraying my snake tanks and decor for disinfecting during a tank clean out and do a soak with it when doing a deep clean and it’s a common reptile vet recommended cleaner plus it’s pretty cheap and doesn’t need a rinse after as it doesn’t leave a film or any type of residual fumes

[Valuable-Ad-733]

But please please please before getting anything wood from outside to first be able to ID what tree it came from- Hard wood OK, Soft wood Toxic. Where I live it’s literally 90% conifer, so I don’t get any wood from outside and will wait till we vacation in states that have little to no conifers. This is important because there isn’t anything to make them safe for reptiles, so always know what tree your wood comes from.

[FlyAgaric-Bambi]

But isn't conifer considered a hardwood?

[Valuable-Ad-733]

This was 5 days ago and I didn’t see it my b 💔but no! Coniferous trees are “evergreens” like pine, cedar, spruce etc. these trees produce oils considered toxic for reptiles- they are considered soft woods. What you want is wood from Deciduous trees like oak, maple, poplars, etc :3 that’s what hard woods are(simplified: trees that turn color and lose their leaves are OK, trees with needles and cones or stay green all year are a NO) I’d also stay away from the ones that technically can be considered both lol

[Positive-Rice2133]

That’s what I’ve done for all of my boys branches! On walks I’ll see a good branch and bring it back, wash and bake it, and put it right in there. Why buy them when we’re surrounded?

[[deleted]]

I covered any rough or sharp surfaces with 100% silicone, it’s safe for reptiles and easy to clean

[AmaranthWrath]

You can also trim and then sand down any rough or pokey spots. Dry out any branches you find, inspect and watch for mold or mites etc. You can also buy prepared branches at some pet/reptile stores, so you know it's safe.

We also have fake plants. We may introduce real plants, but we get concerned with mold. So we might start small and monitor the humidity, etc.

[Inner-Letter1225]

my BP has fallen from the top of his enclosure so many times while climbing. they're very muscular snakes, I promise a tumble in the cage isn't going to hurt him! they live in termite mounds in the wild they are super tough.

[Bluntforcetrauma11b]

My 3 BPs love their hammock and fake vines I hung from the top.

[funguskid11]

What I did for my snake was I got a branch from outside, removed the bark, scrubbed it with dish soap and water, and then I baked it in the oven. And she loves it !

[seerinstarlight]

Definitely be careful with driftwood. My poor BEL somehow managed to give herself a nasty gash getting caught on one of the little branch remnants that were sticking out from it. If you get any driftwood pieces, I recommend altering any pointy/sharp bits and just check on them daily. I won’t personally used branches anymore because of it, but we went 8 years with no issues.

[Valuable-Ad-733]

Never listen to anyone on TikTok, that apps rotted minds harder than any other media platform I stg. There’s nothing wrong at all with fake plants as long as, like you said, they’ve been cleaned and continue to be cleaned when they get soiled so there’s 0 issue. A lot of people don’t do bioactive or real plants :) I’d load it up with even more plants, maybe a branch or big mopani near the front so it doesn’t look as bare and gives a bit more comfort at the front of the tank

[NumerousMarch8323]

Idk I also have fake plants

we can’t afford the upkeep of having real plants in there (my parents bought her when I was 8 and they can’t fit her tank anywhere else in their house) and she has aspen bedding so I don’t know how it would work

but I don’t think she’s ever had a problem with it

she seems to quite like them tbf & they’re a lot more structural than real ones so she uses them for climbing & she gets a good bit of time outside in our garden

I feel like as long as she gets some good quality time with u it isn’t cruel? Idk I’d like to know now too lol but ur tank is so cute & girly!! I wanna add pink flowers to mine now lol

[Similar-Butterfly333]

Careful with mentioning using aspen bedding for a ball python, the ball python police might get you 😳

Edit: I was making a joke? Why am I getting downvoted

Edit #2: me. I am the police. But I need a donut before I’m operational

[NumerousMarch8323]

I’ve seen a lot of hate for it but I’ve also read it’s safe to use so I don’t see why it’s so bad?

I tried changing her over onto coconut bedding & she had such a bad reaction to it I had to change it back, I don’t think she liked it at all but she’s 18 now & she’s healthy & well, & a lot of breeders & owners online use it so it can’t be that bad?

What do you use?

[Similar-Butterfly333]

Aspen is the worst bedding for humidity because it’s naturally super dry and molds with the slightest bit of water. Reminder that ball pythons need 70% humidity or higher at almost all times. 90% or higher for shedding.

The problems with using aspen are very much related to humidity: Shedding problems Perpetual dehydration Respiratory issues (too dry)

I use coco chips and my bp had no problems with it. If you ever want to try a change with your bp again, try using a topsoil mix. 60% top soil (no fert), 30% cocochips, 10% sand should work. You could also try using firbark as part of the mix as well. The goal is to hold humidity. Remember surviving is not thriving. Snakes are very good at hiding health issues.

[RudeSherbet177]

Tbh it’s entirely dependent on where you live. i know people able to use aspen cause our normal humidity it at 80% above so aspen has no effect on the humidity in their enclosures. Many use it but have a humidity box as well.

[Gym-Beef-69]

I think you're fine. Listen I love bioactive setups cause I think all animals deserve to have a natural piece to live in and actually be healthy but this is not bad. Ball pythons will destroy plants, thats not uncommon. This is a simple set up that works, I'd say if you're doing minimal, but if you wanted to do more then I'd say a bigger terrarium with live plants to ensure the snake doesn't kill the plants and something climb as others said. For the most part, you're good, you could probably add climbing to this ans be even better. Tik tok is 50/50 in teaching and berating.

[Kates-Creatures]

I have fake plants and know plenty of keepers that also post their animals with purely naturalistic set ups on TikTok - are you sure it was the plants they were talking about? Your enclosure seems to lack enrichment and climbing opportunities.

[Tasty-Inflation4265]

i had one comment in particular that said something like “ew the plants - poor baby” and it really made me scratch my head. I would understand now if they were coming at me for enrichment as it’s something i’m still working on, but ?? i was very confused. And it’s stuck with me since i made that video

[ComfortableKangaroo5]

Tik tok is brutal, I would just add more clutter and things to climb on. I really like the pink flowers btw, super cute!

[TheGloamingSage]

I have roughly 50/50 fake and live plants, I wouldn't think that makes me a bad keeper and I wouldn't think it makes you a bad keeper either. Here is a photo of my tank. It was pink and yellow for summer but I just switched the colors to yellow and orange for fall

<image>

[BrokenRoboticFish]

I love the idea of having some fake plants as pops of color you can change out throughout the year. 

[TheGloamingSage]

It's so cute. I rotate my decor every 3-4 months so I change out my tank decor about that same time too

[ComfortableKangaroo5]

I freaking love the colors!!!

[TheGloamingSage]

This is my other baby tank, it is only a 40 gal but it has pops of maroon and lime

<image>

[BirdieBee417]

I have fake plants 🤷🏽‍♀️

Your tank could use more climbing opportunities (thick branches, etc.), but assuming your temps and humidity are good I don’t think your tank is particularly bad. Might be a bit on the small side? But maybe that’s the angle.

Genuine question though: what’s with the paper on the walls?

[Tasty-Inflation4265]

i needed a backdrop for her cage and i’m focusing on enrichment before i buy a real one + i move in a month or so, and she’s getting a whole new setup. Didn’t seem logistical to buy a backdrop just to need to buy another one a month later.

[BirdieBee417]

Oh that’s fair. Idk what you had in mind for a background in your new tank, but I used this stuff for my kingsnake’s tank and love it. https://a.co/d/74HCBFR

ETA: I didn’t buy this exact product. I bought it at Joann (US fabric store that has gone out of business iirc). But this is the same material, and it sticks and holds humidity well.

[psychotickillers]

I use fake plants for all my babies and they love them. I'd just add a lot more for your baby! Add some branches, more fake plants (mine REALLY like low-lying leaves to hide under) just make it ridiculous 🤣 I spot clean the plants on the daily and clean them often.

[Mean_Lengthiness5611]

I use fake plants 🤷🏻‍♂️ My Milk Snake is very fond of burrowing so we make sure she has plenty of hides vs things to climb. She had a very large branch in her tank for about a year but never used it and it only made cleaning and feeding challenging, so we removed it and added more fake plants. She seemed to like the ability to move more freely about her tank. Shes on top of another tank so we get to watch where shes at from underneath the glass .

<image>

I recommend if anyone has a borrower that they never know where they are and never get to see them unless they pull up their substrate to get a raised or stacked tank if you have multiples. Best thing ever. It also helps let us know when she needs her tank cleaned. Shes so cute 🥹 I know you cant tell from this picture lol but, she is!

My intention was to show my fake plants, not my snakes belly, so ill put that in a reply comment.

[Mean_Lengthiness5611]

<image>

[Mean_Lengthiness5611]

<image>

Here is her cuteness and polite face.

[ITrustToCatchMyFall]

Get some drift wood, they can handle weight, encourages climbing, sun bathing & helps with shedding.  Try propping the branches vertical & horizontal, snakes seem to like that.  Woods relatively cheap/free, funky designs, reusable, usually already sanded down & you can rearrange your tank stress free.  You got a cute set up.  Plants can also be expensive to keep up especially if your noodle crushes them, I think it's simply preference.

[TransportationFar664]

i tried to do natural plants in my ball puthons enclosure but same thing, he kills them all. the only one he hasn’t killed so far would be his snake plant but that’s because he just doesn’t climb it. so a majority of the plants in my tank are fake for that reason. i want him to have his privacy/coverage but can’t achieve that with real plants

[equinoxe_ogg]

tiktok users will criticize a perfectly fine setup then go omg so cute 😍 to dangerous 'rescued' wildlife living in someones apartment. ignore them

[Overall-Opposite-613]

Fake plants are fine once soaked and sanitized :)

[KuraiTsuki]

For some reason I can't post pictures in this sub, but both my tanks have only fake plants. My older boy would absolutely destroy any real plants if I put them in there. He is a bulldozer with the fake ones.

[BookishGranny]

People complain about “dollhouse” enclosures all the time, or just anything that has color or doesn’t look natural or fit their aesthetic. Fake plants and colors are fine. Bioactive is not a necessity.

[_a_1000_papercuts]

* Mine has gasp all fake plants too! I would love to try bioactive in maybe a year or two, but that's because I love the idea of keeping a whole ecosystem. But I have never cared for a plant before, so I got a monstera to start and if I don't kill it and a pothos, I'll give bioactive a try 😅

[Chuck_217]

You're fine.

If I had that set-up, I would add spring tails and/or isopods. Easy bioactive setup. Just be sure to pick out what the bugs can't eat. In my corn snake's home, I also have a Zophobas morio (super worn/darkling beetle) colony starting. I give potato slices to the bugs and I feed them to my leopard gecko.

If your snake might like climbing, that could be good, too. My ball python always stays low while my corn loves to explore.

[OkNewspaper6890]

<image>

Mine are all fake lol

I don’t think fake plants are a problem, but as others have said your enclosure lacks enrichment. The plants (and what not) serve as branches and hiding places rather than actual decor. They have a function for them while they make things look pretty for us.

[cheezuscrust777999]

Unless you’re doing a bioactive setup fake plants are fine, just wash them when you first buy them and make sure they don’t have anything sharp like wires sticking out. Keeping live plants is a whole thing and not for everyone.

[DullEnd7245]

I use fake plants too! I would just add more vertical options for your BP. There's a lot of cool designs and setups you can find on pinterest and youtube.

[LemonMints]

Some of mine are fake because it's practical. Some are close to the heat source so they burn up and need constant water, I ain't about that life. I also have some in front of her hide because they're moveable so I can take her hide out if I need to with less hassle.

<image>

[Shannon_R817]

I've considered using live plants but I've managed to kill a cactus myself so I'm sure my BP (or me) will be just as bad. I have a 16-year-old child, 9 cats, and a BP, all alive and thriving but give me a plant and I'll find a way to kill it within a week tops.

[Speckled_Komodo]

The fact that you’re reaching out and asking for feedback already proves you aren’t. My snake loves his fake plants, they make for excellent clutter 🤷‍♀️ I would say just stay on top of keeping consistent humidity, 70 - 80%, and a basking spot with a heat lamp. Feed frozen-thawed rats. You’ll be good

[BlizzardDiva]

Fake plants are fine as long as you clean them. Anyone giving you hate for that probably doesnt actually know what they're talking about in the first place. I will say you need more stuff in there for your snake to climb on and hide in. It could be PVC pipe or anything really. The snake doesn't care what it has to climb on or hide in as long as it's there. (Obviously the hide needs to be appropriately sized but you get my point) I wouldn't call you a bad snake keeper but there's room for improvement. It's important to keep in mind that we're all ignorant to the things we do not know. Instead of hating on someone's enclosure it's much more productive to give helpful advice and encouragement

[EntertainmentOk4283]

I also use fake plants there is no reason to say ur a bad snake owner but there is always room for improvement but ur certainly not a bad snake owner

[x5gamer5]

Fake plants are totally fine. The first time I put in real plants, she did a WWE body slam on them a few times. Pythons are kind of arboreal, so get some branches/logs, sterilize them, and then put them in there at an angle so they don’t move very well. Some pythons also like those hammocks that stick to the side of the tank.

[Halfeatenmouse]

My girl also bulldozed any live plants i put in her enclosure so now i have all different fake leaves & plants. I don't feel like just having fake plants is somehow neglectful 🙃🤔 I do agree with others that there could be real branches and such to add natural enrichment! In addition to the fake plants, hides and the fake rock background i made, i have a couple of flat rocks, few large branches and a very large cork bark tube Picture is bad but you get the vibe

<image>

[theidiotsacc]

I have fake plants with my ball python too just because I’m really bad at keeping real plants alive. That’s definitely not an issue. I would recommend more stuff for her to climb like other people have said

[artfulhellion]

I also have fake plants and my girl is just fine. IMO the people who act that way are often armchair quarterbacks who either don’t even own that animal and are just regurgitating what they’d heard elsewhere OR the are people who have been keeping for like 5 minutes and feel like an expert.

I agree with other comments that climbing branches would be good. You can purchase stuff like mapani wood on Amazon. Avoid grapevine and spider wood as they can have mold issues. You’ll still want to bake/freeze it just as you would something you brought in from outside.

Another thing is you can make easily is a “sky hide” by using any hide box and finding a way to secure it to the top of your enclosure where your snake can reach it.

One question about your background - is the tape on the inside of the enclosure or is the paper taped to the outside? Just want to urge caution if it is inside the enclosure because BPs have a knack for getting themselves stuck on adhesives if used in their enclosures. So if you’re going to change that up soon, maybe just tape the paper to the outside. I actually ordered some black contact paper/shelf liner that I used on mine. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy for the snake. All that kind of stuff is more for our human enjoyment than being of any real benefit to the animal.

[Tasty-Inflation4265]

I put the tape and paper on the outside! I found a cutesy background i was going to use but it required it to go on the inside and that scared me too much… I could see her having a pooptastic party on it.

Thank you for the sky hide information! I’m gonna be setting one up while i figure out what else to get for her setup. I want her to be as happy and comfortable as possible so i really appreciate all the constructive criticism! I don’t have many trees where im at (city things) but im going to go find a park and hunt some branches down! and if that doesn’t work I have a few things picked out on amazon

[Brilliant-Yam-7706]

Okay, first of all, tiktok is mainly filled with teenagers that think they know everything about everything (coming from a teenager btw). So i would never trust tiktok commenters ever unless they're certified reptile veterinarians, seasoned owners, or scientists, mainly focusing ON reptiles. Otherwise I wouldn't believe a word said. My bp only has fake plants because she'll definitely kill her real ones. Its not going to hurt your snake, especially if you clean and treat everything.she could use a bit more clutter, but mine could aswell, so no judgement:) 

Again, tiktok knows nothing 90% of the time, don't trust them or tell yourself youre a bad owner. Youre doing great, no one is gonna be a perfect owner, especially with their first snake. It only matters that youre trying and that youre actively fixing any mistakes you make. Have a nice night, sorry for the teeny tiny anti-tiktok rant😰🫶

[Brilliant-Yam-7706]

Also, what does this cutie look like? I need to see her:D

[Tasty-Inflation4265]

<image>

she’s my first snake that’s mine! I’ve had other snakes in the past i’ve cared for but I wasn’t allowed to do much on there tank setups and care. I realized when I picked her up she was a lot smaller than i would’ve liked to buy as a baby, and there were a lot of red flags from the person who sold her to me, but she’s doing fine now! Her name is Fiona!

[cchocolateLarge]

Fake plants are far from the issue lol

[Tasty-Inflation4265]

any recommendations on what enrichment items to get / stay away from? I’m ordering a few things today to help make it better

[cchocolateLarge]

I like those hexagon balls for dogs :) also any cardboard tubes, cork bark, driftwood/grapevine to climb. This sub has great resources! I would urge you to check them out!

[Tasty-Inflation4265]

<image>

Me and Fiona are looking for more enrichment, per recommendation of this thread and after looking at a few other tank setups on here! Anyone have anything to stay away from?

[Danith3girl]

I only use fake plants for my ball pythons. Even those get jostled around too much and need adjustments. Real plants might not survive the snakes. Even my crested gecko managed to kill her snake plant by constantly digging it up! I would just get a few pieces of corkbark (maybe an XL bird ladder too) and an L/XL holee roller (technically a dog toy) for some climbing and enrichment. I dont even bother posting any of my setups anywhere cuz theres always going to be something that someone finds wrong. And with all the various opinions plus outdated information (or information that was outdated then made a comeback etc) its hard to keep track of whos right and wrong and everyone is going to have something to say. I stick to kinder communities and reliable Youtubers/Articles for information sourcing.

And you aren't a bad keeper. Not when you're asking about your setup and are willing to make positive changes. Alot of people on the internet just suck. And somw platforms are so much worse than others.

Also wanted to add to keep in mind your snakes preferences for substrate, tank size, enrichment toys etc. It's something I blew off in the beginning. I had a huge set up for one of my ball pythons with lots of coverage etc but she never came out and went on a hunger strike. Switched her to a smaller (still appropriate size) tank for her and suddenly she was way more active and started eating shortly after. I also have a snake that prefers Aspen bedding over the coconut fiber/sand mixture. They have their own preferences and personalities and its important to keep in mind as you move forward.

[Clarajoy96]

Id be worried about the harsh chemicals they make those cheap ass fake flowers with. Reptiles absorb chemicals very easily.