Cleaning

So I was curious. Is it absolutely necessary to bleach all the decor in the tank once a month? I understand cleaning out the tank and spraying it down. But if there are no feces or urate on the decor is it important?

My first comment, bleach is not my first choice for disinfecting. It is quite toxic and must be completely washed free. My preference is F10 line or chlorhexidine. Neither is harmful in direct contact.

That said, if a complete disinfecting monthly is needed is hard to say. It depends on how much bacteria you have. The issue is easy the conditions needed for a royal python are ideal for bacterial growth. In the wild we are surrounded by good and bad bacteria they basically keep things balanced. In an enclosure there is no way of knowing if you have a balance or not. It is possible to have bad bacteria in abundance.

To my mind it is easier to disinfect and treat everything and keep everything clean. The small amount of effort you can save is simply not worth it. It is just simply easier to clean everything than not.

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Originally Posted by kitedemon

To my mind it is easier to disinfect and treat everything and keep everything clean. The small amount of effort you can save is simply not worth it. It is just simply easier to clean everything than not.

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totally agreed, just take the time to keep your decor sanitized/disinfected
I also completely disinfect my whole cage with non-toxic cleaner to be safe besides just normal cleaning fluid.

I clean my fake foliage with some hot water and good old soap. I then use some Chlorhexadine and rinse it off.

I check/spot clean daily and completely tear down/new substrate and disinfect the first of every month. Just better to get set in solid practices from the get go.