Moist/Shed box maintenance

[PhilyD]

1. Do you use a moist/shed box for your BP?
2. If you do, do you offer it only right before shed or do you keep it in there all the time?
3. If you do use it how do you maintain it?
a. do you rinse it out every so often?
b. how often do you replace it?

I ask these questions because my BP just had her first shed with me yesterday. It wasn't great. It came off in several small pieces but it did all come off accept for a small piece on her tail. It's all off now. My humidity goes a few percent above and below 60% with occasional spikes into the 70's. I keep her in a tub on aspen. I live in NW Ohio and as such it is pretty humid around here. I am switching her to a mix of forest floor and coco fibre.

A week ago I made her a moist/shed box using Exo Terra Forest Plume Moss. I have never seen her in it. Anyway, I'll get it dialed in. Im just curious about your experience/thoughts on moist/shed boxes.

Thanks,

Phil

[Hannahshissyfix]

Never needed to use one. I use a coco bedding in my tubs that's great at keeping humidity up.

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[Sonny1318]

Okay, maybe I can help a bit. First off check your humidity twice, it was not a good shed, a good shed is all in one piece. I use tanks and also have a big humidifier. It’s at least 50% humidity at all times. As soon as I notice they are starting to go into shed, I add sphagnum moss to their hides, damp but not wet. I also mist during this time. I always have good sheds using this method. When I kept rainbow boas I used a humid hide I made out of a Rubbermaid container. That species loved to use the humid hides, but balls can be tricky. Best of luck, and double check your husbandry. Hope this helped.

[BallPythonWannaBe]

I never use a shed box and I get perfect sheds every time. I have a 10 gallon tank though, not a tub.

[PhilyD]

Okay, maybe I can help a bit. First off check your humidity twice, it was not a good shed, a good shed is all in one piece. I use tanks and also have a big humidifier. It’s at least 50% humidity at all times. As soon as I notice they are starting to go into shed, I add sphagnum moss to their hides, damp but not wet. I also mist during this time. I always have good sheds using this method. When I kept rainbow boas I used a humid hide I made out of a Rubbermaid container. That species loved to use the humid hides, but balls can be tricky. Best of luck, and double check your husbandry. Hope this helped.

Do you throw the moss away after each shed or do you rinse and reuse?

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I never use a shed box and I get perfect sheds every time. I have a 10 gallon tank though, not a tub.

Thanks

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Never needed to use one. I use a coco bedding in my tubs that's great at keeping humidity up.

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Thanks,

[Sonny1318]

Do you throw the moss away after each shed or do you rinse and reuse?

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Thanks

I would love to reuse it, but 99% percent of the time, there is urates or poop. On the rare occasion there is not, I do.

[Coluber42]

It really does seem like a lot of people here report bad sheds the first time a new snake sheds with them, even if their humidity is basically fine. Remember that the snake’s body is working on new skin well before you see any visual signs of it, so all sorts of stuff having to do with shipping, moving, adjusting to a new environment, and getting the enclosure dialed in can have an effect. That’s all to say that it’s entirely possible that the next shed will be fine even if this one wasn’t.

Re. humid hides though: IMO, more hides is good and an assortment of hides with different conditions in them is better. That lets the snake choose where it’s comfortable and what conditions it needs. There’s no reason to take the humid hide away after a shed; and actually, if you only put it in while the snake is in shed, the snake is probably less likely to make use of it because it’s new and unfamiliar.

There are lots of ways to make one; for example, you could use a plastic tub with an entrance in the lid, and fill the tub with coco coir or moss or whatever. If it’s deep, it can be damp enough at the bottom to maintain high humidity while the surface stays dry to avoid skin issues from sitting somewhere damp. You don’t have to replace that stuff all that often, just if it gets soiled or starts to look gross.

[PhilyD]

Thank you for that. I am feeling a little better about the whole thing. Im learning still and appreciate all of the help. I feel like my humidity is getting close to right. Im fine tuning. Looking forward to her next shed.

[Crowfingers]

I keep a moist hide in the tank all the time - its a terra cotta pot (upside down) with moss in it. I soak it in boiling/near boiling water about every 10 or so; or after it gets poo'd in to prevent mildew. I reuse the moss until its soiled / starts to smell old which usually takes about 2-3 weeks.

My boy really only uses right before he goes into blue. But soaking the pot in hot water every 3ish days keeps the humidity 55-65% without needing to mist. I also have a little dish of moss on the opposite side of the cage that is always moist to help maintain ambient humidity. I have a T11, so it's a big cage - and only having a water bowl wasn't enough (mostly in the winter though)