BP "check up" and tank cleaningquestion

Hi all, I was browsing on here last night and saw some threads about belly/scale rot and mouth rot. I'm not at all worried that my snake might have any of these issues, but I want to be educated about them. What are some of the signs/symptoms of belly rot? I know it is caused by the snake laying in an overly humid/wet enclosure, but what do the early stages look like? I am also not sure what mouth rot would look like. How do I check for it? I have never attempted to hold my BP by the head and open his mouth, so I do not know the proper technique that would be safe and painless for the snake.

Tank cleaning is my other question, what cleaner should I use when I do a thorough cleaning? I have heard people mention chlorhexadine, but I was unable to find it at a store (walmart pharmacy). How often should I be doing a complete tank cleaning with cleaner? I do not know the weight of my bp in grams or pounds, but he is about 4 months old and approximately 20 inches at healthy size in a ten gallon glass tank, if that makes a difference. for substrate i use paper towels and a thin layer of aspen snake shavings

anyone?

Oh walmart won't have cholorohexadine.

Go to any animal supply stores (if there are farms near you), otherwise look around online, or you could spend 30$ on it here:

http://www.reptilebasics.com/Chlorhe...n-p-16138.html

Personally I dislike the pump dispenser (it likes to drip).

As for scale rot:

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...archid=1015908

look through those threads.

As for length vs tank size the tank size should be no less than 1/2 his length (not in gallons but in length)

As for general care:

http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules/...warticle&id=59

Hey there well scale rot it is actually from humid/wet areas...the signs of these r the snakes skin loOks & feels rough...you can prevent this by only spraying when is in shed or low humidity...mouth rot can be cause by debris getting stuck between the gums & teeth of the snake...such as bedding...& you usually see white stuff coming out of the snakes mouth its gonna be obvious no need to open the snakes mouth...

About the tank you can clean it with Wipe Out 1 they usually sell it at PetCo or Petsmart for like $8 or some petshops...it disinfects pretty well I recommend it...it kills salmonella on contact & can reduce the spread of bacteria...the tank should do fine for now but you should upgrade it to a bigger one soon like 20 gallons shall do fine until he's an adult...

Forgot to mention about every when to clean ur tank...well you can clean everytime there's feces or urates...but u should disinfect the entire enclosure at least once a month so bacteria won't spread some people like to wait 2 months its upto you...

This is why tubs are so nice. Move the snake and disinfect the tub, then every month disinfect the rack.

i am working on a very tight budget, what would be the most inexpensive cleaner to use?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tuggernuts

i am working on a very tight budget, what would be the most inexpensive cleaner to use?

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If you have a tight budget, then you probably shouldn't keep snakes......

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DrLew

If you have a tight budget, then you probably shouldn't keep snakes......

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i have one snake and take care of him very well, i always make sure i do everything i can to make sure he is taken care of perfectly. youre right, I dont have money to take care of 16 snakes or however many u have, so i have one. I havent skimped on any care/husbandry supplies. im in college and im looking to save a few dollars where i can, sorry if i cant afford a gallon of $30 cleaner. I was asking because i thought there might be a more economical alternative that i could buy from a grocery store or pharmacy. Its obvious you have no interest in helping me, so please do not post in this thread unless you have something constructive to add.

Not everyone has or wants to spend $30 on a cleaning product. There are other options that are more cost effective and do a very good job. I don't think we need to be assuming someone shouldn't keep a snake just on the basis of what cleaning product they can afford to choose.

Now as far as a good and inexpensive cleaning routine here's what I do. When you spot clean feces and urates/urine, make sure you are getting right to the bottom of the enclosure and a fair bit around the messy area. Liquids do tend to spread in loose bedding, so you want to make sure it get it all up. Once a month or so, put the snake in a safe container and strip out the enclosure. Soak the hides and water dish in hot water, a drop or two of dish soap and some bleach (use 1 part bleach to 10 parts water). While that's soaking give your enclosure a good scrub out with hot water and dish soap making sure you get into the corners really well. Rinse out the soapy water. Then fill it with the same 1 to 10 solution of bleach/water and let it soak a good 20 minutes or so.

Rinse both the tank and the hides/dishes with repeated rinses of clear water until no whiff of bleach can be detected. Wipe off with a paper towel and there you go! Lovely clean stuff for your snake within only a few pennies spent and a bit of time and elbow grease. :) I've been doing it this way for years with my 30-40 snakes enclosures and I've yet to have any problems with this method. I do their hides and water dishes usually every two weeks and a full strip out about every 4 to 6 weeks (on a rotating basis so I'm not doing all of them the same day which wrecks my lower back).

I am also on a very tight budget and I use the same cleaing methods that frankykeno suggested. I find it to be very effective.

thank you, i will use that method for my bp too :)

I spray the tub with a mix of bleach and water. Then, I rinse/wipe down fairly well with a mixture of dish soap and hot water. Hides and water bowls get washed with dish soap and hot water as well.