Does anyone else prefer tanks to tubs?

[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.)

[MD_Pythons]

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

[littlemaxbigworld]

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.

[SRMD]

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

[Alter-Echo]

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.

[AnnieHeart]

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.

[Cheesenugget]

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.

[SDA]

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.

[Sonny1318]

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.

[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 snake(s).