Joined
·
282 Posts
I haven’t been here for a while, but as when I used to be a regular I was praised for my naturalistic and aesthetically pleasing setups for my T’s, I thought I might do some tutorials. So, the first one I’m doing is Basic Terrestrial, suitable for species such as G. Rosea and B. Smithi.
You will need:
![]()
A suitable tank (I’m using a large flat ExoTerra), substrate, cork bark, a water bowl and (optionally) a few bits of fake plant.
To start off, add your substrate. I’m using two-parts coir to one-part bark chippings (NOT cedar or pine, as it is toxic to T’s). As I’m doing this for a G. Rosea, everything is completely dry as they don’t like wet substrate. Mix up your substrate(s) if needed and you should have something similar to this:
![]()
First feature we will add is the burrow. About one third down from the end of the tank (If you are using a heat mat, make sure it is on this end) and dig a pit down so there is only a small scraping of substrate on the bottom, like so:
![]()
Position your cork bark on this at a slight angle, to give the burrow a mouth:
![]()
Next, using all your excess substrate from when you dug the pit for the burrow, bury the cork bark so just the entrance is showing. This gives it the appearance of a tunnel going into the ground:
![]()
This is your burrow done! Now in the end furthest from the heat mat (If you’re using one) dig a hole in the corner down to the bottom of the tank like so:
![]()
Add your water bowl into it.
![]()
Add the excess substrate right up to the edges of the bowl so it looks like a rocky pit and your basic setup is done:
![]()
Finally, add your T to the enclosure.
![]()
As you can see, I’ve added those extra fake plants to the tank for a bit of embellishment. I’ve overflowed the water bowl slightly as that is all this species needs in the way of humidity. You don’t need to follow these guidelines rigidly but I hope it serves as more of an inspiration to you for your enclosures. Pretty soon my dad’s B. Smithi will need a bigger tank so when that happens I’ll make the next tutorial, Advanced Terrestrial. I hope you enjoyed and please leave feedback!
You will need:
A suitable tank (I’m using a large flat ExoTerra), substrate, cork bark, a water bowl and (optionally) a few bits of fake plant.
To start off, add your substrate. I’m using two-parts coir to one-part bark chippings (NOT cedar or pine, as it is toxic to T’s). As I’m doing this for a G. Rosea, everything is completely dry as they don’t like wet substrate. Mix up your substrate(s) if needed and you should have something similar to this:
First feature we will add is the burrow. About one third down from the end of the tank (If you are using a heat mat, make sure it is on this end) and dig a pit down so there is only a small scraping of substrate on the bottom, like so:
Position your cork bark on this at a slight angle, to give the burrow a mouth:
Next, using all your excess substrate from when you dug the pit for the burrow, bury the cork bark so just the entrance is showing. This gives it the appearance of a tunnel going into the ground:
This is your burrow done! Now in the end furthest from the heat mat (If you’re using one) dig a hole in the corner down to the bottom of the tank like so:
Add your water bowl into it.
Add the excess substrate right up to the edges of the bowl so it looks like a rocky pit and your basic setup is done:
Finally, add your T to the enclosure.
As you can see, I’ve added those extra fake plants to the tank for a bit of embellishment. I’ve overflowed the water bowl slightly as that is all this species needs in the way of humidity. You don’t need to follow these guidelines rigidly but I hope it serves as more of an inspiration to you for your enclosures. Pretty soon my dad’s B. Smithi will need a bigger tank so when that happens I’ll make the next tutorial, Advanced Terrestrial. I hope you enjoyed and please leave feedback!
. I always did enjoy creating setups most when it comes to T's, so it's good to know I'm sharing the terrarium love!
