Tubs?

I'm just curious, alot of you say you use 'Tubs' as cages for your BP's. What do you mean by that, like can somebody post a pic of one?

Why are they so popular over the regular tanks? Are they easier to maintain, where do you get them, or any other information on them?

Thanks.

Tubs, as in rubbermaid, sterlite, Iris. They are easier to store if you have a few snakes, alot easier to clean over aquariums, and keep humidty well.
http://sterilite.com/Products/Catalog/1960_LG.jpg

I just happen to have some pics of my tub setup. I bought some different hides (rock ones), but besides that, it's still the same as in the photos.

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r.../TubSetup2.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...urynsHouse.jpg

This last photo is a piece of flexwatt (heating element) that I have taped to the bottom of the tub. Onto the flexwatt, I have the probe to my Herpstat (thermostat) taped:
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...t/Flexwatt.jpg

As for why people choose them over tanks:
-- Lighter
-- Easier to clean
-- Holds humidity and heat really well (no need for supplemental overhead lighting, as is often needed with tanks)
-- Saves space (at least vertically)
-- And outside of the requisite thermostat, it's relitively inexpensive to set one up.

Tubs are just way, way, way easier to maintain. We've got Sterlites, Rubbermaids and Iris brand tubs and I'd have to say the Iris beats the others hands down. Completely smooth inside so you aren't chipping urates out of ridges, so clear they are basically as viewable as glass and very well made. Iris also doesn't tend to change tub dimensions which is very important if you've built a rack around a certain size tub. We are slowly switching every snake over to an Iris brand tub. Iris are harder to find and slightly more expensive but in my opinion well worth it. You can purchase them online from Eric Erb at www.reptiletubs.com or find them at some of the major office supply stores (OfficeMax, Office Depot).

Adult female in a large Sterlite tub.....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...nnaghFeb07.jpg

Juvenile female in a medium sized Rubbermaid tub.....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...MoragFeb07.jpg

Baby BP in a small Iris tub (you can probably see from this picture why I think Iris is a much superior brand of tub)....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ordanFeb07.jpg

they're really cheap :carrot:


personally I don't prefer them. If you can afford one, a well made purpose-built snake enclosure is just as easy to clean, heat, and maintain humidity.

one thing I hate about the tubs is that they are top-opening. A good snake enclosure is front-opening. It allows you to come at your snake at his level, rather that from above when picking him up or doing maintenance. I know my snake and frogs exhibit stress signs when things come at them from above, so I believe that the front-opening enclosure is better.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fishmommy

they're really cheap :carrot:

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They're really inexpensive or affordable. :) (sorry, I have a hard time with the word cheap! LOL)

Anywhoo - here are some of mine:

Baby Tub - the green hide was soon replaced with an identical plastic flower pot saucer hide on the left side.
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...ub/BabyTub.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...b/BabyTub2.jpg

Juvie tub (same snake model as Joanna's medium tub, incidentally):
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...aEnclosure.jpg

Adult tub:
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...hexploring.jpg

Rack:
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...k/NewRack3.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...Rack/Rack4.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...Rack/Rack5.jpg

Tubs rule! Tubs in a rack even better! :cool:

inexpensive :carrot: you're right. cheap is kind of a negative word :)

once you start having perfect sheds everytime, you will see why tubs are better.


Snakes in tubs tend to eat better and shed better and heating is so much cheaper (compare a $30 heat mat to a $3 piece of flexwatt). Clean up is a breeze because they weigh like a pound each compared to a tank that is heavy. You are able to fit so many more snakes in the same area too.

I love using tubs, in a rack. It changed my life, literally; having so many tanks in my house took up a huge amount of room, so much that I did not have room for my desk and art/drawing area.. so we built the rack,and its footprint is about the size of one of our former tanks.. lots more room! And I can use the spare room for other things. Housing 8 snakes in the space it used to take for one, is priceless. But what really counts is the ease of care.. no more humidity troubles with screen lids that had to be covered with saran wrap..
I LOVE the ability to fully bleach and rinse out each tub; being so lightweight, I do not see how anyone can compare a heavy tank with a tub that you can carry in one hand with one finger.. I Hated taking every tank outside and hosing/bleaching it out, ugh! Not to mention the danger of breaking one (for someone as accident prone as me!) versus no negatives if you bang a tub into a doorway, etc.