Updated 55 gal tall rock enclosure

[williamsr815]

The other day i decided that my custom foam and grout wall i made was taking up too much space and not getting used. My two leos did not interact with it at all, they just sat in their nice warm corner most of the time. I decided it was time to do something about it. For those who havent seen it, this is what it looked like before with the grout wall:

With some new rocks I made a entirely new enxlosure. Instead of having a full sand bottom which i know is frowned upon, I decided to cover the floor mostly with rocks and use some sand to fill in the cracks. I also added a larger heat pad on the right and a smaller one on the far left.

The lighting is just LEDs i have installed in the lid. I do not use them very often because they are just too bright for them. I have a heat bulb and a diffused CFL that i have on a timer. I have so many heat sources because i have such a large area to heat up.

Let me know what you guys think!

 

[katie_]

Very nice, before AND after

 

[williamsr815]

I took a few more pictures with my real camera, enjoy!

 

[PhoenixCoconut]

That is awesome, where did you get those rocks?

 

[williamsr815]

Thanks!
There are a few creeks around and every now and then i will head down and search for some nice ones and when i have enough i usually redecorate the tank. I have a 10 gal tank full of extra rocks and decorations in storage as well.

 

[PhoenixCoconut]

Ok send those rocks down here to TX JK I have a creek by my house but not rocks as cool as those. How did you clean them? Oh and how do you get your leos out? Do the rocks ever fall down?

 

[williamsr815]

Haha thats some expensive shipping!
I usually scrub them first to get all the dirt off then soak them in water with a little bleach, then rinse them really well, then dry them and throw them in the oven for a little while. This dries them off the rest of the way and kills whatever may be left. It also gives the rocks some heat so im not putting cold rocks in. IF i need to get them out i can usually just snatch them up while they are in the open but i rarely need to. The stability of the rocks was a major concern so before i put the leos back in i shook the tank like crazy to ensure nothing will fall down.

 

[theCREECH]

looks really nice

 

[RedBlaze]

I absolutely love the new setup. I know you shook the tank a bit before letting them loose but I personally would probably use something to stick them together.

Now what about feeders? Do you use crickets?

 

[williamsr815]

I made sure that there are no rocks that are balanced. Each rock has at least 3 solid contact points. I also keep a close eye on them and have tested them every day since i put them in. I use crickets 90% of the time and use mealworms as a little treat every now and then.

 

[Russellm0704]

I made sure that there are no rocks that are balanced. Each rock has at least 3 solid contact points. I also keep a close eye on them and have tested them every day since i put them in. I use crickets 90% of the time and use mealworms as a little treat every now and then.

how do you clean up the poop, i feel like it would be hard to clean it up in some spots. I wish i had a display tank like that

 

[williamsr815]

Well before i changed up the tank, they pooped in one corner on paper towels. Now that we have changed it around, one poops in the same corner while the other is pooping all over the place. I have a brush that has a 90 degree bend in it that allows me to get behind the rocks but i would much rather them poop on the paper towels, much easier to clean up.

You are right tho, it is very inconvenient to access some of the spots in the back.

 

[abrahamavelar]

How did you clean them?

another way you could do it if you have time is to wash them pretty good and then put them in he toilet tank where the water collects (not where u sit but in the tank behind) for 1-2 weeks and it will clean it self every time u flush the toilet

awesome looking tank!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Blister]

I also love the rocks, the leos look like they just love it.