Does anyone else prefer tanks to tubs?

Just curious. I'm finding that, for me, it's a lot easier to maintain humidity in a modified tank than it is to retain heat in a tub.

(A caveat/disclaimer to this post is that we have a PVC enclosure on order. Assuming we like it and BP is happy, we will eventually be changing over to all PVC.)

I haven't had trouble keeping heat with tubs, if anything my problem is that the humidity is too high in them lol.

I personally prefer a tank, but I recognize that since I only have one snake I don’t have to consider space as much as others do. It took me a little longer to perfect temperature and humidity with the tank, but I truly enjoy watching my girl explore and eat and sleep and shed and go about her life on a daily basis - and so I prefer a clear enclosure. I also keep her in my room and prefer the aesthetic of having a jungle-like enclosure as opposed to just a tub. But again having only one snake it’s easy to maintain one tank as opposed to several.

i prefer a big vivarium.
lots of decor, foliage, hides.. nice and cosy :gj:

Tanks for sure... if I wanted something to keep in a drawer I'd collect coins instead of snakes, God know they don't eat nearly as much. ;)

I like being able to see my snakes, and I find that mine come out often enough to make it worth it. I also find that they hold heat and humidity just fine as long as I cover the lid in foil.

I love tanks because being able to observe them and see everything in the tank is important to me. I also like tanks because I love decorating. :)
My Garter Snake is in a tank and I have no issues keeping the temperature and humidity at proper levels.

Depends on the animal. I like tubs because it is easier to clean, takes up less space, easy to move when needed, humidity is not a big challenge to keep up and affordable. I have my king in a 60 qt sterilite clearview tub, which is about 34 inch wide. Compare that to a 40 gallon breeder tank which I use for my bearded dragon, it is only 2 inch shorter, for 1/7 of the price and much easier to clean. Fyi, the general recommendation for adult kings are 20 gallon tanks or 30 something qt tubs. She was in a smaller tub but it was not enough space for her to stretch out.

With that said, I plan to move my king to a 70 gallon reptohabitat tank one day, when I can find that near me. I also use a Critter Cage glass tank for my CP. The little bigger escaped his tub twice, even with the binder clips keeping the lid tightly closed. I like the look of a glass tank and no worries about securing the lid if the terrarium comes with locks. Other reasons why I would go glass tanks if humidity is not a requirement and/or the animal is active and curious about the inside and outside of the tank. I use a large glass tank for my Merauke BTS who needs at least 50-60% humidity. However, BTS are smart, curious adventurers who likes to watch the world around him go by, so sticking him in any tubs is out of the question. I increase his humidity using coco fiber and a humidifier.

Depends on the snake, where you live, and what you can afford. I prefer pvc enclosures for ball pythons hands down or rack systems for larger collections.

My personal bias is that tubs are fine for a temporary enclosure or quarantine, glass is fine for snakes that are from arid conditions but not for ball pythons, and pvc is great for anything that needs some humidity and isn't a giant beast of a snake.

I used both over the years, dedicated snake or reptile enclosures are always easier to keep humidity in. But if you don’t mind the extra bit of effort, tanks are nice for being able to see the snake and observe a lot of things people with tubs don’t always get to enjoy. I have my set up in the corner of my living room, never had any problems. There is a picture my gallery, I just put grass decals on the outside vs. fake plants inside, which they always seem to use as a bathroom.

Being older than most folks here, I was old school. I never even thought that there were of any other possibilities than tanks or wood cages.

Tanks worked for me and I didn’t have issues. When I came to this forum and heard about tubs I thought it was major ghetto. Plus what’s the point of of a pet that you don’t see?

My attitude changed when I saw how simple and successful tubs are, especially for BPs. But for ME personally, I could not put a semi arboreal snake like a Boa, Retic, or Carpet in a tub PERManenty. Needless to say, I feel the same for arboreal snakes as well.

Then when I heard about the PVC cages here on the forum I was immediately sold and slowly switched over. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...03aad305fd.jpg


If I was starting all over I would definitely consider tubs, probably as temporary measures. If I was going to have multiple BPs I would look hard at racks as well.

The bottom line, it’s whatever works for you and the proper husbandry of your snake(s).
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Depends on the snake.
I prefer keeping my 2 red tail boas in PVC enclosures.
I prefer to keep bps in racks.
I have a cornsnake, Colombian rainbow, and a hognose in tanks. Mainly just for the fun of it. However, I do have plans for making a terrarium or a pladarium in one of my large exo terras for a green tree python.

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Originally Posted by WhompingWillow

Just curious. I'm finding that, for me, it's a lot easier to maintain humidity in a modified tank than it is to retain heat in a tub.

(A caveat/disclaimer to this post is that we have a PVC enclosure on order. Assuming we like it and BP is happy, we will eventually be changing over to all PVC.)

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I'd choose just about anything including a bird cage over a RUB :)


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Originally Posted by Zincubus

I'd choose just about anything including a bird cage over a RUB :)


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Why?

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Not for most species, I tried to keep a friends bp in the tank she used, even in my heated and humidified reptile room (I added a uth to the tank for hotspot) it was a nightmare. No air flow at the bottom of the cage and the glass itself meant it always stayed cooler than the rest of the room no matter what. Cruddy air flow doesn't sit well with me for a lot of reasons, snakes are already prone to respiratory issues enough. In general glass fish tanks are shaped poorly for snakes, too tall, too narrow. If they get any direct sunlight it can become a death trap really fast. They are heavy and fragile which makes cleaning awful. Often they are used with heat lamps which adds more hassle with humidity and a greater fire risk. I could see keeping my hognose in a custom shallow aquarium maybe as she's small and doesn't have high humidity needs but still prefer a less breakable cage.

I prefer tubs because ball pythons just seem to thrive in them more than tanks. Tubs hold humidity and heat better than tanks, they also provide a more secure habitat for the snake. Another thing is their food response seems to be 100x better and tubs mimick their habitat in the wild. Nothing against tanks but I can’t stand when people make like keeping them in tubs is cruel. IMO they are way happier in tubs compared to tanks. I think the branches and jungle habitats for ball pythons is more for our pleasure than theirs. Trust me if they weren’t happy in tubs you’d know it! Again nothing against tanks just sharing my opinion especially for the ones that are anti tubs.

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Originally Posted by Reinz

Being older than most folks here, I was old school. I never even thought that there were of any other possibilities than tanks or wood cages.

Tanks worked for me and I didn’t have issues. When I came to this forum and heard about tubs I thought it was major ghetto. Plus what’s the point of of a pet that you don’t see?

My attitude changed when I saw how simple and successful tubs are, especially for BPs. But for ME personally, I could not put a semi arboreal snake like a Boa, Retic, or Carpet in a tub PERManenty. Needless to say, I feel the same for arboreal snakes as well.

Then when I heard about the PVC cages here on the forum I was immediately sold and slowly switched over.

If I was starting all over I would definitely consider tubs, probably as temporary measures. If I was going to have multiple BPs I would look hard at racks as well.

The bottom line, it’s whatever works for you and the proper husbandry of your snakes.

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I agree with pretty much all of this^^^^...

When I started out in 1999-2000 all I knew about was tanks or homemade wood enclosures. I thought racks were just temporary and for breeders only.

Fast forward to a few years ago when I got back into the hobby and I went with what I knew...GLASS TANKS.
...and guess what?!?!?....THEY WORK!!

For all the glass bashers out there, my animals are well taken care of, their husbandry is where it needs to be. My snakes eat, have perfect sheds and none show any signs of stress inside the enclosure or out.

That being said, I would love to switch some of my snakes to PVC at some point. My hognose will be in glass forever and my King will be last to switch, if ever. They simply don't require the temps and humidity the others do and their husbandry is already easy. However, my money tree doesn't produce as much "fruit" as some people's does. Therefor, I'll switch when I can. And the main reason would be to make more room for more snakes and have a stackable wall unit of enclosures rather than a bunch of glass all over the place.
My animals are a priority in my life and I have money stashed away for vet bills I hope I never need to use, but I won't touch it for anything that isn't a vet bill.
After this winter's power outage, moving the snakes and losing 3 fish I'm saving for a generator. PVC will be next.

I've never used tubs and doubt I ever will. I would consider a rack system, but only for more BPs or STPs.

Anyway, it really comes down to the species, the keeper and the keepers willingness to do a little extra work if needed. Glass can and DOES work perfectly fine if you just put in the effort. And not all species require any extra effort...

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Originally Posted by craigafrechette

I agree with pretty much all of this^^^^...

When I started out in 1999-2000 all I knew about was tanks or homemade wood enclosures. I thought racks were just temporary and for breeders only.

Fast forward to a few years ago when I got back into the hobby and I went with what I knew...GLASS TANKS.
...and guess what?!?!?....THEY WORK!!

For all the glass bashers out there, my animals are well taken care of, their husbandry is where it needs to be. My snakes eat, have perfect sheds and none show any signs of stress inside the enclosure or out.............................
...........................Glass can and DOES work perfectly fine if you just put in the effort. And not all species require any extra effort...

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I Agree totally. I had no problems tweaking my tanks as well. A few years ago here tanks seemed to be looked down upon and there were lots of negativity thrown around. I was defensive, since I didn’t experience the problems folks complained about.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...ee703f3e4a.jpg

But then again I understand why. People did not seem to understand basic Physical Science; if low humidity, add water and or contain it with different substrate; if low temps, add heat; if too hot, cool the air or ventilate; etc.

Almost identical problems posted over and over, just like “my BP won’t eat”. Some non tank people thus figured that tanks did not work and would put them down, usually politely.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...43a127aeb3.jpg
For me, the major difference in husbandry with PVC is I only have to add water to the subtrate monthly if that, versus weekly or bimonthly with tanks. And, heat is rarely changed with my PVC. Where as I had to keep a steady eye on my heat lamps and adjust them quite often.

It's a tough call ..
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...44a773be12.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...03bff4069.jpeg


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Oh Zinc, I just about busted my gut on that one!:D:oops::D

Hi! "Ghetto" tub user here and yes I use appropriate space. I understand that heating the ambient can be a bit tricky with plastic totes. I, however, am fortunate enough to have a room to dedicated to my snakes and is thus heated to their needs with an oil heater. I find tanks to be unnecessary work for higher humidity species.

I do not care what type of enclosure you use AS LONG as it meets the requirements for whatever species you are keeping. You do you, sugar cube. If something is off with your snake take a good look at your husbandry and equipment (or lack of). Enclosure debates are the worst, it ends in people bashing one another.

With that, PVC enclosures are definitely the master race of enclosures :P unfortunately they are more on the spendy side and can take a while to reach your home but IMO it is totally worth it. Can't compete with tanks nor tubs.

There's bad seeds in all sorts of settings. Do what works best for your snake's species.

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Originally Posted by PokeyTheNinja

I do not care what type of enclosure you use AS LONG as it meets the requirements for whatever species you are keeping. You do you, sugar cube.

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Exactly!!
(P.S. I love the "You do you, sugar cube" line!!)

Thanks for the replies, everyone! And I'm happy this didn't devolve into anything heated, because that's definitely not what I intended! I've been so impressed with this site and how, even though users are so passionate about their snakes and their care, discussions tend to remain respectful. It's refreshing! :)

I do appreciate the reassurance on glass tanks. Like everyone here, I want the best for my snakes, and since I kept reading wonderful things about tubs we tried them out for a few weeks. But I just couldn't get the ambient temperature up to the point my reliable eater stopped eating, and he's young/thin enough where he definitely doesn't have extra weight to spare. We switched back to a tank, and he instantly took a meal.

But that's not to say anything against those who use tubs. Our corn snake is in one for the time being. :) I just think I'm so much more familiar with tanks that it's easier for me to work with them and modify them if needed to achieve proper heat and humidity.

I'm excited to try out PVC, though!!

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PVC is the way to go if you’re like me and only have a few snakes. They hold heat good and even better with holding humidity. I’m from Canada so I got mine from conners world. I’ll never go back to glass, ever

I like tanks, and I use them for some of my other animals. However, I prefer tubs because you can get more space for cheaper, they are extremely customizable, they’re more durable and a lot lighter, and I believe you can stack them.

You can get a 50 gallon Rubbermaid for around 20$ at Walmart, and I believe a 110 for 75$ at tractor supply (great for turtles and other animals that can’t climb out!).

Here’s how someone connected two tubs on tortoise forum- https://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...edback.159536/

And here’s my 50 gallon tub enclosure that I’m currently putting sliding doors on the front of (I’ll be siliconing it in place if it doesn’t work)-
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...54a11d1304.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...4f4133c58e.jpg
I spent about 28$ on the acrylic glass and tub together, so it’s great for people on a budget.

If my ball python outgrows this tub, I’ll likely connect another, or get a bigger tub :)


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Glass CAN be drilled. I have set of hole saw bits specifically for glass. Haven't done it yet however. I do prefer some lower vents for airflow. Amazon sells various sizes of screen round vents that can be screwed into the holes.

I use Exo-Terras, glass aquariums, and one 100+ quart tub. Love the flexibility (hang shelves, hammock, climbing posts, plant pots, etc) and light weight of the tub, and it can be drilled easily w/o a second thought. Mine has added lower vents. I also like how easy it is to wipe down along the rounded inside corners. Aquariums are a pain to get those corners clean. I wish tubs with the optics of a good acrylic aquarium were available.

That said, my next enclosure purchase will probably be a glass twenty long, and I'll risk the chance of a shattering mis-hap, and drill some vents near the base.

I would also like to experiment more with cabinet style hardware cloth/wood frame toppers so the Colubrids can enjoy more space to climb.