Need help with a tub!

[KeijiMaeda]

I've had my ball python in a glass tank using only heat lamps for about 2years.

It's starting to out grow the 20 gallon tank it has now and I'm considering buying a tub instead of a bigger even more expensive glass tank.

But I'm pretty confused as to how its supposed to be set up with some specific things:

1. The cover/lid?
Should I just use the regular lid that comes with a common sterilite tub?
Do I drill holes into it? Or make a custom lid with some mesh/screen?

2. Undertank heaters?
I've never used them before. Should I place them under the tub outside of it. Or does it go inside of the tank under substrate/newspaper?

3. Light?
I live in souther california for the most part its warm all year long with room temp averaging mid 60s most of the year and 70s+ during the summer. Will a undertank heater be enough heat source or should I continue to use a lamp? If I can get the adaquet heat with undertank heaters do i need a lamp?


Can post a picture of their set up if you have a tub?

[rabernet]

I think you'll ultimately love a tub once you switch to it. It's easier to maintain heat and humidity.

I do soulder a few ventilation holes in the lid, but the bulk of mine are in the tub itself.

I do not use heat lamps, as an ideal tub is going to be a short one (I think mine are 6" tall) and a lamp on top would be far too much heat and a humidity killer. They don't need any supplemental lighting, the light cycles in the room are fine.

UTH always goes on the bottom of the tub, on the outside, never on the inside. Be especially sure that you have it being controlled by a quality thermostat.

Here's what I use for some of my adult females. It's a 41 quart locking lid tub from Walmart (Sterilite). I use a kitty litter pan with an entrance soldered in it for a hide. It's dark enough for the snake to use its hide, but big enough to thermoregulate inside the hide itself (a warm and cool side to the hide).

I now use unprinted newspaper, rather than aspen, which makes cleaning the tub even easier! You should be able to see the ventilation holes I did in the tub itself.



Here she is in the cool side of the hide.

[MakiMaki]

I'd be afraid to use just the lid that comes with the tub as it doesn't seem secure enough to prevent escapes. Generally, the tubs are in a rack system, which makes owning multiple animals very easy. Check out the set ups on animal plastics or boaphile and you can get an idea. I know that some people make their own rack.

I doubt you'll need any additional heat aside from the UTH (which goes outside of the tub). I live in San Diego, and I find that the ambient temps in the tub are fine--but my snake room is pretty warm just from the multiple racks in there. Tubs really make caring for the snakes easy, and the BPs really seem to prefer them.

[rabernet]

I've got 9 locking lid tubs that are not in racks, and I've had no escape issues.

[mechnut450]

i use the same tubs the handle is aalso the flip over the lid edge locks they work great. I seen the handles in 2 colors so far a green and the ( harder to find grey) the grey are the 41 qt tubs. I use the lids but I designed my racks ot fit the tubs with lids on and a little more room incase I need a larger tubs later on. My little 1700 gram girls aare filling up the tub fast and that without a hide. As for heat I use the flexwatt on a t-stat control ( since i have bad luck with dimmers failing me) ,and they work great I need ot reduce the size of the water bowls or put more vent holes i nthe tubs as the large bowl I use is allowing for too much humidity to condense on the sides of the tubs. ( need to make an air pump to blow warm air in ad the humid air out lol ( off to the pet shop for fish air pumps lol )


I say when making the holes makesure to remove the bur edges ( on the inside at least) to prevent the snake from rubbing the nose or other parts on them and possibly cutting theirself on it. I drilled my holes ( slowly to prevent cracking the plastic ( happens when you push too hard) and then took a hobby knife/razor blade held almost flat against the tub and removed the burs.

hey robin post a pic of the lid with vent hols for me please

[rabernet]

I don't have any pictures of the tub lid loaded. It's just I'd say 4 holes across each end and down the middle (width-wise).

[mechnut450]

lol ok I know hte one tub I had 34qt tub it had holes in the top too and the lid got weaker feeling to me. I got a lid that I can give it a try on lol...

[KeijiMaeda]

I have an idea now on what to do. Few follow up questions that came to me now:

1. I always put the lamp above the water dish. The idea being that the heat evaporates the water giving the humidity needed inside. I assume the UTH will go under water dish area of the tub for the same purposes?

2. I have always used aspen type substrate for my ball. I've read alot about using newspaper as it is cheaper and easier to clean. Just once concern about it is the ink. I know some newspaper have rather cheap ink. Like after holding/reading for awhile you'll get black inked fingers. Might this be a problem or health risk for the my python?

[Kaorte]

The ink in newspapers is soy based and it should not be harmful to them unless they bathe in the ink. Aspen is fine though, its what I use. I think it looks better

With tubs, you will automatically notice no problem with holding humidity. You won't need to put the water bowl near the heat source. I would actually advise against putting it by a heat source because it can make all sorts of nasty things start growing in the warm water.

[MakiMaki]

I've got 9 locking lid tubs that are not in racks, and I've had no escape issues.

That's good to know. I was afraid to try it out of the rack because when I pulled on the lids I was able to create a sizable gap. I have the Sterilite 1755, 32 QT Clear View Latch, which happen to be the ones I use (lidless and latchless) in my Animal Plastics rack. They were at Target. Do you happen to know which ones you use?