Ok seriously I'm switching to tubs, help me out on my list. ?'s also.

Ok so I'm so tired of tanks and heat lamps, they are just making everything worse for my BPs since it's just so dry here. So, I need help on my shopping list.

Ok here's the list, not really sure how much everything will cost, but oh well:

1- 10-20g UTH ($21 each)
2- 2 dimmers ($21 each)
3- 2 AccuRite ($15? each)
4- Soldering Iron (er...$$?)
5- tell me anything else I may need.

Here are the questions I have:

1- What size tub would I need for a BP who is around 1.5 feet long?
2- What size tub would I need for a BP who is about 3 feet long?
3- Can I just peel off the 10-20g UTH off of my 20g tank or would I need to do something to peel it off?
4- If the UTH can't stick back onto a tub, what could I use to make it stick again?
5- With a dimmer, could the UTH not melt the tub?
6- What are the best places to buy the tubs and AccuRites?
7- Could I use anything else besides a soldering iron to put holes in the tubs?
8- How much would everything pretty much cost me just so I know how much money I should be making to acquire this stuff ($93 estimated for the stuff besides soldering iron, but how much would the iron cost)?

If you could please add anything to my list that would be appreciated, as well as answer those questions I have.

I already have 2 hides for both of the BPs including a water dish and some plants. If I already have a digital thermometer, what should I get for the hygrometer? I am not sticking back to those pointless analog ones.

Well you shouldn't need a hygrometer if you are getting an acu rite, since thoses measure 2 temp and 1 humidity.

I'm not pro on tubs so wait for someone else to respond; I'm also waiting since I'm thinking switching to tubs will be a good idea too.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by omnibus2

Well you shouldn't need a hygrometer if you are getting an acu rite, since thoses measure 2 temp and 1 humidity.

I'm not pro on tubs so wait for someone else to respond; I'm also waiting since I'm thinking switching to tubs will be a good idea too.

---

Ya it's just so dry here that tubs will help me out so much.

I can't say much for the tubs Either. A soldering iron, hot glue gun, either of these would be between $5 and $9 at a hardware or craft store.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Whoodnballs

I can't say much for the tubs Either. A soldering iron, hot glue gun, either of these would be between $5 and $9 at a hardware or craft store.

---

I have a hot glue gun, but how would that put holes in the tub?

Hey log on aim...i'll answer your questions there...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by psycho

Hey log on aim...i'll answer your questions there...

---

Well I'm at my dad's and I don't have it downloaded on his computer since it makes his computer really slow, but tomorrow I will be at my mom's house when I get home after school (have it downloaded on her computer).

hot glue guns get pretty hot too. I've heard it done before, i think even on these forums. Maybe he used and I'm thinking of the one my mother has. Its got a big metal tip that would melt plastic for sure.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Whoodnballs

hot glue guns get pretty hot too. I've heard it done before, i think even on these forums. Maybe he used and I'm thinking of the one my mother has. Its got a big metal tip that would melt plastic for sure.

---

Oh I know it could melt plastic.. I burned myself for not paying attention to where I had it. It was a pretty painful burn lol. I'll try to hot glue gun thing, thanks for suggesting it.

Well I wanted you to get on aim cuz my internet is running slow right idk why...well both of your snakes shall do fine in a 41qt tub...also there's a thread about your UTH question in the DIY forum...also the heat from the UTH is far away from melting a tub...I use a temp controller for my tub & it does just fine no melting...tomorrow hit me up on aim to discuss the rest or if u got any other questions...thanks...

Instead of the dimmers you could get something like a Ranco or Johnson thermostat for a little bit more than the dimmers. If the setups are the same you can use one of those to control multiple tubs and they are more dependable.

Quote:

---

1- 10-20g UTH ($21 each)
2- 2 dimmers ($21 each)
3- 2 AccuRite ($15? each)
4- Soldering Iron (er...$$?)
5- tell me anything else I may need.

---

5. Something to secure the lids to prevent escapes.
6. Instead of dimmers, get a THERMOSTAT.

Quote:

---

1- What size tub would I need for a BP who is around 1.5 feet long?

---

Probably a 15qt tub. Do you know how much the snake weighs? you might be able to just move to a bigger tub right off the bat. Especially if you have been using tanks.

Quote:

---

2- What size tub would I need for a BP who is about 3 feet long?

---

She is a big girl right? a 30-40qt tub would be enough.

Quote:

---

3- Can I just peel off the 10-20g UTH off of my 20g tank or would I need to do something to peel it off?

---

There is a tutorial somewhere on how to do this. Just make sure you check the UTH to make sure it functions correctly.

Quote:

---

4- If the UTH can't stick back onto a tub, what could I use to make it stick again?

---

Aluminum tape.

Quote:

---

5- With a dimmer, could the UTH not melt the tub?

---

It is possible if the temps in your house fluctuate. Get a thermostat.

Quote:

---

6- What are the best places to buy the tubs and AccuRites?

---

I buy tubs from the container store (they are super clear). Accurites can be bought at home depot. I just saw them the other day.

Quote:

---

7- Could I use anything else besides a soldering iron to put holes in the tubs?

---

I have heard of people heating up a screw driver with a lighter or gas stove and then melting holes with that.

Quote:

---

8- How much would everything pretty much cost me just so I know how much money I should be making to acquire this stuff ($93 estimated for the stuff besides soldering iron, but how much would the iron cost)?

---

Tubs are between $5-10 depending on size. A UTH is about $20. If you are worried about cost it might be worth it to completely switch to flexwatt. A THERMOSTAT is about $25. Acurites are like $12.

I would look to spend around $100. Just in case somethings cost more than you expect.

Hope this helps!

I'm someone who used a tub from the start--and sterilite melts wonderfully when you heat up a metal chopstick and push it through--I'm sure a screwdriver would do the trick too. =)

I just set up a tub this week end. Let me get the pics uploaded...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by p3titexburial

I'm someone who used a tub from the start--and sterilite melts wonderfully when you heat up a metal chopstick and push it through--I'm sure a screwdriver would do the trick too. =)

---

This is what I did to put holes in my tub. At first I just pushed the screwdriver through the plastic. But the second round of holes I did, I held the screwdriver over a candle, let it heat up and it made things ALOT easier, and my hand wasn't as red as an apple!

I agree with everyone else, get a thermostat. I currently use a dimmer, and it works for me because I'm home all the time and never leave for more than 12 hours. I check in on my temps very frequently. It would be so much easier if I had a thermostat though!

Most of what I needed I got at Wal-mart. I use a 34qt for my '08 male. he is about 30" and weighs 470g. I set my '07 up in a 41qt tub. He is about 1150g. Here is a list of what I purchased from Wal Mart.
1- 34qt tub ( approx $12)
1- 41qt tub (approx $14)
1- soldering iron (aprox $10)
4- boxes of binder clips (approx $12) (2 boxes of 2" clips, and 2 boxes of 1" clips)
1- pack of gripper pads ( approx $4) ( these are in the hardware section where all the felt and furniture slider pads are)
I also use some bungee cords to wrap around the tubs to help keep it closed. I already had these but if you get some make sure they are tight enough to help hold the lid but not too tight to bend the tub in.

I wasn't sure how many holes I would need so I started with one row on each of the long sides and decided to space them about 2 inches apart and marked them...

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...8/hpim0302.jpg

Then I used the soldering iron to punch the holes...

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...8/hpim0303.jpg

Taped on the UTH...

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...8/hpim0305.jpg

Next I applied these little gripper pads so the UTH didnt set directly on the table. I put them at each corner and in the center so the middle of the tub didn't sag...

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...8/hpim0308.jpg

After I set up the t-stat, I just added some of the stuff from the tank that would fit...

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...8/hpim0310.jpg

Once I put the lid on I added the binder clips ( located in the office and school supplies section). I used the 2" ones on the long sides and the 1" ones for the ends. These are to pinch the lips of the tub and lid together so there aren't any gaps for the snake to squeeze through. You may even be able to use clothes pins or even large paperclips for this.Whatever is effective. I also added one of my bungee cords to help keep the lid on...

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...8/hpim0363.jpg

The last pic is of the 41qt tub because I want to point out a problem I had to contend with yesterday. Because it rained all day the humidity in the house and tanks was at around 65%. The ceiling fan in the snake room normally keeps the tanks well ventilated because they are open on top. Now if you notice on my Accurite, the bottom number is the humidity and it was at about 82%. Since the holes are on the side, the ceiling fan wasn't doing much. What I did was simply put a oscillating fan so that it was blowing on the side of the tubs and it eventually got the humidity back down. I still may need to add a few more holes to allow for more ventilation, and then cover some up when the weather changes.
As for making the holes. There were pretty good ideas listed above. You could also probably drill them, but you would need to make sure there were no sharp burrs left on the inside. Hope this helps...

Rob

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Elise.m

This is what I did to put holes in my tub. At first I just pushed the screwdriver through the plastic. But the second round of holes I did, I held the screwdriver over a candle, let it heat up and it made things ALOT easier, and my hand wasn't as red as an apple!

---

You could use an awl like I am using in my first pic above to mark my holes. It has a very sharp point and would probably be easier, especially when heated, than a screwdriver for punching holes...


Rob

Or you could buy a soldering iron from Walmart for $4.97 and it would be extremely quick.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by waltah!

Or you could buy a soldering iron from Walmart for $4.97 and it would be extremely quick.

---

Good point. A soldering iron is what i'm using in my pic above. It is completely different from a "soldering gun", which looks more like a drill (for the mechanically impaired). If you try to use a "soldering gun" you are probably going to make a big mess and possibly ruin the tub...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by waltah!

Or you could buy a soldering iron from Walmart for $4.97 and it would be extremely quick.

---

Yeah, I plan on doing this with the next tub I get. I tried to convince my BF to let me get one but he insists that I'm going to burn myself. :rolleyes:

I use velcro to secure my tub and so far so good.

I use water bowl( dog /cat food bowl they a hard plastic tpye that are more less flat sided..

I personally don't think a store bought uth is gonna work flexx watt is a better bet it isn't that hard to wire it either.

http://www.arbreptiles.com/cages/flexwire.shtml
Here is a good guide to do it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Vypyrz

Taped on the UTH...

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...8/hpim0305.jpg

Rob

---

Looks good Rob! The only critique that I have is that instead of packing tape to tape the UTH on, get some aluminum plumbing tape instead. The heat from the UTH will make the glue on the packing tape "gummy" and cause it to to come undone (as well as be very messy) as time wears on.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rabernet

Looks good Rob! The only critique that I have is that instead of packing tape to tape the UTH on, get some aluminum plumbing tape instead. The heat from the UTH will make the glue on the packing tape "gummy" and cause it to to come undone (as well as be very messy) as time wears on.

---

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll re-tape it this weekend... :gj:

Hey for the person that is switching to tubs how come you decided to go to tubs and why do you want to switch so bad? The reason why i ask because i too have wanted to swtich to tubs but i dont know anything i need so could you maybe send me some pics of your final product so i can get some good ideas. Thanks alot

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tsshields

Hey for the person that is switching to tubs how come you decided to go to tubs and why do you want to switch so bad? The reason why i ask because i too have wanted to swtich to tubs but i dont know anything i need so could you maybe send me some pics of your final product so i can get some good ideas. Thanks alot

---

There are already a lot of great examples in this thread and on the forums. Try using the search function to find out more :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kaorte

There are already a lot of great examples in this thread and on the forums. Try using the search function to find out more :)

---

i dint mean like that i wanted to see his pics and i wanted to know WHY? what was the reasoning and if say a person that only has 2 snakes and 2 tanks would it be worth even getting a setup with tubs there was more to the question i guess you could say

Well, I switched to tubs after a month of a tank with my first snake. Why did I switch? I was having a tough time with temps and humidity. Cleaning it was a chore that I tried to avoid at all costs. Cleaning and heating a tub on the other hand, was a piece of cake.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tsshields

i dint mean like that i wanted to see his pics and i wanted to know WHY? what was the reasoning and if say a person that only has 2 snakes and 2 tanks would it be worth even getting a setup with tubs there was more to the question i guess you could say

---

Well, I only have one snake, and I had to switch to a tub. I had to switch cuz the tank is too big for her, but it's SO much easier to clean, and takes up much less space. If you look at Vypyrz post he did on page 2, he summed up all of what you need.

Nobody touched on this yet,

Quote:

---

3- Can I just peel off the 10-20g UTH off of my 20g tank or would I need to do something to peel it off?

---

The problem with reusing the stick on heating pads is not that you might not get them to stick again, it creates a potential safety hazard. When you peel them off of the aquarium, you'll be bending the pad in such a way that you can crack/break the heating element that is encased inside the plastic covering. Either it won't break and nothing will happen, or you could break it cleanly in which case it just won't heat anymore or you could crack it and create a short in the element which could eventually overheat and start a fire. Since it's encased in plastic you can't tell by looking at it whether or not its broken. This is why I don't use the stick on heating pads anymore. Once you stick them on something they're not designed to come off again.

Vypyrz, that looks very similar to what I do/use with my snakies (though, I use Flexwatt). I have the binder clips to keep the lid on, too (one on each side).

Target has tubs for much cheaper, though. I get all of mine there; the 41qt tubs are $7 each.

Soldering irons work great for making the holes. I've heard wood-burning tools work also, but I've never tried them. And if you don't like the melted plastic "ring" around the holes, just take some needle-nose pliers to 'em and they pop right off.

As for why people switch to racks, well, I switched because I just don't have the space for more than a couple 40-gallon tanks. But I can fit two 41qt tub racks in my bedroom just fine and still have plenty of room to wander around. I also have trouble keeping the humidity up, even covering over half of the screen top of a 40-gallon with plexiglass. Tubs keep the humidity at a decent level even without a humid hide (though, I still supply one anyway).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Eventide

Vypyrz, that looks very similar to what I do/use with my snakies (though, I use Flexwatt). I have the binder clips to keep the lid on, too (one on each side).

Target has tubs for much cheaper, though. I get all of mine there; the 41qt tubs are $7 each.

Soldering irons work great for making the holes. I've heard wood-burning tools work also, but I've never tried them. And if you don't like the melted plastic "ring" around the holes, just take some needle-nose pliers to 'em and they pop right off.

As for why people switch to racks, well, I switched because I just don't have the space for more than a couple 40-gallon tanks. But I can fit two 41qt tub racks in my bedroom just fine and still have plenty of room to wander around. I also have trouble keeping the humidity up, even covering over half of the screen top of a 40-gallon with plexiglass. Tubs keep the humidity at a decent level even without a humid hide (though, I still supply one anyway).

---

But didnt you hate that you couldnt see your snakes

To keep my bps humidity high enough i usually put a damp cloth over 4/5 of the cage. its helps, and also spray the cage a couple times. Hope that helps

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tsshields

But didnt you hate that you couldnt see your snakes

---

You can't see them in tanks either. They are always in their hides.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tsshields

But didnt you hate that you couldnt see your snakes

---

Sometimes, yeah. I always loved watching my normal female explore her tank at night (I'm a night owl). But if I want to see her, then I just get her out. I usually have one of my reptiles out at any given time.

Then again, I see my ball pythons in their tubs more than I do my Brazilian rainbow, who has the equivalent of a snake condo. :) (I think she does it on purpose, the little pill.)

I guess it's just preference.

As far as seeing in the tub, I can see mine when she decides to grace us with her presence. The top the of tub is a little cloudy, but the bottom half is clear so if I wanted to I can watch her "explore" when she's out and about at night time.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Eventide

Sometimes, yeah. I always loved watching my normal female explore her tank at night (I'm a night owl). But if I want to see her, then I just get her out. I usually have one of my reptiles out at any given time.

Then again, I see my ball pythons in their tubs more than I do my Brazilian rainbow, who has the equivalent of a snake condo. :) (I think she does it on purpose, the little pill.)

I guess it's just preference.

---

yea this is true i guess my boa really never hides in her hid she enjoys laying on her log and my ball python she really isnt a hider either

but i do get them out alot so i g uess i do seem them enough lol