Tub questions

I'm hoping by June I'll be a new mom to a baby ball python. So till then, I am starting to get everything ready.

I'm looking now to get a good plastic tub for it's house. I've heard Iris? tubs are good? Where can I find/get one of them at? Also I'm not sure if this is an okay thing to do, but would it be okay if I bought a large sized one just so he/she could grow up in it (I wouldn't have to toss out/sell a smaller one that he/she grew out of). Or would you recommend getting a smaller one at first and just uping the tub sizes as he/she grew?

Congratulations on your future purchase! While I'm certainly no expert on tubs, I do use them and LOVE them! Some of my "kids" are in the Sterilite 1986 model tub. It's 41 quart with lots of room to grow in. When it was first critiqued by members here, there was some concern that there was a lot of room for them, but they seem to have settled in nicely and I have three hides available for them, and they all use all three on a pretty regular basis. Here's how my tubs are set up on the computer desk shelving:


https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...8/0/Setup3.jpg

And this is before attaching the flexwatt and some newspaper inside (they're now on aspen)

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...8/0/Setup1.jpg

And this is with a roughly 250 gram female ball python:

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...aEnclosure.jpg

Hey Robin I'm so glad you replied! Funny, I was actually going to send you a PM and ask what kind of tubs you used, since I really liked your set up pictures and info you gave me over here.

I'm going to order a tub, and then order some flexwatt and a ranco thermostat and hope I can play electrician well enough to get everything wired together correctly.

Allison, you don't have to order the tub, it came direct from WalMart - $7.99 I think. And you don't need an electrician for the flexwatt and Ranco thermostat. You can buy the flexwatt pre-wired and ready to plug into the thermostat and the thermostat plugs into a regular wall outlet. Easy Cheesy!!!

Yah, I would guess Matt at MGReptiles would have the ready-to-go Flexwatt and Ranco for you. By all accounts, he's a great guy and ready to help with questions on exactly what you need. =)

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Originally Posted by lillyorchid

I'm hoping by June I'll be a new mom to a baby ball python. So till then, I am starting to get everything ready.

I'm looking now to get a good plastic tub for it's house. I've heard Iris? tubs are good? Where can I find/get one of them at? Also I'm not sure if this is an okay thing to do, but would it be okay if I bought a large sized one just so he/she could grow up in it (I wouldn't have to toss out/sell a smaller one that he/she grew out of). Or would you recommend getting a smaller one at first and just uping the tub sizes as he/she grew?

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If you want a complete tub package you can purchase a 1960 sterilite tub (really big tub perfect for even adult BPS) with a thermostat and flexwatt from MGReptiles.

Also another option if you think you will be buying more herps in the future, is a rack. You can check out some already heated racks from Animal Plastics, or where I bought my first rack from Natures Spirit In the Snake Shacks section.

Personally I think tubs are better than glass caging because it's easier to keep humidity levels stable and using a heat source like flexwatt with a thermostat can make life alot easier for you and your BP. Hope the links help you out.

By the way, you'll also need atleast 2 hidespots (one on eachs side), a thermometer to measure both sides of the enclosure (hot & cold side), and ofcourse substrate and a heating source. 90-95 degrees on the hot side and 80-85 degrees on the cool side. 60% humidity / 70% when in shed.
-Rusty

Welcome and good luck! Its always great to see people doing research before jumping in! Your snake will thank you for it! Where are you getting your new baby from?

Thanks again Robin!

and Thanks a lot Rusty!

:D

Sorry but i guess im about to hijack this thread with one of my own questions... but i would like to know if there is ne concerns about the tub melting due to the flexwatt... thanks!

Ace, no problems there. I use flexwatt with all the tubs and its all good!

WalMart is your friend LOL! Like Robin said Allison you can easily hit that kind of store or really any store that carries organizing type containers to find a Sterlite or Rubbermaid that suits your needs for a very reasonable price. Do check them for tight fitting lids and very good snap down clips (and add extra binder clips if you feel even the slighest bit of give between the lid and the tub edges). Even my biggest tubs are well under $15.00. That way you can move up in tub size as your snake requires it without a huge outlay.

This is my largest female Brannagh in her just cleaned tub (pls note I hadn't put the Acu-Rite back in yet) She was around 2,000 grams when this pic was taken.
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...nnaghinTub.jpg

This tub is a Sterlite, clear with split opening clip down lid, the split top allows me to open either end of this big long tub without removing the whole lid, however it creates a place of weakness/escape so it has to be reinforced with extra safety measures at the midpoint. It is 39" long x 19" wide x 6.5" deep, $11.99 at WalMart.

Also toss on your shopping list for Wally World, an Acu-Rite ($12-$15) and a basic soldering wand ($7-$10).
My kudo's as well for planning ahead :winner:

I see myself having some fun in Walmart soon *grin* Thanks guys!

----Robin, what size flexwatt should I get (getting the same size tub you have) 11" X ????
Matt from MG has gotten back to me asking the lenght I'd like. :)

Also emailed Adam at 8 Ball, he said he will have baby normals hatching in June. So June/July will be it!

So plenty of time to get all set up, test it out to get the temps/humidity perfect, etc before the big day! LOL I feel like I'm going out to get a new car all over again, though this time it is NOT a car but a snake!


-Allison

I'm using 1 foot of 11" flexwatt on my tub. Adam has lovely babies, you can't go wrong getting a wonderful well-started baby from Adam!

Okay, here's one for y'all......Any suggestions on how to keep the flexwatt ON the tubs? The foil tape keeps popping off, even on the flex that's on the BOTTOM of the tub. My stimson's is in a tub (and he was an "almost" escapee) but I can't keep the flex curled up against the side and along the bottom edges. :tears:

lightly scratch the surface of the plastic with fine grade sandpaper, the tape should work then. also duct tape sticks to plastic well.


vaughn

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Originally Posted by kavmon

lightly scratch the surface of the plastic with fine grade sandpaper, the tape should work then. also duct tape sticks to plastic well.


vaughn

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Excellent idea with the scratches!

Here's what I did. I thought it was just me with that darn foil tape coming off. I reinforced it with clear packing tape, only on the part of the foil tape that was on the plastic. In other words, I didn't put the packing tape over the the parts of the foil tape that was on the flexwatt itself, but on the part of the foil tape that was only touching plastic.

Gosh I hope that makes sense. So for a 1 foot length of foil tape, I also had a 1 foot length of packing tape that covered the foil tape on the outside half (length-wise) of the foil tape and helped to secure the foil tape better to the plastic.

Cool! I'll have to try that when I get home. I am sooooooo tired of adding more and more foil (not to mention it's almost gone. :( ) and have it pop off AGAIN!


$($*%&*%*%()$%) :mad:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kavmon

lightly scratch the surface of the plastic with fine grade sandpaper, the tape should work then. also duct tape sticks to plastic well.


vaughn

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So it doesn't matter what type of tape you use to attach flexwatt or Stat probes?

i prefer to use foil tape and smooth it out neatly. you can use duct tape also. do not use tape inside of the enclosure. foil tape is made to withstand higher temps.


vaughn

I see. I can't seem to figure out how to delete my posts. I go to the edit/delete icon but it just takes me to the editor. How do I delete?

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Originally Posted by Rusty

I see. I can't seem to figure out how to delete my posts. I go to the edit/delete icon but it just takes me to the editor. How do I delete?

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What post do you need to delete? Just send a PM to one of the staff. Link to the post and say why you want it deleted.