Help me find a new enclosure!

[OtterGoRun]

Hello all, I am an old member who hasn't been on in a long time. I still have the same two BPs, both around 12 years old now. I still have them in glass aquariums with screen tops, and UTHs. I've gotten used to keeping up with humidity and the usual pitfalls of the setup, but a few things have gotten old and I'm looking for other options. My annoyances are that with one kid and one herniated disc later, it's becoming increasingly burdensome to lug the heavy things upstairs into the bathtub for bleaching and a hosedown. I also hate the UTH being stuck to the tank permanently, as the cords always get in the way while cleaning.

I thought about moving them to a tub/rack system, but we do like the see-through nature of the glass and being able to check on them without disturbing them and watch them from time to time even though most of the time they do their best impersonation of a rock

I also worry moving them this many years into their life might stress them out too much. Our big guy doesn't seem phased by anything but our sensitive one was angry for a week when we moved the couch to the other side of the room.

Thoughts? Anyone here have a light(er)weight setup you just love?

[Bogertophis]

Welcome back from the shadows.

I much prefer the "see-thru" glass tanks myself- but I keep mostly colubrids, no BPs these days. I know glass has some disadvantages for BPs- but you might be right that the change would stress at least one of your snakes. Also, I see no reason whatsoever to remove the tanks & haul them anywhere to disinfect, especially upstairs to a bathtub- ugh! Please give your back a rest! Not needed at all, IMO. I sure don't haul my tanks around, nor do I use bleach for routine disinfection- it's way overkill. In the past as in the present, most of my snakes live long lives (some to mid-20's) & I use generic chlorhexidine to clean/disinfect tanks- it's greatly diluted, you just spray it on & dry off with paper towels, no rinsing needed. It's available in most feed stores or various places online. If you haven't been adding any new snakes (ie. bringing in outside pathogens) you sure don't need to be using bleach (or F10) or hauling tanks anywhere.

Many here that keep BPs prefer the "professionally made" plastic/PVC "enclosures because they "keep in the humidity" (that's because there's hardly any airflow), and they're lighter weight, for sure, and stackable. Personally, I tried a couple of Prolines years ago & hated them with a passion- I didn't like having such a limited view of what's inside, nor the awkward (smaller) access (I kept scraping my arm while reaching in to clean all the way to the back), but who knows, you might love them? I'm firmly in the glass camp, lol. I like snakes too much to want to store them like sweaters in "tubs" or "racks", even if they do seem to survive okay.

[Hugsplox]

Many here that keep BPs prefer the "professionally made" plastic/PVC "enclosures because they "keep in the humidity" (that's because there's hardly any airflow), and they're lighter weight, for sure, and stackable. Personally, I tried a couple of Prolines years ago & hated them with a passion- I didn't like having such a limited view of what's inside, nor the awkward (smaller) access (I kept scraping my arm while reaching in to clean all the way to the back), but who knows, you might love them? I'm firmly in the glass camp, lol. I like snakes too much to want to store them like sweaters in "tubs" or "racks", even if they do seem to survive okay.

Welcome back!

I kept my BP in a glass 40 breeder his whole first year, and only swapped to a PVC enclosure from Animal Plastics to make maintaining humidity a little easier. I have to say I have enjoyed using a RHP a lot as well and appreciate everyone here taking the time to explain how they work to me. I'm kind of in the same camp as Boger though, I do like to see my animals when they're out. BPs obviously aren't as active as some colubrids so I don't mind him being in the PVC, but if I had something that was out and moving around during the day, I would prefer glass. Both my hognoses are in glass enclosures and I'd hate to miss out on some of their antics they get into during the day. Guess really it's just a preference deal.

[TofuTofuTofu]

My first thought was, why would you haul the enclosures anywhere?

Just use a spray cleaner for the inside and wipe down with a paper towel. I like chlorhexidine as well and have used it for my iguana for over a decade. You buy a big thing of it and dilute it for a spray. It lasts me a few years each container.

[JoeNapoli]

... two BPs, both around 12 years old now. I still have them in glass aquariums with screen tops, and UTHs. I've gotten used to keeping up with humidity and the usual pitfalls of the setup... becoming increasingly burdensome to lug the heavy things... I also hate the UTH being stuck to the tank permanently, as the cords always get in the way while cleaning... Thoughts? Anyone here have a light(er)weight setup you just love?

You don't mention size/gender. A 12yr old female, especially a Normal or Volta, would be a big girl by now. I have 4 large females (>3,000grams) each with her own "reptile tank". They are Zilla 30 gallon breeders 36x18x12 w/sliding screens and are approximately 1/2 the weight of the 40 gallon "aquarium tank" breeders. There is a label on the bottom which states that they are not designed to hold water. This makes all the difference. I once had several 40 gallon glass aquarium breeders purchased during PetCo's or PetsMart's dollar-per-gallon-sales. Good price, and great tanks for fish. Very, very heavy. The Zilla reptile tanks are very lightweight and are the same exact surface area as the 40 gallon breeders, they are just shorter; 12 high instead of 18 high, which is fine for BP's. These tanks are expensive and difficult to find. To date I have checked several pet stores, both the large chains as well as mom & pop stores. Can't find them online either, and I imagine the cost of shipping would be prohibitive. The only place I've seen them is at the larger reptile expos. They cost ~$125 each give or take (offering cash payment without receipt will work in your favor). They are worth every penny IMO and I am looking to purchase more.


Humidity is a cinch I just cover ~3/4's of the screens with 2 gallon ziplock bags, unopened, lying flat; cellophane could also be used but was too clingy for my liking. IMO this setup has zero pitfalls. For a pro who needs to meet a profit margin the cost would be a pitfall as well as the space that these large enclosures take up. But for me, well I don't like keeping snakes in drawers. I had in the past and did not find the hobby as interesting. I like to observe their behavior.


Regarding heat. They are kept in a room with ambient temp of 75F. So that is their cool side. For their hot side I use heating pads designed for humans (like the kind one would use on a herniated disc LOL) on one end under the tank.


I tried 3 different makes/models of heating pads, none of them performed like I wanted so we now just use those for our aches & pains.


Then I tried this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08QZK68BY
and looked no further. This model has 9 different temperature settings. Any setting >5 = >95F so they are more than enough. Also, this model is the only one of the four that can run 24/7 the others time out after a few hours with automatic shutoff. Lastly, this model has glass beads affixed to the heating element inside the cloth which allow air to flow under the tank whereas the others would flatten out under the weight of the tank which, it would seem to me, could present a fire hazard.


They used to be expensive, but now they are very expensive; I got them when they were $6 cheaper. I would still buy them at the current price. (The price of everything is going up.)


Hope this helps!

[Jamiekerk]

Inside cermacic heat emitter in a cage low wattage just for ambient temps, heat mat under hide in a glass enclosure with substrate on top all cables at back of viv for stats etc hold heat well, humidity can be a problem because of the che but moss etc usualy bumps it up. Easy to clean just remove everything use a scoop for substrate and vacuumed rest and just use reptile disinfectent. Takes about 20 minutes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[OtterGoRun]

Thanks for the info! It sounds like I need to be less paranoid with cleaning practices and the glass won't be so cumbersome (I'd still like to upgrade tank size though). For chlorhexidine, do y'all buy the kind for humans? Like Hibiclens? Or is there a specific brand for snakes? Spray and wipe sounds so much nicer.

As for gender/size, we don't know gender for sure. We call one a "he" and one a "she" but don't actually know. Our "guy" is about 44" and nice and stocky. Our "girl" is more slender, but right around 46". I don't have the most current weights on them. I'll have to check next time I have them out.

[Bogertophis]

Thanks for the info! It sounds like I need to be less paranoid with cleaning practices and the glass won't be so cumbersome (I'd still like to upgrade tank size though). For chlorhexidine, do y'all buy the kind for humans? Like Hibiclens? Or is there a specific brand for snakes? Spray and wipe sounds so much nicer...

I'm not familiar with Hibiclens- I searched it but still not seeing what other ingredients might be in it? So I can't comment if it's safe or not for snakes, but it sounds like over-kill -it's made for washing human skin but has a number of "cautions" about usage, & I think it's a stronger concentration than what we're doing with generic chlorhexidine; it's certainly more expensive.

Chlorhexidine is a component of some mouthwashes too, incidentally, but I wouldn't recommend using those to wipe cages either, because of the other ingredients that may or may not be safe. And none of my snakes want to be "minty fresh", or so I assume? (I think that could irritate their lungs, if not their skin.)

So, no, you don't need the "human" chlorhexidine- buy the generic from a feed store*, it's inexpensive & does the job. If you just love paying a LOT more, you can buy Nolvasan- it's similar but the slightly different chemical formulation also kills viruses, not just bacteria, & the price reflects that. Mostly it's used by veterinary clinics & such- I used it many years ago, before it got so pricey & before I realized generic chlorhexidine was just fine for what I'm doing now. (Back then I had way more snakes & rodents than I do now- I bred some snakes, bred & supplied rodents, & I also took in a number of herp "rescues".) *It comes in either a pint or a gallon. It will take you a LONG time to use the pint, because it's so diluted when used properly. You can buy a good spray bottle (plastic) from many stores if you don't already have one (don't re-use one that's held bleach or any other chemicals!)- it's so easy to use. (I also clean my rodents with it- I still breed my own.)

For only a few pets, especially if you aren't adding more from other sources, I'd suggest just using generic. You dilute it (something like a teaspoon per gallon!) & just spray on, wipe dry for tanks/cages. More effective to let it sit for 15-20 minutes before you wipe it dry. It doesn't need rinsed, & bleach needs so much water to get rid of the fumes, your water bill might go down?

For those breeding snakes, adding new ones & keeping many more, they may want added protection & many here are using F10 (which I've also tried & found to be "overkill" for my current household). FYI, I currently have 19 snakes & haven't added any for years, & don't plan to. I also don't attend reptile expos or hang out in pet shops (where herps are likely to carry pathogens & mites that you don't have at home). My snakes stay healthy & live long. And yes, I'd say "relax". Reading forums like this, you may get the impression that snakes often get sick, but they don't. They get exposed to pathogens when sold @ expos, & in pet stores, & from being imported or just shipped from large commercial sources where cross-contamination is common.

[Caitlin]

I really love my PVC enclosures. They're lightweight, and humidity and temps stay stable. I love that they're stackable. I like the options for ventilation, heating, and lighting as well as added items like basking shelves and windows on the sides that my favorite enclosure makers (Focus Cubed Habitats) offer. Plus I personally find them more attractive than glass tanks, but that is purely a subjective thing.

Re: chlorhexidine - I just get generic chlorhexidine on Amazon. Hibiclens is a proprietary name for chlorhexidine, so there's no need to spend the extra money on the name!

[OtterGoRun]

The reason I asked about Hibiclens is that I already have a fresh bottle in the house, but I'm happy to save that for people and buy the generic for cage cleaning too. We always used Novalsan brand at the clinic I used to work at, but someone else was footing the bill back then 😉