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how hard it is to clean a wooden viv?
well, i got a quite big one, after i read couple of caresheets and the guide about disinfecting and cleaning.
it says i need to use a hose "which i cannot do" neither submerging it in a tub.
so what do i do? my friend who has a snake told me that snakes are one of the most wonderful pets , basically because it doesn't need constant cleaning.you only need to remove the poo . well,i do care for my snake. thats why im asking for advice.
i have a small ball python. 5 months old... i remember once asking in a snake forum. my question was "when do i know that my cage needs cleaning"
alot of people replied with "when there's a poo in it!!"
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Re: how hard it is to clean a wooden viv?
You want to keep the substrate and water bowl as clean as possible at all times. I recommend a thorough cleaning and disinfecting of the enclosure once a month. Others may do it more or less often. You definitely don't want to submerge a wooden enclosure, but you should be able to wash and rinse it in a bathtub or large sink. You can disinfect afterwards with chlorhexadrine solution in a spray bottle.
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Re: how hard it is to clean a wooden viv?
hmmm.... i can carry it to the bathroom. i wonder if i should use some wall paper on it to make cleaning easier??
and i assume i have to throw all the wooden bedding in trash? even if its clean?
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Re: how hard it is to clean a wooden viv?
I know I've recommended to not use any tape or sticky things inside a snake cage because very sticky things can rip a snake's scale right off.
Maybe sealing the wood with an acrylic paint or something? Don't know if the fumes then would be bad or how long it would take for the paint to off-gas...
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Re: how hard it is to clean a wooden viv?
I had limited sucess with external paint when I had my cold tank for my snakes. It cleaned well. Its just that the cage was too big to keep adiquately warm. You could also try a shilack or polyurithane coating. Just make sure to give it penty of time to air out after. could try sticking a fan in it to help expidit the fume removal. Goodluck
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Re: how hard it is to clean a wooden viv?
Not that I'm in the tub camp yet, you could spend just a few bucks, buy a sterilite tub and be done with it...easy to clean, etc...
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Re: how hard it is to clean a wooden viv?
I'm a convert. They are really transparent and when put in a nice rack system I would think they would be pretty nice.
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Re: how hard it is to clean a wooden viv?
hmmm.. do i really need to seal the corners? maybe i could use silicon?
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Re: how hard it is to clean a wooden viv?
I just got done building a wood enclosure. I waterproofed/sealed the entire thing with Thomson's Water Sealant, then left it outside for a week to dry. I then put a 4x2 piece of Reflectix insulation on the bottom, laid two 2x2 pieces of Flexwatt on top of that (side by side), then covered the whole thing with a 4x2 piece of plexiglass and sealed the egdes with 100% silicone caulk. Give the caulk about 3-4 days to cure, and it'll be ready for the new kids to move into.
With the two seperate pieces of flexwatt, I'll have a nice thermal gradient for the kids to thermoregulate on.
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Re: how hard it is to clean a wooden viv?
very nice indeed!! :)
i'll probably do the same.
do u have pics?
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Re: how hard it is to clean a wooden viv?
Ok, here's some pics
http://www.ball-pythons.net/gallery/...age.php?i=5582
The enclosure is 6ft tall, 4 ft wide, and 2 ft deep. Its divided up into three 4'x2'x18" cages, with storage space at the bottom for supplies (also easily convertible to cage #4, but don't tell my wife that!). Each cage has hot side/cold side flexwatt heat mats all regulated by Ranco t-stats.
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Re: how hard it is to clean a wooden viv?
well, seems like quite piece of work.
you think its ok to put my snake somewhere else for a week?
since flexwatt is on the way. i guess i have to wait until it gets here then begin the work.
hmmm i think i'll go now and buy the water proof ... hehehe my wife will kill me
she'd be like "ARENT YOU THROUGH WITH THIS STUPID THING ALREADY?!"
if i knew the hassle , i would've got a plastic one ;/ :) oh well. no time to stop.
anyways. how about this idea.
why dont i get plastic paper. .. they use it for drawers in the kitchin. and seal the corners? then after i get flexwatt. i get 2 pieces. one under it. the other one above it.
the reason i say this . is because i have only 2 rooms in my appartment. i have a small balcony. except the weather outside is cold and rainy. so it'll probably take more time to dry now than ever.
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Re: how hard it is to clean a wooden viv?
I don't think that it would be a good idea to put any kind of paper, plastic or otherwise, directly on the flexwatt, if you can get a piece of plexiglass, I think that would be much easier to clean and safer.
If you could find a decent size tub to use as temporary housing till you get the wood one done, I don't think it'll be a problem. It will stress your snake, so give him time to adjust before you start handling him again.
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Re: how hard it is to clean a wooden viv?
Really nice rack, Erin! Thanks for sharing. =)
*edit* And looking through the rest of your pictures, nice snakes too! I bet they like their new homes...
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Re: how hard it is to clean a wooden viv?
thanx . i guess i'll do that :)
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Re: how hard it is to clean a wooden viv?
Thanks Cassandra! Actually only my BCI is going into the new enclosure, she's getting the penthouse suite. The other two enclosures are for the pair of baby yellow head tiger retics I'm getting next week! And then in a year I'll build them a couple of 8x3x2 enclosures, and put a couple blood pythons in these.
Johar.........Glad I could help! Good Luck!
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Re: how hard it is to clean a wooden viv?
hmm this maybe alittle bit stupid. but
what did u use for applying the lecquer? a brush or a piece of clothes.
and how long would it take to dry up?
thanx
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Re: how hard it is to clean a wooden viv?
Just a regular four inch brush should be fine, that's what I used. I coated it with water sealant, and it took two days to dry, another two for the fumes to go away. I don't know how long laquer would take, probably a week. You don't want to put a snake in it if you can still smell the paint.
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Re: how hard it is to clean a wooden viv?
yeah. dont worry, i got a backup plan! :) i got plastic box 1 meter x 40 cm x 70 cm
i'll put some holes on the roof. im sure she's not used to the wooden one already, she'll be quite stressed but she'll live :)
thanx for the help :) i'll start working on it tomorrow.
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Re: how hard it is to clean a wooden viv?
well, i moved it to this plastic box. hope it wouldnt' complain.
she seems to be inloved with one hiding. i might go out tomorrow and buy her another 1 of the same size.
here's the pics. if there's anything u guys wanna comment about "something i did wrong. please let me know!"
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...h_IMGA0285.jpg
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...e/th_Temp3.jpg
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...e/th_Temp2.jpg
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...ge/th_Temp.jpg
time to work and paint the whole thing with lecquer
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Re: how hard it is to clean a wooden viv?
Looks good to me! It actually may be exactly what you're bp needs right now because it is smaller, she may feel more secure in it. Just be careful with the heating pad. They aren't made to be left on for long periods of time. I'll let others chime in on that, just check it regularly.
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Re: how hard it is to clean a wooden viv?
you maybe right. however, she may take a little while to adjust to the new home. but after she get used to it. im sure she'll love it. maybe i should leave her for a 2 weeks in this small one. just like you said, she may want to feel secured. so i'll leave her in this box until she feeds. what do you think?
after she feeds, i'll move her to the wooden box after 48 hours.
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Re: how hard it is to clean a wooden viv?
Sounds good to me! Good luck!
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