Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 9:12 pmSo I may get my hands on 2-3 walk in Bird Aviaries with flourescent lights, ventilation, and drains at the bottom. They use a fiber glass and a cement like structure to make it appear like a rocky wall. Each one has a locking door on the back and measures 3'x3'x8'. So if I combine them the 3 would be a little over 9' long. This would be in their own room or the basement (in that case I would have a small heater attached to the ventilation system).
My question is, is it possible to set up a fully planted environment with nontoxic plants for sugar gliders. I would probably get 2 (2 females most likely). The soil area would be set up with a false bottom so all the excess water would drain out through the built in drains.
The sides of the enclosures are meant to be sprayed down to be cleaned and have places for branches and food dishes.
I have made large enclosure before for other animals containing live plants. And to keep it clean I have them teaming with red wiggler worms, springtails, tiny land snails and millipedes, and pillbugs/sowbugs. Some even have large nonpest species of cockroaches living in them and they keep it clean as well. I understand some of these species would end up as Sugar glider snacks, so I will make sure I utilize nonnoxious species.
My thoughts are that the plants would work as a natural way to break down waste, they do in my other enclosures (such as the china cabinet I converted into a tailless whip scorpion enclosure).
Please help me out and let me know. I always want to set up naturalistic enclosures for my animals and do not want to exclude any potential sugar gliders I may get. If this is a bad idea, please tell me why and I will consider doing a bare cage or focusing on another animal.
I have the resources and time to spend on these high maintenance animals, though I want to do something innovative and unique.
Thank you so much for your help and info.