branches and sanitizer questions

[Waffles13ilj]

Hi all,
Just a couple of quick questions:
1. I remember once seeing something that said you can put branches from outside in your oven for x amount of time to make it safe for the tank. Any suggestions?

2. What is the best thing to sanitize the tank with and how often?


THANKS!!!

[xdeus]

A couple quick answers...

1. 20 minutes at 200F

2. Your choice: Soap and water, mild bleach solution rinsed WELL, or Chlorexidine.

[Texas Dan]

A couple quick answers...

1. 20 minutes at 200F

2. Your choice: Soap and water, mild bleach solution rinsed WELL, or Chlorexidine.

Is this an official answer? I've been looking for an answer to that question for a while, just never asked it.

[xdeus]

Is this an official answer? I've been looking for an answer to that question for a while, just never asked it.

I'm not sure about an official answer, but I copied this off of the foodsafetysite.com website regarding sanitizing:

Heat. There are three methods of using heat to sanitize surfaces. The first is exposing the surface to steam using one of the following time temperature schedules -- 170 degrees F for 15 minutes or 200 degrees F for 5 minutes. A second method is hot water, which is the most common method used in food establishments. The higher the temperature, the less time that is needed to kill microorganisms. If hot water is used in the third compartment of a three-compartment sink, it must be at least 171 degrees F (77 degrees C). If high-temperature warewashing machine is used to sanitize cleaned dishes, the final sanitizing rinse must be at least 180 degrees F. Cleaned items must be exposed to these temperatures for at least 30 seconds. The final method of using heat is hot air that is applied at 180 degrees F for 20 minutes.

[Waffles13ilj]

Ok, so I don't know what I put in the search this time that was different, last time I searched I got nothing.

I found this on an Iguana web site:

"Your iguana will need branches to climb on. Chose branches of appropriate diameter and strength to support his weight. Branches from outside can bring in pests. I suggest either baking at 320 for 20 minutes or drying out over the outdoor gas grill for 30 minutes. Keep branch away from flames (for the obvious reasons). Choose hard wood always. Pine and cedar will smoke heavily when baked! I usually use maple or oak."

Any ideas?

[BMorrison]

I put my log hides in the oven when Furio had mites for 35 minutes at 325 degrees monitoring them every ten minutes.

[xdeus]

Well, certainly a higher temperature for a longer period won't hurt anything unless you get over 572F (flash point of wood), but the 200F for 20 minutes is enough to kill anything that might be harmful to your snake on (or in) the branch.