Moving to a plastic tub

Ok people.. need your help again :). After wrestling with my glass tank setup, I am going to move my Ball to a plastic tub. Are there any links on how to set one up as far as amount of holes needed, size, heating needs etc. I have a small UTH now that I think will suffice in a tub setting. It is currently on a 10 gallon tank. (the heater... not my Ball) I am moving my RTB to the glass tank as he is more active and would be worth the hassle to keep up the glass. I have my settings in the glass ok now,(temps are good but still struggling with humidity 70 on one side 45 on the other) but it's just not worth the effort when my Ball is in his hide 90% of the time :) .

Thanks for your continued advice!!

As far as holes...a single row on each side (about 1 - 2 inches apart) should suffice. You can always add more later if needed. Size - up to 41 quart depending on the size of your snake. They are fairly inexpensive so I would recommend doing it like hides. As the snake grows, his home grows with him. :) 24 quart - 32 quart - 41 quart. For UTH's...Unless the tub is in a designated snake room, (ie. a warm room) a UTH sized for a 10 gal tank may not keep the ambient temp's high enough. Also, if the UTH is currently stuck to the glass tank, you may have problems removing it. And don't forget something to control temps (ie. dimmer switch or thermostat).


Not sure about links, but MGREPTILES.COM have tub package deals for sale. They may give you an idea of what all you need.
http://www.mgreptiles.com/combo.html

Don't mean to hijack the thread :hijackd: but are there any tips on getting one of those sticky UTH's off of the glass so that it could be reused easier?

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Originally Posted by Spaniard

Don't mean to hijack the thread :hijackd: but are there any tips on getting one of those sticky UTH's off of the glass so that it could be reused easier?

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hmmm...not sure. I imagine trying to pull it off while it's hot would be easier than after it has cooled. Don't think I'd try while it's still plugged in though...

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Originally Posted by Spaniard

Don't mean to hijack the thread :hijackd: but are there any tips on getting one of those sticky UTH's off of the glass so that it could be reused easier?

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I have been able to pull them off while they were warm (after unplugging) and was still able to reapply to a different tank with "stickiness intact".

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Originally Posted by sho220

As far as holes...a single row on each side (about 1 - 2 inches apart) should suffice. You can always add more later if needed. Size - up to 41 quart depending on the size of your snake. They are fairly inexpensive so I would recommend doing it like hides. As the snake grows, his home grows with him. :) 24 quart - 32 quart - 41 quart. For UTH's...Unless the tub is in a designated snake room, (ie. a warm room) a UTH sized for a 10 gal tank may not keep the ambient temp's high enough. Also, if the UTH is currently stuck to the glass tank, you may have problems removing it. And don't forget something to control temps (ie. dimmer switch or thermostat).


Not sure about links, but MGREPTILES.COM have tub package deals for sale. They may give you an idea of what all you need.
http://www.mgreptiles.com/combo.html

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Thanks for the response!! With the hole situation, I was wanting to make sure there was enough air getting in! :0 Does it matter on size? Large enough to let air in but small enough to keep Monty in I assume. :) He is around 3 feet right now so I will probably go with a larger tub since he still has some room to grow. The whole reason for this is to get rid of my overhead light as it is KILLING my humidity on that side of tank. Another quick question while I am here.... my humidity on my 60 breeder tank is 60% on cool side and 40 - 45% on hot side (Under the light). Is it acceptable to have a high/low side on humidity or not? Thanks again for your help!

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Originally Posted by Naf Eeknay

Thanks for the response!! With the hole situation, I was wanting to make sure there was enough air getting in! :0 Does it matter on size? Large enough to let air in but small enough to keep Monty in I assume. :) He is around 3 feet right now so I will probably go with a larger tub since he still has some room to grow. The whole reason for this is to get rid of my overhead light as it is KILLING my humidity on that side of tank. Another quick question while I am here.... my humidity on my 60 breeder tank is 60% on cool side and 40 - 45% on hot side (Under the light). Is it acceptable to have a high/low side on humidity or not? Thanks again for your help!

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I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that the humidity range in your big tank is ok. However, maintaining that big ol' glass tank can still be a pain...especially for a critter that doesn't really need it.

A shallow, plastic tub will hold humidity in perfectly, with no effort on your part at all. I'm in Tucson where it is super-dry most of the time...and when I switched to plastic, I actually had to tweak it a few times to keep the humidity from getting too high! (More holes put in the tub...and always making sure the water bowl is on the cool side.)

As for size of holes...a regular soldering-iron will make the perfect sized holes for you, without risking cracking the plastic or making sharp edges. Just make sure you do it outside or in a very well ventilated area!

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Originally Posted by JLC

I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that the humidity range in your big tank is ok. However, maintaining that big ol' glass tank can still be a pain...especially for a critter that doesn't really need it.

A shallow, plastic tub will hold humidity in perfectly, with no effort on your part at all. I'm in Tucson where it is super-dry most of the time...and when I switched to plastic, I actually had to tweak it a few times to keep the humidity from getting too high! (More holes put in the tub...and always making sure the water bowl is on the cool side.)

As for size of holes...a regular soldering-iron will make the perfect sized holes for you, without risking cracking the plastic or making sharp edges. Just make sure you do it outside or in a very well ventilated area!

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Yeah... my plan is to move my RTB into the "big" tank because he is more active than my Ball. How many holes do I start with... I mean 2 rows around the top or what? I thought I saw a link on here at one point of a member that had explained exactly how to create a tub setup. Does anyone remember where that was at?

Thanks!!

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Originally Posted by Spaniard

Don't mean to hijack the thread :hijackd: but are there any tips on getting one of those sticky UTH's off of the glass so that it could be reused easier?

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For future reference, what I have done with my UTH's is leave the peel off paper on the UTH, and attach the UTH to the bottom of the tank using clear packing tape. By doing this, I can remove the UTH very easily, and apply it to another tank without possibly damaging the UTH. Just a thought.

Try this, but don't worry about all the lamp fixture stuff.

http://ball-pythons.net/modules.php?...warticle&id=40

Hey bpkid!! Don't you ever sleep? Seems like you are always about :) (lucky for me!) What do you recommend for size on a 3 foot ball? I can probably go with a pretty big one don't you think? On a side note... what's your take on the upcoming series??

My take is that WE ARE GONNA WIN!! HAHA!!! Just kidding. But seriously, we're gonna whoop you guys. Yeah, I'm on here alot, but thats gonna change once school starts.Lol.

I would just look for a 32 quart, but if it's too small, just go for the 41 quart.

This might be a surprise but I figured that was your take on the Series! :) I am of the opposite opinion if you guessed. Seriously though, I think I am going with a bigger one because I would like to make sure that he can stay in it for awhile. I don't have much history with a plastic tub, what size UTH would you use with say a 40+?

I think a 30 gallon UTH is good, but if I were you, I would get Flexxwatt with a dimmer. Everyone here uses them, and they all love it. I'm getting some as soon as I get some money.

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Originally Posted by bpkid

I think a 30 gallon UTH is good, but if I were you, I would get Flexxwatt with a dimmer. Everyone here uses them, and they all love it. I'm getting some as soon as I get some money.

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I have read about the flexxwatt but it sounds complicated. You are talking to someone that couldn't drive a nail straight if it was already started for me. :) Since you mentioned the dimmer. Don't you have to keep adjusting the dimmer to changing conditions in the room? (Air on vs off)

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Originally Posted by Naf Eeknay

I have read about the flexxwatt but it sounds complicated. You are talking to someone that couldn't drive a nail straight if it was already started for me. :) Since you mentioned the dimmer. Don't you have to keep adjusting the dimmer to changing conditions in the room? (Air on vs off)

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You can order flexwatt pre-wired and just plug it in like you would any heat mat. Works fine and easy. And you're right about the dimmer...that's the downside to using one. They work well if the room keeps steady temps all the time...but most rooms fluctuate more than people realize.

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Originally Posted by Naf Eeknay

I have read about the flexxwatt but it sounds complicated. You are talking to someone that couldn't drive a nail straight if it was already started for me. :) Since you mentioned the dimmer. Don't you have to keep adjusting the dimmer to changing conditions in the room? (Air on vs off)

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Yeah, you will have to change it with the fluctuating temps, but it's good for a person with only two snakes. If you are really afraid of fluctuating temps, get a thermostat, but not the cheap ones that cost around 30 bucks. If you want a thermostat go here.

He sells them too.

Hm.. if your BP is already around 3', I would bank that you could go with a tub that'd be good for him for the rest of his life. I think one of those "under-bed" storage ones would be good, but depending on what style it is, you may have to tweak things so it is escape proof. Some people use binder clips or other clamplike things for theirs.

Remember too that they don't need as big as you might think. They CHOOSE to spend the bulk of their time in burrows and termite mounds, so they thrive in tighter quarters.


As an example, I use a 41 quart Sterilite 1986 model from Walmart for both my juvies that aren't in the rack and my adults. Here's a picture of both. You might be able to see the holes too:

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

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...outsidetub.jpg

this is a very informative thread for me as i will be moving my BP out of his glass enclosure soon. i would however, like to see pics of what security measures you guys use to secure the lid. thank you very much.

ed

I just put stuff over the lid, like a heavy book.

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Remember too that they don't need as big as you might think. They CHOOSE to spend the bulk of their time in burrows and termite mounds, so they thrive in tighter quarters.


As an example, I use a 41 quart Sterilite 1986 model from Walmart for both my juvies that aren't in the rack and my adults. Here's a picture of both. You might be able to see the holes too:

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

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...outsidetub.jpg

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Thanks for the pics. Ok... I went out and got a tub similar to what he has now.... 36" long 12" high and 14" wide. It looked a little narrow to me but after seeing your pics I see what you mean. I currently have a 30 gallon UTH on it and seems to be holding temperature well with a regulator on it. Still working on humidity though as it reached 75% in a hurry so I drilled some more holes and will let it set for a while. That 75% was near the water dish that I stuck in there ... what should humidity normally run on the water dish side?

Is the water dish on the cool side?

yeah... the water dish is on the cool side which right now is at 77 degrees with 73% humidity ... the hot side is 92.5 but don't have the humidity gauge on that side right now but it was running around 55- 60 % before I moved it to check the cool side

What kind of substrate do you use? Does the water get tipped over alot?

No.. just setting the tank up tonight so just checking things out before I move him. I have newspaper down in this one ... I drilled a few more holes in the side about an hour ago and most recent check is 75 degrees with 73 % humidity... I may have to drill more holes.

i would NOT recommend a heavy book to secure a snake in a tub.
good luck, drill more holes :D

Putting big and little holes in the lid too, will help control the humidity.


I had problems w/that on Hera's big tub, and extra holes in the lid and bigger ones along the middle of the sides helped get it right.


Be careful w/reusing a UTH you've pulled off. I ended up w/HOT HOT!! spots with the one I tried to reuse, and even w/the the temp controls, it wasn't a good thing. :(


R.

I would recommend letting the conditions in the tub settle for a few days before going hole-happy...mine always register high on humidity after changing their water out...Too few holes is better than too many...
It's hard to put them holes back! ;)

Balls do really well in Tubs, especially when young..Mine loves his..

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...7/DSC00644.jpg

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Originally Posted by sho220

I would recommend letting the conditions in the tub settle for a few days before going hole-happy...mine always register high on humidity after changing their water out...Too few holes is better than too many...
It's hard to put them holes back! ;)

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I agree ... I am going to check it when I get home today. Just called home and the wife said the humidity was 82% ... YIKES!! I think I will drill a couple more holes in the side and see what happens. Worst case scenario is that I drill too many and have to buy another tub!! :) I really hope I can get it settled by Sunday so I can move Monty into it.

OR you could put the thermo on the hot side, and the probe on the cool side. That's what I do. The humidity might be misleading because it is by the water bowl.

If that doesn't work, then at least your ready for a brazilian rainbow boa. lol.

:)

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Originally Posted by bpkid

OR you could put the thermo on the hot side, and the probe on the cool side. That's what I do. The humidity might be misleading because it is by the water bowl.

If that doesn't work, then at least your ready for a brazilian rainbow boa. lol.

:)

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That's what I was wondering... if my humidity is 50 - 60 range on the hot side and 60 - 80 on the cool/water side ... is that ok? It seems that it would be impossible to have a uniform humidity in a tub tank with a water dish.

It should be ok, because the cool side is really humid because of the water.

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Originally Posted by bpkid

It should be ok, because the cool side is really humid because of the water.

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Well.... I think tomorrow will be the big moving day for Monty. Temps are easily maintainable and the humidiity seems to be doing ok. Like you were saying, the humidity is high on the cool side around 65 - 75, good in the middle around 55 - 65, and around 45 - 50 on the hot. That seems to be about where it is going to settle in so I will give it another day and then move him tomorrow.

Good luck!!

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Originally Posted by Naf Eeknay

I agree ... I am going to check it when I get home today. Just called home and the wife said the humidity was 82% ... YIKES!! I think I will drill a couple more holes in the side and see what happens. Worst case scenario is that I drill too many and have to buy another tub!! :) I really hope I can get it settled by Sunday so I can move Monty into it.

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I've melted some holes that are the size of the "bit" of the soldering iron, and then some are the bigger size of the shank (right into the handle).

When one of my tubs had too many holes in it, I just filled the smaller ones with a little glop/squirt/plug of silicone. Worked great!!!!! And then if the tub gets too humid, no matter where I put his water bowl, I just pulled the plugs out. (Depended on what snake I had in the tub at the time.)

Worked out really well, and then I didn't have to worry about a new tub right away for my goofs. :D

R.

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Originally Posted by sweety314

I've melted some holes that are the size of the "bit" of the soldering iron, and then some are the bigger size of the shank (right into the handle).

When one of my tubs had too many holes in it, I just filled the smaller ones with a little glop/squirt/plug of silicone. Worked great!!!!! And then if the tub gets too humid, no matter where I put his water bowl, I just pulled the plugs out. (Depended on what snake I had in the tub at the time.)

Worked out really well, and then I didn't have to worry about a new tub right away for my goofs. :D

R.

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Thanks for the advice! That sounds like a good idea. It seems that humidity is ok now but I am sure it will change as summer comes to a close. I was planning on covering holes with tape as needed, but the silicone sounds like a better option.

OK... Here is Monty in his new digs. Please critique. My temps at this time is 89.4 on hot and 77 - 78 on the cool. Humidity seems to be around 75 on water side and 55 on hot. I left the crossword puzzle up in case he got bored.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...5/S5000077.JPG

You might want to get id of that half log, and get two identical smaller hides. Ball pythons like to feel Very snug and secure and half logs usually cant do that.

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Originally Posted by bpkid

You might want to get id of that half log, and get two identical smaller hides. Ball pythons like to feel Very snug and secure and half logs usually cant do that.

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Ok... I will make something up for him ... I also found out that the cool whip dish is not going to cut it as a water bowl since he immediately dumped it after this picture was taken. Can you think of anything that would make a good hide for his size? He is about 3 feet long right now.

A margarine tub w/lid and a hole cut out works for mine, or the pottery drip pan from a planter is good. I didn't want to mess w/cracking it when putting a hole in it, so I got the plastic ones instead.

I have a couple plastic bowls w/lids and holes cut in the sides for Precious. It's sooooo funny because he's grown soooo much he got stuck in the entrance a couple of times--- once before and once after he ate. I cut the entrance bigger and now he's REALLY squished up in the bowl, almost time to get bigger ones. :banana:

If your temps are still stable as described, you'll need to boost both of 'em...92-94 hot and 82-84 cold. Nothing lower than 80 or you're risking RI, w/o any nighttime temp drop....it's not needed.

As for water bowls, I've got heavy crocks for my bigger BPs and also the dog dishes that have the rubber edges. That help really well to hold the bowl on the slick plastic of the tub, w/o sliding and tipping. My smaller snakes have little cream cheese cups, stainless steel dog dishes or smaller plastic dog/cat bowls. Hera kept tipping hers, so I had to go with a small but HEAVY crock

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Originally Posted by sweety314

A margarine tub w/lid and a hole cut out works for mine, or the pottery drip pan from a planter is good. I didn't want to mess w/cracking it when putting a hole in it, so I got the plastic ones instead.

I have a couple plastic bowls w/lids and holes cut in the sides for Precious. It's sooooo funny because he's grown soooo much he got stuck in the entrance a couple of times--- once before and once after he ate. I cut the entrance bigger and now he's REALLY squished up in the bowl, almost time to get bigger ones. :banana:

If your temps are still stable as described, you'll need to boost both of 'em...92-94 hot and 82-84 cold. Nothing lower than 80 or you're risking RI, w/o any nighttime temp drop....it's not needed.

As for water bowls, I've got heavy crocks for my bigger BPs and also the dog dishes that have the rubber edges. That help really well to hold the bowl on the slick plastic of the tub, w/o sliding and tipping. My smaller snakes have little cream cheese cups, stainless steel dog dishes or smaller plastic dog/cat bowls. Hera kept tipping hers, so I had to go with a small but HEAVY crock

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Thanks for the advice. When you are measuring hot side temps are you measuring the UTH or the sides around it. For example, when I put my temp gauge on the UTH it registers at 92.5 when it is off it measures 85-88. The cold side I will have to see where it settles. It seems to want to stay between 75 - 80 right now. I will check again in the morning as I don't want to start plugging holes yet. :)

looks very nice.

I would tend to agree that a simple overturned tupperware with a hole in the side would make a great hide. its nice to have a hide on the hot side and one on the cool side. You might need a ceramic or bowl that will not tip...if your lil ball is gonna be tipping it over all the time, GOOD LUCk! :D

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Originally Posted by Naf Eeknay

Thanks for the advice. When you are measuring hot side temps are you measuring the UTH or the sides around it. For example, when I put my temp gauge on the UTH it registers at 92.5 when it is off it measures 85-88. The cold side I will have to see where it settles. It seems to want to stay between 75 - 80 right now. I will check again in the morning as I don't want to start plugging holes yet. :)

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On the cool side in my tanks & tubs w/o an AcuRite, it's ambient temp (the therm. is on the wall of the tank), and a digital therm probe is on the floor attached to the glass/plastic but under the aspen for the hot side.

There is a sep. thread about where to attach the probes & measuring temps, and < I > personally am not sure mine is quite right (warm enough) but I've adjusted so that on the hot side against the glass the temp is 93-4*. To ME it doesn't seem to be correct (the aspen would make it colder????) but the snakeys like it...they're all moving back & forth between the two hides (warm side after eating & at night, cool side during heat of the day/warm house), pooing and shedding, so it must be okay for them. *shrugs*

The heat must be radiating up thru the aspen enough for them.

R

Well..... project plastic tub has been terminated. Monty popped the lid and got out ...luckily not that far away. Here is my new setup with the added tank. Temps are holding at 84 in the corners on the hot side with 95 on the bask and 77 - 80 on the cool side. Will check again in a couple hours and see where they are at. Check out the pic and let me know what you think. I am getting rid of the half log tomorrow when I go to the store to get a rat.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...0083_thumb.jpg

you'll want the hides to be identical so the snake doesn't choose a favorite and have to choose between comfort and security.

Does the tank on the left have a water bowl that I just can't see?

They look good to me.

R

Yeah.. The tank on the left has a waterbowl behind the wood but underneath the tin foil. Can't see it from the pics. I am replacing the half log today with a similar plastic hide that is in the picture... he seems to spend about equal time in each one though right now. I am going to pick up another UTH heater for the cool side as well. Temps last night dropped to 72 on the cool.

For water, I have a suggestion; a heavy ceramic dog water bowl. I use them in most of my tanks (I have clear-glass Pyrex rectangular ones in the others, which also work well.) Their weight makes them not tip really (don't ever remember one of them tipping it)
The noly negative is, no more Pyrex dishes for baking.. didn't want tuna surpruise anyways. :D

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

For water, I have a suggestion; a heavy ceramic dog water bowl. I use them in most of my tanks (I have clear-glass Pyrex rectangular ones in the others, which also work well.) Their weight makes them not tip really (don't ever remember one of them tipping it)
The noly negative is, no more Pyrex dishes for baking.. didn't want tuna surpruise anyways. :D

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HEHE... yeah I have the dish situation figured out ... now to get humidity levels right again. I'm running about 60 on the cool side, 50 in the middle and really low under the heat light. I have no idea how to raise humidity under the light. Will having 2/3 of the tank the proper humidiity be ok?