Tanks or tubs?

Just wondering everyone's opinions


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I think it depends on the species and the keeper. I like to watch my 8 snakes a lot so I keep snakes that display well in tanks or pvc enclosures. If you have a lot of snakes, ones that hide a lot, or limited coin, I can see the appeal of tubs or racks.

What works for YOU and YOUR animals! :gj:

what EL-Ziggy and Deborah said. as long as the snake's environmental and security needs are met, it's up to you. I keep BPs in tubs and carpets/short tails in AP cages. My colubrid collection is still very young, yearlings and hatchlings, so they're in tubs too. it remains to be seen how I will keep them long term, but I'm leaning towards tubs.

All about husbandry........ both can be good or a nightmare.

Do your research, and there's right ways and wrong ways to do both LOL. It's just being smart and personal preference.

Tubs for little noodles, PVC enclosures for bigger noodles.

my list goes:

PVC enclosures

Rack systems

Tubs

Tanks

That is of course ease of husbandry needs for snakes, its all what you want and if you can make it work.

Personally, I currently use tanks, as my collection is still small and I do like to be able to set up their enclosures and enjoy the visual appeal of keeping my snakes. I 10000000% will be switching to PVC when finances allow and will be unloading my glass tanks.

For me it's an ARS rack and tub system all the way. I used to keep my snakes in glass tanks, what a nightmare. Every single snake hid all day long so it looked like a bunch of empty tanks anyway. Most snakes wouldn't eat very well, and the maintenance was tough, all those water dishes, hides, decorations, etc... I swithed over to grey ARS tubs and my snakes immediately ate 90% better, no hesitation at all. All my mean snakes got super nice, apparently because they felt secure. Plus cleaning is super easy with no decorations or hides at all, especially the tubs with built in water holders, I can just swap out a disposable Dixie cup. I actually just picked up a dwarf retic that was in a big enclosure with a sliding glass front, lights on the inside. He went from super mean to super tame in just a couple weeks since I put him in a tub with a window on the front (ARS-8018).

For my larger snakes I use the tubs with the clear fronts, I can still see what is going on in the front of the tub, the snake just goes to the back to warm himself and hide (still no hides in there though). And the retics like to come up to the front to watch me and to beg for food LOL. Also, I like having access from above with my big snakes, easier to handle vs. opening a slide in the front and have them flying out at you. The tub uses gravity to your advantage LOL. I also don't like having to climb into a tank from the front to clean it, easier to clean a tub from above. My retic just outgrew my ARS-8018 tub so I just ordered an ARS-9006 tub for the rack, it's nearly five feet wide and has a window in the front and will fit right in my current rack system. I also like that most tubs are not as tall as other enclosures so you can get more snakes in a smaller area. There's no way I'd ever go back to anything else.

(Adding because now that we're talking about personal preference LOL)

Pvc cage for my green tree python for display and ease of managing heat and humidity, but it's pricier.

tubs/rack for my ball pythons. Except for Cake, who is in a glass exo terra just for display.

Dumeril's boa in melamine, but I do not recommend it.

Tubs for bps, best way to give them the security and privacy they want!

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Originally Posted by highqualityballz

Tubs for bps, best way to give them the security and privacy they want!

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Just curious. Do you think you can achieve the security and privacy a BP wants in a tank, whether it be glass, PVC, etc...?? If your enclosure is set up with plenty of hides, plants, etc... shouldn't that do the trick? While still enjoying the display aspect of keeping snakes?
I would just like to hear more thoughts on this, as I will be re-housing my juvenile BP when he is ready and would love to learn more.
Thanks!!

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Originally Posted by craigafrechette

Just curious. Do you think you can achieve the security and privacy a BP wants in a tank, whether it be glass, PVC, etc...?? If your enclosure is set up with plenty of hides, plants, etc... shouldn't that do the trick? While still enjoying the display aspect of keeping snakes?
I would just like to hear more thoughts on this, as I will be re-housing my juvenile BP when he is ready and would love to learn more.
Thanks!!

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I can say without a doubt my BP's stick their heads out of their hides more in the RB rack I have. They sit on top of their hides on occasion as well, I think they dig the tight space between the roof and hide lol. When I had strudel the danger noodle in her glass tank she NEVER explored, not at night or any time. She took her first meal with me the night after I put her in a blue tub setup where no one could look at her lol. They definitely love being backed into a corner.

The other day my brother in law told me that his wife thought it was awful to put snakes in a rack in tubs, he thought they should be in open tanks. I told him how every mean snake I got was in an open tank and immediately mellowed out in a tub. I think it's a non-snake persons desire to house an animal from a human perspective so that they are free to look out and observe the room and environment around them. However, I'm convinced it's like taking an earthworm out of the ground and putting it in a fish bowl, just not the right environment for the animal. So basically if you put a snake in an open tank the hide becomes his 'tub', and most hides in open tanks are not nearly as roomy as a tub in a rack, so if the snake feels the need to explore they only option is out of the hide and into the open instead of crawling around in a bigger tub in a rack. Just my opinion...

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Originally Posted by cchardwick

The other day my brother in law told me that his wife thought it was awful to put snakes in a rack in tubs, he thought they should be in open tanks. I told him how every mean snake I got was in an open tank and immediately mellowed out in a tub. I think it's a non-snake persons desire to house an animal from a human perspective so that they are free to look out and observe the room and environment around them. However, I'm convinced it's like taking an earthworm out of the ground and putting it in a fish bowl, just not the right environment for the animal. So basically if you put a snake in an open tank the hide becomes his 'tub', and most hides in open tanks are not nearly as roomy as a tub in a rack, so if the snake feels the need to explore they only option is out of the hide and into the open instead of crawling around in a bigger tub in a rack. Just my opinion...

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100% agree. I get the mentality of people thinking its cruel to keep a bp in a rack setup when people don't realize they live in literal holes in the ground in the wild lol. I get that a lot...they need to be in a big tank! that's so cruel! they can't stretch out!

ya...because they like only having to watch in front of them instead of all around...haha

I definitely see the benefits of tubs and/or racks, please don't get me wrong. And I 100000% try to think like the animal would (with all my animals, not just snakes) and try to give them the best living situation for THEM. That being said, is where my question came from. Can the snakes desired security be achieved in a glass or PVC enclosure? If the same can be achieved, then what is the negative of keeping a setup that can be enjoyed by us as well?

Please know I'm not being argumentative, but trying to always learn.
Thanks!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by craigafrechette

I definitely see the benefits of tubs and/or racks, please don't get me wrong. And I 100000% try to think like the animal would (with all my animals, not just snakes) and try to give them the best living situation for THEM. That being said, is where my question came from. Can the snakes desired security be achieved in a glass or PVC enclosure? If the same can be achieved, then what is the negative of keeping a setup that can be enjoyed by us as well?

Please know I'm not being argumentative, but trying to always learn.
Thanks!!

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theres nothing wrong with either setup and security can be achieved sure. Covering 3 sides of a tank with cardboard or something more appealing visually will help with security. Keeping day time lights either off or minimal is another big one.

Ok, that's pretty much how I was understanding things. The 10 gallon my BP is in now is obviously temporary, and the setup has all bases covered. I've got a few months to decide on his next enclosure and I'm weighing out the pros and cons, keeping his best interests as the top priority. But I'm leaning towards PVC. Thank you!