Stupid Plastic Tubs? General Assessment? HELP PLEASE

[nicoleebriannee]

Hey guys,

This is a bit of a silly question but I'm a little concerned.

Today my boyfriend and I went to Repticon in Denver. We picked up two red tail boa morphs for 250. Very healthy, eating well, no mites, pretty relaxed... all that good stuff.

We brought them home and set them in two separate boxes while we went to pick up some tubs, since we weren't entirely sure we were gonna get anyone. I think maybe the tubs are a little too flimsy. I need to get a heat source on each of em, like a uth or the tape since lights are a little too hot and dry, but I think it might melt them. Right now I've got some extra heat lamps hanging waaaay above their lids so that they're getting heat, but i can tell if i set them any closer they'll melt.

These are the first snakes I've housed in tubs, and while I do like the space and the humidity levels staying where they're supposed to, I'm unsure what to do. Do you think this'll be okay or should i definitely go exchange?

I was hoping maybe someone could help me with a better brand or where to go. I'm thinking I'm gonna have to return them. We got these poopy tubs at walmart.

(Also, that's one of the new boas! She's a ghost, and the male is a 100% anery Hypo Monser Tail)

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[Sauzo]

This is what no one says about tubs, you will need to keep the room the tubs in warm via a space heater, oil heater or some other external heat source since as you found out, you cant really heat the ambient air in only the tubs very well with colder outside ambient air. me personally, im sorry but i don't use tubs, i use glass tanks for my babies with just CHEs and they do fine. Then I'll switch them to PVC cages when they outgrow the glass tanks. Maybe someone has some idea other than a portable room heater.

[kitedemon]

I agree tubs generally can only be heated with UTH or heat cable under the bottom systems. They hold next to no heat (poor insulator) and because of this rely on the air temperature of the surrounding air to hold the correct temps. To some degree everything does but other types of enclosures have greater options and a greater tolerance for cool rooms. This is the same for racks as well. The best advise I have is to either buy a different enclosure system, or build a smaller space around the tub and heat the air in that. A styrofoam cooler on its side can be a cheap quick fix you can add a low wattage fluorescent bulb to add heat and a bank of deep blue LED for over night. LEDs don't through much heat but the electronics do, (transformers and such) I know some whom use a power bar for a computer will a bank of 'wall warts' in it to heat a small space.

[Lizardlicks]

If you got the dosh, PVC enclosures are probably the way to go. They hold heat and moisture the best out of most options, but they're also probably the priciest.

[Jhill001]

This is why you don't buy an animal without having stuff set up for it already. I have a buddy that sets up a general catch all enclosure 20 gallons with paper towels and humidity at 60% and a heat lamp for a 90-75 overall gradient. Every time he goes to a reptile show.

[Sauzo]

Actually Lizardlicks, for the size, PVC cages are cheaper than glass tanks. Sometimes I will go to the pet shops when bored just to look around and my god, I'm amazed by how much big glass tanks cost nowadays, they are in the multiple hundreds of dollars easily. And they weigh a ton to boot as well lol. And yes you are right, PVC/HDPE cages are to best solution.

[nicoleebriannee]

What we did was move them up higher onto a shelf. Our room temp is usually 80 degrees, and they were sitting on the floor so it was much cooler. The temps are actually doing very well. I picked up a uth temp regulator and it hasn't been an issue. No melting, and belly spot itsnt too hot

We usually use glass too, thats why I was hoping for some info from people that use tubs. I think we actually did alright. I was just worried at first since I've never used this type of enclosure before.

And to the person that mentioned not buying before supplying - I understand. We usually don't do this. Before we went to the show we had no intent of buying. Usually we have a spare 10 gal for emergencies and random pickups, but we rescued a hog a couple months ago and gave it to him. Thought we were done getting snakes but we were wrong!

Sorry to worry anyone! I promise we're not ridiculously incompetent.

[Sauzo]

Aww a little hoggie!! I want one of those little guys lol. I hear they are gushing with personality. Good t hear you got the temps up but I would definitely look into PVC cages once they outgrow those tubs. And my vote at the moment is Animal Plastics. They seem to have the best prices for the sizes and they offer shelves for a very reasonable price. Just takes forever and a day to get one when ordered

[artgecko]

I use tubs, but they are in a heated room.

I use an ultratherm (from reptilebasics) under one end hooked to a t-stat. If I need to up the ambient temp, I have a lamp on a lamp stand that is adjustable (the stand and the lamp is on a dimmer). I drill holes in the tub on all 4 sides near the top (not many like 5-6 on the long sides and 3 on the short ends) to help move air around.

I DO advise using bulldog clips (binder clips... the giant ones that are 2" long and hold up to 1" thick) on the long sides of the tubs to keep them down.. boas are good at pushing them up otherwise.

I have 3 tubs on hand and used to use them (and glass tanks) exclusively. When I upgraded to a rack, I moved everyone out of the tubs except for my large boa that is in a very large tub. I keep the rest of the tubs around for quarantine setups.

When I was in my old apartment and using a non-heatd room, I would still use the heat lamp over the warm end of the tubs with the uth on the warm side also.. But I would drape a towel over the tub to help hold in heat. This system seemed to work pretty well.

I much prefer tubs to glass tanks... For me, they are so much easier to clean and swap out as needed. I am a small person, so lifting a big glass tank to move it or clean wouldn't work. I plan on buying pvc cages for all of my larger snakes (boas, jag. carpet) when they are large enough, but will keep the BPs, sandboas, and hognose in their racks.

[nightrainfalls]

I second the bulldog binder clips.

It is easy to heat tubs. I use a 35 watt halogen spotlight on a dimmer pointed at the tub. The light in about 20 inches away. I have a black top, so the light doesn't bother the snake. Radiant temps hit 87.

I also have an aquarium heater set to 89 in a rubber maid container filled with water to proved belly heat. I provides even heat, has thermal mass to keep the tank stable, and can't burn the snake. On top of the substrate temps hit 82-84 with just this heater. To make the heater, I cut a slit in the rubber top with a razor blade knife, then cut a hole big enough for the chord at the end of the slit. I pushed the cord through the slit into the hole and used silicone to seal the slit and hole. Then I fill the container with water, set the heater 89 and put the lid on. Instant safe UTH. If you want to add humidity, a few small drill holes in the lid can raise humidity by ten or so percent. I change the water in the rubbermaid once a week.

David