New BP soon, did I clean enough to keep this one alive?

[Animals As Leaders]

Lol touche. I guess the cage's look was more important to me than them. the snake's health is the most important thing so i am going to just do exactly what is being told to me by you and the other guy. thanks man

This wasn't to deter your tank setup lol!

I just ended up starting a collection, and cleaning tanks all the time got old quick. Tanks are nice if you only have one snake, and to me are a lot more aesthetically pleasing then having ONE sterilite tub sitting in your room lol. But when you get a bunch you'll see that tanks just don't cut it. Just make sure to keep the screen 3/4 covered with plexi-glass, or something else to keep the humidity in. The big thing with tanks is keep the humidity in the tank, which could be challenging but not hard as long you know how. Either way, good luck with your new snake!!

[Miko]

Oh no you havent come off wrong. Well said actually, but I use Repti-Bark which is Fir bark. I got it from Petco. So do you think I should just throw all of the bark away that I treated with diluted bleach water, and then baked for over 2 1/2 hours in the oven at 350 degrees? My family friend that gave it to me said that it may have been his fault in that he didnt realize that his girl bp had eggs. He noticed she was in he hide an awful lot and opened it up and saw the eggs. He said that eggs are supposed to be kept at a higher temp than he had the snakes in (88 degrees) for best results in the clutch. Could this have been a factor? Also if the mouse I gave him was treated chemically for mites/lice or if it was just carrying a disease- how long would it take to kill the snake? because it died within i would say 12 hours of feeding it.

Did you say you baked the bark with bleach in it? DO NOT put diluted bleach in the substrate. I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this, they probably have but cooking the substrate is enough, (At 200 degrees for two hours) diluted bleach is probably the thing that harmed the snake because you poured it in it's bedding, correct? When you use diluted bleach you NEED to rinse it off well. Please, please be careful with your next snake, don't be afraid to ask anyone on this forum for help if you're wondering anything. Perhaps you feel as though you've been treated wrongly since you seem defensive but they're really just trying to help. Also, I would suggest that you wait a a few months AT LEAST to get another snake after this incident. Don't rush, a snake is a lifetime partner who should last you around 30 years. It's like getting married, you should seriously see it as a big deal.

[DemmBalls]

Please don't clean the substrate. Just replace it. It's cheap enough that there is no reason to clean it, bleach it, bake it, etc. Good luck with your new snake and go STEELERS!

[sicilian1928]

Did you say you baked the bark with bleach in it? DO NOT put diluted bleach in the substrate. I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this, they probably have but cooking the substrate is enough, (At 200 degrees for two hours) diluted bleach is probably the thing that harmed the snake because you poured it in it's bedding, correct? When you use diluted bleach you NEED to rinse it off well. Please, please be careful with your next snake, don't be afraid to ask anyone on this forum for help if you're wondering anything. Perhaps you feel as though you've been treated wrongly since you seem defensive but they're really just trying to help. Also, I would suggest that you wait a a few months AT LEAST to get another snake after this incident. Don't rush, a snake is a lifetime partner who should last you around 30 years. It's like getting married, you should seriously see it as a big deal.

I actually did many hours of research and mulling over before I decided to get a snake. I feel that it is a great responsibility. trust me i was stressin about it for a while before finally deciding.
I used the little bit of bleach to clean the bark AFTER the snake had already died. I didnt use it prior. Then i baked the bark for over 2 hours at 350 degrees.

[sho220]

Wow, really? I didn't realize cleaning accessories in a tank is that complicated.

Well just look at all the different opinions and advice in this one thread...use bark, don't use bark, bake it, soak it in bleach, don't use bleach, use ammonia after bleach, use only 20% bleach, use only 10% bleach, sprinkle pixie dust on it...good grief...what a PITA!!!

And you contradicted yourself (as well as proving my point) with this statement...

"Listen...Snake racks are probably the best way to keep snakes. Tubs w/ paper towels are one of the easiest most effective ways of keeping them. When I made the switch it resulted in great feeding response, and less skiddish personalities." So they feed better and are less stressed??? Hmmm...

We are all essentially being selfish by keeping these animals...we enjoy it and are fascinated by it...the snakes gain nothing from it. The least we can do is give them the best and safest environment to live in. If you can pull off keeping up with a tank, that's great. But when you're having issues, and losing snakes, you might want to consider another way...

[ed4281]

Don't reuse the bark substrate even if it has been treated it's simply to porus and think of it like useing a dead persons sheets, would you want too.......

Substrate is cheap and easy to replace the only thing I will reuse is the astro turf like carpeting you can throw it in the wash and have a few as back up when cleaning.

[lk_holla]

aye caramba this thread is getting ridiculous!

Just look at the BP caresheet, follow it, and everything will be dandy! The only additional (well, reminding) advice to that should be to replace the bedding and clean the cage extra well.

I'm sorry for your loss, and I hope all goes well with your new buddy!