How to clean tank and how often? Additional Tips on anything?

[Szhang]

I've had my baby ball for a month now, and I think its time for a full clean. But I'm not sure what I should use to clean the interior. I heard soap is all good, but I want to be safer and get something specifically used to clean a tank. Any thoughts?

Also, how often should I clean the tank?

Where should I keep my baby when I'm cleaning?

So many questions. Please let me know additional tips on keeping a safe and healthy environment for my baby!

Thank you so much!

[redshepherd]

You really don't need to clean anything until your BP has left excrement LOL. They don't dirty anything up other than that.

Most people will just spot clean on aspen or reptichip, and only do a full cleaning after 2 or 3 poops/pees. If you're using paper towel though, then of course it all needs to be changed out right away.

Most people use diluted f10 for cleaning: http://www.reptilebasics.com/f10-products/

[SKO]

I use dawn dish soap to clean items from the cage and the cage itself. I follow that up by using the f10sc like redshepherd mentioned. I keep my snakes in a rubber maid tub with locking lid also with a hide in it while I clean. I also put a towel or blanket over the tub just to keep it dark.

I tend to deep clean every month or every other. I soak everything in very hot water and soap. I so make sure everything is completely dry and aired out before I add them back to the cage. I also make sure the cage itself is nice and dry before I add new mulch.

Daily checks for spot cleaning is the best way to make sure waste isnt sitting in there for too long.

[cchardwick]

Well I have a rack with tubs and that makes life easy, just disposable Dixie cups for water and coconut husk substrate, nothing else in there. I actually keep my snakes on the bottom of the tub in the back over the heater with no substrate at all. When they pee or defecate they move up onto the coconut husk substrate. I usually spot clean the day after feeding or when I spray down the substrate twice a week, but once a week I go through and just spray the back with Chlorhexidine, diluted 25 mL per liter. Then I wipe it dry with a paper towel, then put the snake back. Easy peasy. And I go through and spray it all down with water twice a week since I live in a very dry climate.

Then once every two months I change out all of the coconut husk substrate and spray down the entire tub with diluted Chlorhexidine. If a snake gets real dirty from crawling around in his poo I'll spray the snake directly with warm water using my pump up 2 gallon sprayer I got from Home Depot. Cleans the snake real easy, I keep them right on the coconut husk when spraying them down. Most snakes like to be sprayed, I just avoid spraying them on the head or in the face. When I clean my tubs out I'll etiher put the snake in a tote half full of coconut husk substrate, or I'll prepare a new tub with a new Dixie cup full of water and fresh coconut husk, then simply slide out one tub, slide the other in and move the snake over. I have three extra tubs so I can easily clean and replace three tubs at the same time.