Water Bowls?

[JAMills]

The question is What size and/or what do you use for water bowls with your ADULT ball pythons? More interested in answers from RACK breeders.

Been keeping for several years and used many different kinds and sizes. I got the perfect ones for my hatchlings - Juvies. I just can't find something I like for adults in a rack setup. Would like to hear from some of the bigger breeders on how big of a water bowl they use with their adults and/or what they use.

Thanks for lookin'

[jknudson]

I use 4" PVC Couplers w/ 32oz. Deli Cups for my adults.

[West Coast Jungle]

Lots of breeders use small water bowls. I myself like larger ones that they can actually soak in. We have humidity problems in Los Angeles where it can be real dry so the large bowls are a great help for that too.

I have also noticed that every one of my females will soak during building and right before ovulation. It may be the need to cool down but I also think it may be for hydration. I assume that devolping eggs need/use more water from the gravid snake. This is only a theory but all my girls soak prior to ovulation and I have had a real high percentage of fertile eggs with only one slug and one go bad during incubation this season. I think they know when they need to soak so I like to give them that opportunity. My vet recommeded soaking them on a regular basis to avoid dehydration.

It makes for more cleaning but I dont mind. I would think they would soak in the wild if needed.

Once again this is just the way I do it and is not based on any scientific proof. I think allowing then a place to soak if needed can only be beneficial and my good/slug egg ratio has been excellent so I am gonna keep doing what has worked for me.

Just some food for thought

[Argentra]

In all my enclosures, including the adult rack, I use ceramic cat dishes. They're probably about 4-5" diameter, and everyone from juvinile to adult uses them. The little ones get ceramic rodent food dishes.

[Freakie_frog]

I use the ceremic water bowls from dollar tree

[tigerlily]

Here's what I use in my rack.

[JAMills]

Thank you everyone for your responses.
Like I said I have found something I like to use for my hatchlings - juvies.
I use the stainless steel water dishes with the bonded rubber ring around the bottom. They are the " Durapet Premium Stainless Steel " that you get in the pet section of Wal-Mart ( 4 inch diameter ) I have been using the same ones in the larger size ( 9-10 inch diameter ) for my adults. They are heavy duty, dishwasher safe, and have a lifetime guarantee. I run them through the dishwasher on pots and pans mode once a week, and they still look brand new. Even the rubber no skid ring looks new!
I have been using these for over a year now and like Raul said my females soaked in them, well as much as they could fit atleast when they were gravid. Just so you know Raul, I only had 3 clutches last year but I got no slugs or bad eggs and I had 100% hatch. I am shooting for 10 clutches this year so we will see how my luck is.

[West Coast Jungle]

Thank you everyone for your responses.
Like I said I have found something I like to use for my hatchlings - juvies.
I use the stainless steel water dishes with the bonded rubber ring around the bottom. They are the " Durapet Premium Stainless Steel " that you get in the pet section of Wal-Mart ( 4 inch diameter ) I have been using the same ones in the larger size ( 9-10 inch diameter ) for my adults. They are heavy duty, dishwasher safe, and have a lifetime guarantee. I run them through the dishwasher on pots and pans mode once a week, and they still look brand new. Even the rubber no skid ring looks new!
I have been using these for over a year now and like Raul said my females soaked in them, well as much as they could fit atleast when they were gravid. Just so you know Raul, I only had 3 clutches last year but I got no slugs or bad eggs and I had 100% hatch. I am shooting for 10 clutches this year so we will see how my luck is.

Very cool, thanks for the update, makes me feel my theory has some significance being that you are also seeing soaking breeding females and are seeing a high hatch rate