Brazilian RainbowBoa Caging Questions

[danielwilu2525]

I'm interested in getting a BRB soon, so I have some questions! First of all, what's a good size tub for a baby? I believe a 6qt/15qt will do? How long would it take for him to grow out of it? And when he does, what do I move him to as his juvenile cage before his permanent adult cage? As for the 6qts/15qts, do I clutter the tub with decor or is that not necessary? I want him to feel secure. Finally, substrate. What do you guys use for your BRB's? I'm thinking of using Eco Earth. However I've been hearing that they have bugs in e'm, i don't like that haha. Thanks!

[CloudtheBoa]

I started my babies out in 60-70-something qt tubs, but so long as the tubs have adequate room for them to thermoregulate and escape any heat they should work. The tubs I have them in last at least 1-2 years. My 2 year old is in a 70-something qt and unless his growth skyrockets, it will last another 6-12 months. My 1.5 year old hypo female will likely outgrow her 60-something qt (I think it is) within or very close to 6 months. I don't think my Picasso stripe will ever outgrow his 60-something qt tub (again, I think), or if he does it will be several years.

Yes, I would offer cover, just like with any other snake. The amount of cover you provide depends on the tub's size vs the snake's size and the individual's comfort level. If they're nervous it doesn't hurt to add more cover.

I personally purchase tubs large enough to last my snakes until they're big enough to be placed in a 4'x2' (anywhere from 3.5'-5'), and then move them straight into the 4'x2'. This should last a BRB for life, but any snakes that get over 6' I upgrade to a 6'x2'. I may keep my rainbows in 4'x2's if they exceed 6' just because of their small girth, though.

I use EcoEarth, and I've never had any bugs in mine in the ~3 years I've been using it. The most I might expect would be to get mites if you buy the bedding from a pet store that has reptiles with mites. If mold grows, it does attract gnats and stuff, but bugs don't generally come from inside the bedding.

I do want to say I've had problems with mold with EcoEarth using just flexwatt, because heat tape/pads don't heat the bedding enough to release moisture to dry the bedding out. So, I mix cypress mulch to aerate it and help it dry out quicker. It's worked so far. I do also plan on trying ReptiChip in place of the cypress because of the environmental damage its use has (cutting away cypress forests, which are not replaceable - well in a few hundred years maybe). RHPs and CHEs dry the bedding out just fine so I use EcoEarth by itself in those set ups.

I used to use sphagnum moss, but I had even worse mold problems than with pure EcoEarth in the hypo and stripe's tubs, even though I used it for 1.5 years with the normal without ever encountering mold, so I ended up switching to what I use now.

[danielwilu2525]

Thanks man! You helped out a lot.

[Zincubus]

Hi

My baby BRB thrived in an 45cm Exo Terra glass Viv set up ....and was moved to a bigger Exo tank later on l

That aside I used damp Eco-earth as the bottom layer of substrate and had a layer of moss completely covering the Eco earth . There were a few hides and some branches as they BRBs really LOVE climbing .

My adult was probably the strongest snake I've ever had wrapped around my arm ( including my 7' male Snow Boa ) .