Hide Spot
I use flat slab of stones screwed with cut PVC pipes. Pipes serve as support
and hiding columns on which they coil upon and sleep their day away.
White Spot Medication
White spot fungus seems to come with buying these snakes. My first batch of
three had white spots around their nostrils and eyes, but they eventually got
over it after a few progressive weeks and sheds. Some white spots are still
present on the newest batch of 2, but they look a lot better now than when I first
got them. For the medication: None. I only use water buffers and that's it. I
admit I did try putting salt into their water and I observed it for 2 weeks, but
it was ineffective. I dont know if the 2 weeks observation period was enough, but
I was playing it safe (better safe than sorry). I had read they can be kept in a
saline setup and I had also read that they stop drinking at an unknown salinity
level which causes dehydration.
Real vs. Plastic plants
I use both 50% real--50% plastic plants. Plants are very present in their wild
habitat, so why deny them these things?? I use some plastic plants, because I
feed the prey fishes only once a day and when they get hungry they pick on the
live plants (anachris/hornwort/java fern) and get destroyed. I have a tub for
growing aquatic plants, so I just remove the destroyed stalks of plants and
replace them
with healthy ones.
Tank
I keep them in a 20G long tank with 30% (~4") water. I also made a wooden hood
with wire mesh to prevent escape. I had experienced escape once during my first
week, but now they don't seem to bother escaping anymore...maybe they like it in
the tank!
Water, Tank and Filtration
I keep my Acrochordus granulatus in a 20G long tank with only 30% water level, because these
snakes don't do well on catching fish in higher or deeper water levels. I use a
small garden water pump, because its strong enough for water pumping, but easy on
the live plants. I rely on a biological corner filter. Its quite small though,
so I clean it twice a week. Water changes 70% every week, because of the low
water level. Acrochordus granulatus produces solid waste--creamy white and black which
sits at the bottom (imagine "cookies and cream").
Temperature
Temperature ranges from 30-35C (86-95F). I drop the temperature by 1-2C at night,
because, generally, it is cooler at night...
Lighting
Photoperiod is 8hrs of day (8am-4pm), 2hrs of dusk (4pm-6pm) and 14hrs of night
(6pm-8am).. I subtracted 2 hrs of daylight and used it as dusk.. I noticed them
coming out of their hide spots along 5-7pm...photoperiod is day and night but I
added "dusk."
Substrate
I use small-medium sized river stones, because they are easier to clean than
finer stones like pebbles. It also makes the water last longer and clearer.
Prey Items
During the first weeks when the snakes where much smaller I fed them smaller
fish like guppies and small mollies. Now, since they have gotten too big for guppies, I now
feed them full grown mollies, swordtails, medium sized tilapias, small sized
goldfish. I dont really overstock my tank with fish, because the fish will die
due to overpopulation. I just drop in about 20 fishes and then just add some more
as needed to maintain a standard amount of fish.
There was one time when my girlfriend brought home a medium sized oscar, but we
don't have an extra tank, so we temporarily placed him with the 5 granulatus. We
did compare the largest snakes head size and the size of the oscar (which was
8 times bigger than the snake's head). Then, to our surprise, the oscar was gone
and We saw the belly of our largest granulatus very big (obviously the oscar).
Breeding
I hope I can be able to breed them. Because breeding the snakes is the final and
absolute result of the proper husbandry and that care you gave to the Acrochordus granulatus. All
your hard work and patience pays off when you see one of these little snakes
swimming and eating...
Caresheet provided by Kris Ramones, Philippines, who is currently (as of
10/07) enjoying 10 months Success with 5 Acrochordus granulatus! Thank You for
Sharing Kris!
